The Community Planning program provides funding and planning assistance to communities at the local level for planning projects that benefit both the local communities and the RTA transit system. Launched in 1999 under the name Regional Technical Assistance Program (RTAP), the program was renamed and launched as Community Planning in 2008 to better reflect the program’s focus on planning assistance for local communities.
Community Planning offers municipalities an opportunity to participate in the planning of local transit and transit-related opportunities. Services offered include the creation of station area / transit-oriented development plans, transit-oriented development guidelines, local transit improvement plans for bus and rail, coordinated paratransit plans and detailed implementation studies.
Through this program, the RTA seeks projects that are consistent with the vision and four primary goals of its Strategic Plan: provide transportation options and mobility, ensure financial viability, enhance livability and economic vitality, and demonstrate value. Prospective projects will also support the RTA’s Regional Transit Coordination Program Goal of providing customers with a seamless regional transit system that most effectively takes people where they need to go by transit. This Goal will be supported specifically by planning projects that improve information, physical and service coordination. Additionally, the program looks to fund projects that incorporate the following Community Planning principles:
- Plan for increased transit usage
- Plan for access and circulation improvements in and around transit facilities
- Plan for multi-modal improvements
- Develop transit-oriented development plans or principles
- Plan for improved job access
- Plan for improved mobility for seniors and people with disabilities
- Plan for enhanced or expanded transit service
- Plan for improved mobility by synchronizing connections between existing transit services
- Plan for improved physical connections between trains and buses at interagency locations
- Plan for a seamless and coordinated transit system
Since Community Planning funds are to be used for planning purposes only, capital, engineering, operating, and staff/equipment costs are not eligible.
Selected projects are expected to commence within six months of acceptance notification. Funding for projects comes from a variety of sources, including the RTA, state, and federal grants. A local matching cash share of 20% is required from the municipality.
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Annual Call for Projects Timeline
April 8, 2009
Call for Projects launched
June 12, 2009
Applications are due
to the RTA by 3:00 P.M. CST
August 20, 2009
Preliminary Programs of Projects
presented to the RTA Board of Directors
August 20- September 30, 2009
Public comment period
October 15, 2009
Programs of Projects presented to the RTA Board of Directors for approval
December 2009
RTA Board of Directors considers approval of funding for the Community and Subregional Planning programs
RTAMS
For additional information on RTA planning initiatives, please visit
the Regional Transportation Asset Management System (RTAMS). The RTAMS
is a transportation information retrieval system which has been
developed by the RTA. The system’s goal is to improve access to the
region's enormous transportation data resources being gathered by the
RTA, its service boards and other regional transportation and planning
agencies.
The RTAMS
contains an inventory of RTA-sponsored planning programs and projects. The RTAMS allows users to download completed studies and to view progress on ongoing efforts. http://rtams.org
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