NON-TRADITIONAL FUNDS FOR COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION

Funding has always been a key obstacle for community transportation planners. It has become increasingly apparent that more and more people need some form of public transit, but sufficient funding is seldom available. Few community transit agencies would survive on FTA funding alone, thus non-traditional sources of funding have become a vital part of the field. This article looks at the non-traditional sources of federal, state, and local transit funding. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) provides majority of the federal funding for community transportation; and it also includes a provision that requires that nearly 100% of transit authorizations be appropriated and allocated. Some of the funding opportunities in TEA-21 that may not be obvious include: Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds; Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds; State Rural Transit Assistance Program (SRTAP); Section 5309 funds, the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program; and Indian Reservation Roads (IRR) money. The article also looks at 'hidden federal money', such as the Head Start program, the Ryan White CARE Act, Community Development Block Grants, and Healthy Start, all of which include funds that can be used for transportation. Private sector loans, State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) programs, USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grants (RBEG) and the Community Transportation Development Fund (CTDF), local funds and foundation grants, all these should be explored when looking for funding.