FTA awards $90 million in IIJA funding to Ohio and Minnesota

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded federal funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to the University of Cincinnati and to the city of Rochester, Minn., for transit-related projects. 

University of Cincinnati 

The university will receive approximately $5.1 million to promote the adoption of digital platforms that speed up and improve the delivery of transit construction projects while reducing costs. The program will test digital systems that manage the entire construction life cycle of transit infrastructure projects, leading to increased efficiency and improved project outcomes.  

"Our goal is to help transit agencies deliver projects on time, on task and on budget," said FTA Deputy Administrator Veronica Vanterpool. "Today's selection will help us do that by improving efficiency and providing tools that reduce construction delays and costs and enable workers to perform tasks faster, more safely, smarter and more accurately." 

The Accelerating Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems (ADCMS) Program will allow transit agencies to test digital construction technologies and capabilities in real-world construction project settings, determine their feasibility, understand the impacts and determine the usefulness of the results.    

FTA notes many transit agencies have implemented elements of construction management, such as program management systems, online document management systems and asset management systems but few have adopted a solution that integrates all functions and processes for an infrastructure program. The ADCMS use technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data integration, modeling and simulation and real-time data processing to streamline and coordinate work processes across an organization throughout the project.  

The University of Cincinnati, which was selected through a competitive process, has an extensive background in research, access to university labs and technical expertise. FTA notes the team includes faculty who will conduct the study and demonstrations, as well as staff from the Southwest Ohio Regional Transportation Authority, the Butler County Regional Transit Authority and Akron Metro.  

According to FTA, the results of the demonstrations will be used to produce a guide for other transit agencies with best practices in planning and deploying ADCMS. 

City of Rochester 

The city of Rochester has been awarded a $84.9 million grant to build faster, more reliable, all-electric bus service in the city, including along one of Rochester's most heavily traveled roads. The Link bus rapid transit (BRT) project will provide fast and frequent transit for residents and visitors between downtown Rochester, the Mayo Civic Center, Mayo Clinic campuses and the planned Downtown Waterfront Southeast development.  

"Americans rely on public transit every day to get to work, go to school and connect with loved ones," said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "With the funding we're announcing today, the Biden-Harris Administration is making important improvements to Rochester's Link bus rapid transit line that will quickly and safely connect residents and visitors to everything from schools and doctors' offices to their local grocery store."    

FTA says the Link will vastly improve the travel experience for riders along Rochester's 2nd St. SW corridor, one of the city's most heavily traveled roads. The corridor currently carries more than 21,800 vehicles and 13,000 transit riders every day, including more than 40 buses during peak hours. With seven stations, the 2.8-mile Link will operate along more than half of the route in dedicated bus-only lanes and receive priority at traffic lights for the remainder of the route.  The Link will be an all-electric system, using 12 buses.   

"The Link BRT line will support a growing city with a population forecast to grow by 30 percent through 2040," Vanterpool said. "BRT routes have been transforming communities across the country with fast and frequent service along key economic corridors and we are pleased to add Rochester to the growing list of communities benefiting from America’s largest-ever investment in high-quality public transportation." 

FTA notes the project is also spurring significant transit-oriented development. At one end of the line, a Mayo Clinic parking lot will be converted into a mixed-use development near the transit station, which will include electric bus chargers and a public plaza. A city-led project supported by state funding includes $16 million for 300 housing units in the eastern section of the corridor. 

The federal support for the Link BRT, which is estimated to cost $161.5 million, comes from FTA's Capital Investment Grants program, which helps communities carry out transformational transit projects.