$343 Million in Grants Available for Rail Transit Accessibility Projects – Railway Age
By: Marybeth Luczak
Transit agencies may now apply for Fiscal Year 2024 grants to improve subway, commuter rail and light rail system access for people with disabilities and mobility needs. The Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) is making available $343 million; applications are due by Jan. 30, 2024.
Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), ASAP supports “capital projects to upgrade the accessibility of legacy rail fixed guideway public transportation systems for people with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs, by increasing the number of existing stations or facilities for passenger use that meet or exceed the new construction standards of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131),” according to the FTA. Projects include: repairing, improving, modifying, retrofitting, or relocating infrastructure of stations or facilities for passenger use, including load-bearing members that are an essential part of the structural frame; and developing or modifying a plan for pursuing public transportation accessibility projects, assessments of accessibility, or assessments of planned modifications to stations or facilities for passenger use or programs of projects in an eligible area.
