MTC Awards $44 Million in New Grants to Promote Livable Communities

OAKLAND, Calif., July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) approved 22 new capital grants totaling $44 million through its Transportation for Livable Communities (TLC) program to finance pedestrian, bicycle and streetscape improvements near public transit in cities around the Bay Area.  The purpose of TLC is to support community-based transportation projects that bring new vibrancy to downtown areas, commercial cores, neighborhoods and transit corridors, making them places where people want to live, work and visit.  Pedestrian- and transit-friendly developments are hallmarks of the program.

The TLC Program also supports the region's FOCUS Program by investing in Priority Development Areas (PDAs), designated areas in which there is local commitment to developing housing, along with amenities and services, to meet the day-to-day needs of residents in a pedestrian-friendly environment served by transit. To help reward the 60 Bay Area jurisdictions that applied for a portion of their city to be designated a PDA, eligibility for the TLC grants was for the first time limited to projects located in PDAs.  A local match of 20 percent is required and the maximum grant award is $6 million.

"The TLC program is a concrete way of expanding transportation choices while also making our neighborhoods more environmentally sustainable and attractive places to live and work," explained Solano County Supervisor and MTC Commissioner Jim Spering, who chairs MTC's Planning Committee. "Whether in downtown areas or in other neighborhoods, TLC projects help build a sense of community by making it easier and more inviting for residents to use public transit, walk or bicycle. The streetscape enhancements and pedestrian/bicycle access improvements built with this money will pay immediate dividends in terms of quality of life and public health."

The 22 projects approved for funding today are being developed by community groups and local authorities throughout the region, including the three largest cities of San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland, and 14 other cities (Berkeley, San Leandro, Hayward, Richmond, Alameda, Union City, San Carlos, Concord, Livermore, Hercules, Vallejo, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Cotati).  These projects were selected from a pool of 33 projects, requesting $80 million in funds.  Applications were received from seven of the nine Bay Area counties.  Marin and Napa counties did not apply for funding in this cycle. View a list of the 22 projects awarded capital grants at http://www.mtc.ca.gov/news/press_releases/TLCgrantlist2010.pdf.

Since the TLC program's inception in 1998, about $200 million has been invested to help provide better linkages between housing and public transit. TLC provides funding for projects that provide for a range of transportation choices, support connectivity between transportation investments and land uses, and are developed through an inclusive community planning effort.

Informational materials explaining the TLC program and project application procedures are available through the MTC-ABAG Library by e-mail ([email protected]), fax (510.817.5852) or telephone (510.817.5836). Information about the program also may be found on the MTC website at www.mtc.ca.gov/planning/smart_growth/index.htm.

MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

SOURCE Metropolitan Transportation Commission