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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Over $1.6 Billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding to Nearly Double the Number of Clean Transit Buses on America's Roads: In August 2022, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced $1.66 billion in grants to transit agencies, territories, and states across the country to invest in 150 bus fleets and facilities. Funded by the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, more than 1,100 of those vehicles will use zero-emissions technology, which reduces air pollution and helps meet the President's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. This year's funding alone will nearly double the number of no-emission transit buses on America's roadways. For the first time, five percent of low- and no-emission bus funding will be used to train transit workers on how to maintain and operate new clean bus technology.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $600 Million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding to Replace Aging Railcars Across the Nation: FTA announced it would provide $600 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace aging railcars, improving reliability, safety, and accessibility on the nation’s rail transit systems. Eligible transit agencies and states can apply through the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the FY 2022 and FY 2023 Rail Vehicle Replacement Program for funds to replace vehicles on subway systems, commuter rail and light rail systems. Apply by January 5, 2023.
Transit Asset Management Webinar: Connecting TAM and Performance Management (December 7): Register for the Connecting TAM and Performance Management webinar. FTA will host a webinar at 2:00 pm ET Wednesday, December 7, 2022, to share how two agencies are using TAM to support performance management practices. The webinar will feature presentations from Tina Ignat, TAM Program Manager for Chicago-based Metra and Kevin Olinger, Transit Bureau Chief for the New Mexico Department of Transportation. Tina will focus on Metra’s process for developing custom useful life benchmarks for vehicle asset classes based on maintenance practices and environmental conditions. Kevin will discuss lessons learned in reconciling state asset management practices with National Transit Database reporting. The webinar will be recorded and made available on FTA’s Transit Asset Management website.
Apply to participate in a Transit Asset Management (TAM) Peer Working Group
FTA’s TAM Program is continuing to expand its Peer Program by establishing a Peer Working Group that will meet monthly for one year. The working group will bring together 12-15 participants from transit agencies nationwide to engage virtually on TAM-related topics to promote peer learning, share resources, and collaborate on best practices. For more information, see our backgrounder and application here. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, December 28.
Overall themes throughout the year will be determined by selected participants, and may include evaluating risk to operations, predictive maintenance, or improving data quality. Working group meetings will include a short presentation by a participant on a topic of their choosing followed by a group discussion. Participants should be transit agency staff that are responsible for managing transit assets. Most meetings will be held virtually.
For more information on future TAM peer engagement opportunities, please visit the TAM website. For other questions, please contact Sarah Skeen at sarah.skeen@dot.gov.
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Save the Date for the 2023 FTA TAM Roundtable
FTA will host the 14th TAM Roundtable as an in-person event on Sunday, July 9, 2023, in Boston, MA. The TAM Roundtable coincides with TRB’s National Conference on Transportation Asset Management and will bring together participants from across the country who manage transit capital assets. The TAM Roundtable is a separate event, which will require separate registration. More details to come soon.
FTA released the 2021 National Transit Database (NTD) annual data products: The full set of files includes data from transit providers nationwide, such as: ridership, operating expenses, and safety and security events. It also includes the TAM-specific data that operators submit, including:
- revenue vehicle inventory
- service vehicle inventory
- facility inventory
- transitway mileage inventory
- performance targets
- group Plan sponsors and participants
A high-level overview of the data for the 2021 report year is included in the 2021 National Transit Summaries and Trends. Visit the NTD Data page to view the full set of publications and documentation.
FTA Publishes 2021 TAM Performance Tool: This workbook is designed to support Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), Group Plan Sponsors, and other transit planning agencies involved in TAM. The tool presents both TAM summary statistics (condition and performance) and aggregated information on asset inventories and TAM Tier, using data reported to FTA's NTD.
TAM Best Practices Review Pilot: FTA’s TAM Program seeks applications for a new program focused on best practices for transit-asset management. The Best Practices Review pilot program will provide a voluntary review of TAM plans and implementation of those plans for transit agencies and TAM group plan sponsors.
The program builds off the TAM Plan Self-Assessment Tool, which helps transit agencies assess the quality and completeness of their TAM plans. Selected participants will submit documentation, participate in interviews with FTA staff, and receive a written report summarizing the results of the review; then, FTA will share final reports online.
To participate in the pilot program, please apply, and separately send a completed TAM Plan Self-assessment, your agency’s initial (2018) TAM Plan, and your most recent TAM plan to Sarah.Skeen@dot.gov by December 23, 2022. To submit your application, go here. Note: Participating transit agencies should have the support of their accountable executive, as requested documentation and interviews are expected to involve multiple departments within the agency. Contact Sarah Skeen at Sarah.Skeen@dot.gov for more information.
Over $32 million announced to modernize Ohio's bus fleets and facilities: FTA announced $32.2 million in grants to help modernize Ohio’s bus fleets and facilities by helping transit agencies purchase or lease low- or no-emission vehicles.
Detroit Department of Transportation Adds 28 New 'Clean Diesel' Buses: To improve its carbon footprint, the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) unveiled 28 new “clean diesel” buses to replace older “clean diesel” buses added to the fleet in 2010. The new buses use improved engine technology and are expected to produce fewer emissions overall. City officials say of the 292 buses in service, 288 non-electric buses use clean diesel. As part of its fleet replacement plan, DDOT will add 10 more buses later this year and 10 more early next year.
COAST to receive $7.7 million to build new facility in Dover, Delaware: COAST will begin construction on a new operations, maintenance and administrative facility, funded in large part by $7.7 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The new facility will replace the existing operations facility, which is too small and outdated to achieve its full potential. The new operations facility will advance the quality and sustainability of public transit in the coastal region, which will help drive local economic growth and transit growth.
PVTA receives $54 million for electric buses, charging infrastructure: The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority has been awarded $54 million by FTA – with a 20 percent state match for a total of $67 million – to add electric buses and install electric charging by replacing many diesel engine buses on the streets.
Sound Transit takes ownership of aging downtown Seattle tunnel: More than three years after buses were removed from Seattle’s distinctive transit tunnel, the 1.3-mile passage will become the property of Sound Transit. Sound Transit has planned a $96 million investment for upgrades, including replacing and fixing escalators and elevators, utility lines, and broken floor and wall sections.
Summit County gets $25 million public transportation grant from federal government: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced that Summit County, UT, received $25 million to upgrade bus services. The $25 million will fund 12-foot-wide dedicated bus lanes in both directions along State Route 224, two new bus rapid transit stations, upgrade existing stations, and five new electric transit vehicles.
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