There are a number of federal programs now that have begun or will soon begin awarding funds for rail and transit projects across the country. Just this week, the DOT announced $2.2 billion in
RAISE grant awards for 162 projects. While other cities are using this funding for transformative street redesigns, rail expansion, BRT, grade separation, and transit hubs, JTA is currently spending their award (from when it was called BUILD) for the first phase of the U2C. St. Augustine, according to North Florida TPO Director Jeff Sheffield, is spending their RAISE grant on "smart city" technologies intended to support AVs. Says a lot about our region's priorities.
The DOT has also opened applications for the
Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant program, with over $5.5 billion in funds available between three funding pools. Cities and states across the country are taking advantage of these programs now.
With new leadership in Jacksonville, we have a chance to set transportation priorities with proven technologies that actually support the ability to move our region instead of serving as a science project. There are so many programs out there, especially now from the infrastructure bill, to rethink mobility in (contiguous) America's largest city by land area.
