Effective, Contextual Planning using the FTA TOD Pilot Program

Thursday, January 14, 2021

Bikers on a busy street.
Bikers on a busy street.

This webinar offers practical guidance for applying for, winning and using FTA TOD (transit-oriented development) Pilot Program grants to advance local goals around transit projects, including land use change, (re)development, multi-modalism, public engagement, and placemaking . FTA awarded four sets of TOD Pilot Program grants, in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020. A fifth set of grant recipients will be announced in 2021. FTA staff report that the program is undersubscribed; they have not granted all dollars available each time.

The speakers will discuss three grant-funded planning processes, describing how federal dollars were used to advance not only local city- and community-building initiatives but also the transit projects themselves. The speakers will cover the parameters of the grant, how it can be used, and how it can improve proposed projects’ New and Small Starts ratings.

The projects:

  • CTA Red and Purple Line Modernization Project (2015 grant).
  • Moving Milwaukee Forward (2016 grant).
  • IndyGo Planning and Zoning (2018 grant).

Attendees will leave the webinar with:

  • An understanding of grant availability, requirements and how to apply.
  • Several examples of types of planning work that could be accomplished using the grants.
  • Ideas for designing an effective station area or TOD planning process.
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Featured Speakers

Moderator: Adele Hall

Senior Associate Transit Planner, SRF Consulting Group, Inc, Saint Paul, MN

A transit planner at SRF Consulting Group, Adele Hall has the pleasure of applying her transit planning skills to projects in the Twin Cities and beyond. Involved near the beginning of BRT and LRT projects, Adele works on feasibility studies, environmental documents and station area plans. She is interested in planning for change at transit stations, policies and infrastructure that make riding transit rational, and the art of public engagement. Adele lives, works, and rides transit in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. She holds a BA in economics from Carleton College and a master’s in planning from the University of Minnesota Humphrey School.

Monica Wauck-Smith

Senior Planner, City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI

Monica Wauck-Smith is a senior planner with the City of Milwaukee within the Long-Range Planning unit. She leads projects to further neighborhood goals around transit and land use planning, economic development, and civic engagement. Monica focuses on ongoing partnerships with community groups to foster concerted change. Recently, Monica managed Moving Milwaukee Forward: Equitable Development through Transit Oriented Development. Before working at the City of Milwaukee, Monica was an environmental planner at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, working on a number of high-profile projects. Monica is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Urban Planning program.

Brooke Thomas

Director of Strategic Planning, IndyGo, Indianapolis, IN

Brooke Thomas is a certified professional planner with more than 17 years working to advance land use and transportation planning, real estate (re)development, community outreach and engagement, and overall good governance across various public, private and not-for-profit agencies. Brooke’s work is evident in several of Indianapolis’ notable placemaking, master planning and visioning initiatives, which include the Indy Connect Initiative, Central Indiana’s regional transit initiative, as well as the Indy Rezone Initiative, and award-winning Plan 2020: Bicentennial Agenda. She is highly adept in her ability to successfully manage a wide array of complex, inter- and intra-disciplinary projects. Brooke continues to serve as a trusted adviser to multiple municipal and city governments, redevelopment commissions, advisory boards, community development professionals, and private developers.

Marlise Fratinardo

Senior Project Manager, Planning, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago, IL

Marlise Fratinardo is a senior project manager in the Chicago Transit Authority’s Strategic Planning Department. Over the past 16 years, Marlise has worked principally as a planner, specializing in environmental compliance, land use planning, and economic development.  Her interdisciplinary career has focused on connecting people and communities and the stewardship of high-profile public resources.

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