Transit Roundup: Funding Opportunities, Transportation Legislation, and Ridership Increases

• The U.S. DOT announced the availability of $15 million under the FTA's Tribal Transit Program. Proposals must be submitted by May 10, 2012. (FTA Press Release)

• Proposals must be submitted by April 19, 2012 for projects under the FTA's Alternatives Analysis Program.

• U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood wrote in his blog Fast Lane about the importance of FTA grants to transit systems in small communities.

• The U.S. Senate, last week, passed its version of surface transportation legislation (see reactions from APTA and AASHTO), but the House's bill is not expected to reach the floor until after the current legislation expires on March 31 (Politico, The Hill), so Congress will now focus on extending SAFETEA-LU (Transportation Issues Daily). Transportation for America conducted some detailed analysis comparing the Senate and House bills.

• APTA released its ridership report last week for 2011, showing a 2.3% increase from 2010. The largest growth was in rural and small urban communities. Ridership increased 5.4% in communities with population under 100,000. (APTA Press Release)