Discretionary Planning Grant Programs
Active
- Assistance listing
- 20.541
- Agency
-
Federal Transit Administration
Department of Transportation
- Grant awards
- Not on record
Program facts
- Treasury account
-
- 69-8350-0-7-401
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated .
About this program
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) under the Department of Transportation funds planning activities and technical studies to improve public transportation systems, facilities, services, access, and ridership through Assistance Listing 20.541, Discretionary Planning Grant Programs. An active grant opportunity under this program—FY 2026 Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning (Solicitation FTA-2026-003-TPE-TODP)—closed on July 10, 2026, with approximately $28.5 million available.
The program supports regional, corridor, and project-specific planning, including multimodal connectivity and land use integration. TOD planning grants specifically fund local communities to integrate land use and transportation planning around new fixed guideway or core capacity improvement projects, with required examination of economic development and ridership improvement, multimodal connectivity and accessibility, pedestrian and bicycle transit access, private sector engagement, infrastructure needs assessment, and mixed-use development near transit stations.
The source does not provide information on recent grant award activity, historical award volume, or the distribution of assistance types across the portfolio. FTA regions review and approve applications submitted through the Transit Award Management System (TrAMS), with awards typically obligated 15 to 30 days after complete application submission. Recipients expending $750,000 or more annually in federal awards must obtain a single or program-specific audit. All financial records, work program documentation, procurement records, and correspondence must be retained for a minimum of three years from final expenditure report submission.
The program does not guarantee period-of-performance extensions; any extension requires FTA regional office approval. Selection criteria vary by program. Apportionment allocations are available on the FTA website under apportionment resources.
Objective and description
- Objective
Discretionary Planning Grant Programs support planning activities and technical studies to improve public transportation systems, facilities, services, access, and ridership. Individual programs may have a different focus and range of planning activi
- Description
Discretionary Planning Grant Programs support planning activities and technical studies to improve public transportation systems, facilities, services, access, and ridership. Planning grants assist regional/system, corridor/route, and project/site-specific planning, including multimodal connectivity and land uses.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Applicant eligibility varies by program. Please consult the program manager.
- Credentials and documentation
Credentials for applying for Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning are available in the Notice of Funding Opportunity: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-05-23/pdf/2024-11305.pdf
- Uses of assistance
Areas of Persistent Poverty/Helping Obtain Prosperity for Everyone program funds must be used for planning, engineering, or development of technical or financing plans for projects eligible under Chapter 53 of Title 49 USC. Route Planning Restoration Program funds under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 must be used for public transportation planning associated with the restoration of transit service reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning funds must be used for comprehensive or site-specific planning for an eligible project, such as a new fixed guideway or core-capacity corridor with defined stations.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
In general, funds are available for 3-4 Federal fiscal years, not including the year in which the funds are allocated to projects. This varies by planning grant program; please consult the program manager to confirm the period of performance.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Selection criteria varies by program. Consult the program manager for additional information.
- Award procedure
An FTA grant award obligating Federal funds is reflected in a grant agreement. To access funds, the recipient must execute the grant agreement in FTA's Transit Award Management System (TrAMS). TrAMS grant applications are reviewed and approved by FTA regional offices.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Once a complete application is submitted in FTA's Transit Award Management System (TrAMS), the approximate time of award is 15 to 30 days.
- Renewals
Any extension of the period of performance requires approval from the relevant FTA regional office and is not guaranteed.
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning | Closed |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 20.541?
Assistance Listing 20.541 is Discretionary Planning Grant Programs, a federal grant program run by Federal Transit Administration (Department of Transportation).
What is the CFDA number for Discretionary Planning Grant Programs?
Its CFDA number is 20.541: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
Are there open grant opportunities under 20.541?
No opportunity listed under 20.541 is open now. The latest, FY 2026 Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning, was posted on May 11, 2026.
On GovTribe
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