Opportunity Information: Apply for FTA 2026 003 TPE TODP
The FY 2026 Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) that will make about $28.5 million available in FY 2026. The program is designed to help communities do the planning work needed to better coordinate land use and transportation decisions around major transit investments, specifically projects that add new fixed guideway service or significantly expand capacity on an existing high-ridership corridor. The overall intent is to strengthen public transportation outcomes by making station areas and transit corridors easier to access, more connected, and more supportive of development patterns that generate ridership and local economic benefits.
The funding is strictly for planning activities, not for building the transit project itself or constructing station-area improvements. Funded plans can be comprehensive corridor plans or more focused, site-specific plans, but they must be tied to an eligible transit capital project. Under the governing statute, the planning work must address a set of core topics: strategies to improve economic development and transit ridership; approaches that foster multimodal connectivity and accessibility (for example, better links between transit and walking, biking, buses, and other modes); improvements to transit access for pedestrians and bicyclists; meaningful engagement with the private sector; identification of supporting infrastructure needs; and methods to enable mixed-use development near transit stations. In practice, that means applicants should be ready to show how their planning effort will translate into more walkable station areas, clearer development opportunities, better first/last-mile access, and a stronger pipeline of implementable projects and policies that support the transit investment.
A key eligibility requirement is that any planning work proposed must be associated with a "new fixed guideway" project or a "core capacity improvement" project as defined in 49 U.S.C. Section 5309(a). The statutory definitions are referenced in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and are central to determining whether a corridor and its transit project qualify. Importantly, projects do not have to be part of the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program to be eligible; the transit capital project simply needs to meet the Section 5309(a) definition. This gives communities flexibility to pursue TOD planning alongside major transit projects even when those projects are advancing through other funding pathways.
Applicant eligibility is also narrow in a way that reflects how FTA administers grants. Applicants (and eventual award recipients) must already be existing FTA grantees as of the NOFO publication date. In addition, the applicant must either (1) be the project sponsor of the eligible transit capital project, or (2) be an entity with land use planning authority in the corridor where the eligible project is located. Because TOD planning sits at the intersection of transit delivery and local land use authority, the program expects coordination between these roles. If the applicant does not hold both responsibilities, the application must include evidence of a partnership between the transit project sponsor and the land use planning authority, demonstrating that the planning effort is jointly supported and positioned for implementation.
From an awards and timing standpoint, FTA anticipates making about 35 awards under this opportunity, with an application deadline of July 10, 2026. The opportunity is listed under CFDA 20.541, and the funding instrument is a grant. The notice does not specify an individual award ceiling in the summary data (listed as 0), which typically means applicants should rely on the NOFO for any practical limits, expected award sizing, match requirements, and selection criteria. For applicants, the most important takeaway is that proposals need to clearly connect the requested planning work to an eligible fixed guideway or core capacity project and demonstrate how the resulting plan will improve access, connectivity, development feasibility, and ridership outcomes around transit stations and along the corridor.Apply for FTA 2026 003 TPE TODP
- The DOT - Federal Transit Administration in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2026 Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.541.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-05-11.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-07-10. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 35 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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FY 2026 Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning - FAQs
What is the FY 2026 Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning?
It is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) that funds planning work to better coordinate land use and transportation decisions around major transit investments, especially around transit stations and along transit corridors.
How much funding is available under this opportunity?
FTA expects to make about $28.5 million available in FY 2026.
How many awards does FTA expect to make?
FTA anticipates making about 35 awards.
What is the application deadline?
The application deadline is July 10, 2026.
Is this a formula program or a discretionary grant?
This is a discretionary grant opportunity.
What is the funding instrument?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 20.541.
What is the main purpose of this program?
The program is designed to help communities do the planning work needed to coordinate land use and transportation decisions around major transit investments. The intent is to strengthen public transportation outcomes by making station areas and transit corridors easier to access, more connected, and more supportive of development patterns that generate ridership and local economic benefits.
Does the grant pay for construction or building transit projects?
No. The funding is strictly for planning activities. It does not fund building the transit project itself or constructing station-area improvements.
What kinds of planning activities can be funded?
Funded plans can be comprehensive corridor plans or more focused, site-specific plans, as long as they are tied to an eligible transit capital project.
Do funded plans have to be connected to a transit project?
Yes. The planning work must be associated with an eligible transit capital project and tied to a qualifying corridor investment.
What transit capital projects are eligible to be associated with TOD planning under this program?
The planning work must be associated with a "new fixed guideway" project or a "core capacity improvement" project, as defined in 49 U.S.C. Section 5309(a).
Do transit projects need to be part of the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program to qualify?
No. Projects do not have to be part of the CIG Program to be eligible. The transit capital project simply needs to meet the Section 5309(a) definition of a new fixed guideway or core capacity improvement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Applicants (and eventual award recipients) must already be existing FTA grantees as of the NOFO publication date. In addition, the applicant must either be the project sponsor of the eligible transit capital project or be an entity with land use planning authority in the corridor where the eligible project is located.
What does it mean that applicants must be existing FTA grantees?
It means the applicant must already be an FTA grantee as of the NOFO publication date. This opportunity is not open to organizations that are not already FTA grantees at that time.
Can an entity with land use planning authority apply even if it is not the transit project sponsor?
Yes, as long as it is an existing FTA grantee as of the NOFO publication date and it has land use planning authority in the corridor where the eligible transit project is located.
Is partnership required between the transit project sponsor and the land use planning authority?
If the applicant does not hold both roles (transit project sponsor and land use planning authority), the application must include evidence of a partnership between the transit project sponsor and the land use planning authority. This is intended to show the planning effort is jointly supported and positioned for implementation.
What kind of partnership evidence is expected?
The application must include evidence demonstrating coordination between the transit project sponsor and the land use planning authority when those responsibilities are held by different entities. The goal is to show the planning work is jointly supported and can be implemented.
What core topics must the planning work address under the governing statute?
The planning work must address: strategies to improve economic development and transit ridership; approaches that foster multimodal connectivity and accessibility; improvements to transit access for pedestrians and bicyclists; meaningful engagement with the private sector; identification of supporting infrastructure needs; and methods to enable mixed-use development near transit stations.
What does "multimodal connectivity and accessibility" mean in the context of this program?
It refers to planning that improves how transit connects with other ways people travel, such as walking, biking, buses, and other modes, so station areas and corridors are easier to reach and move through.
How does the program address walking and biking access?
One of the required planning topics is improving transit access for pedestrians and bicyclists, which means the plan should consider ways to make it easier and safer to reach transit by foot or by bike.
Is private sector engagement required?
Yes. The statute requires meaningful engagement with the private sector as part of the planning work.
Does the planning work need to identify infrastructure needs?
Yes. Identification of supporting infrastructure needs is one of the required planning topics.
Does the program encourage mixed-use development near transit stations?
Yes. The planning work must address methods to enable mixed-use development near transit stations.
What outcomes should applicants be prepared to demonstrate?
Applicants should be ready to show how the planning effort will translate into more walkable station areas, clearer development opportunities, better first/last-mile access, and a stronger pipeline of implementable projects and policies that support the underlying transit investment.
Is there an individual award ceiling listed?
The summary data lists the award ceiling as 0, which typically indicates that applicants should rely on the NOFO for practical limits, expected award sizing, match requirements, and selection criteria.
What is the most important takeaway for building a competitive proposal based on the summary provided?
Proposals need to clearly connect the requested planning work to an eligible new fixed guideway or core capacity improvement project (as defined in 49 U.S.C. Section 5309(a)) and demonstrate how the resulting plan will improve access, connectivity, development feasibility, and ridership outcomes around stations and along the corridor.
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