A draft federal transit policy could favor projects in areas with higher birth and marriage rates when awarding billions of dollars in grants. The Transportation Department published the proposed changes to its guidance on Oct. 1.
The proposal would give cost efficiency more weight in competitive decisions, reducing the role of planning measures such as land use, environmental benefits and economic development. It would also add funding bonuses linked to local birth and marriage rates.
That approach could put costly urban projects at a disadvantage, including BART’s Silicon Valley extension and San Francisco’s Downtown Rail Extension, known as the Portal. Bay Area transit leaders, urban planners and demographers have criticized the proposal.
The changes concern the Capital Investment Grants program, which funds rail, bus rapid transit and commuter projects. The Federal Transit Administration is taking public comments on the draft through Nov. 16 before issuing a final policy.
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