The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has finalized guidance (download below) for its Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program, described as “the largest federal discretionary grant program for transit capital investments, including heavy rail, commuter rail, light rail, streetcars and bus rapid transit.”
FTA said it will revert to a previously used methodology that relies on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) designation, based on the city in which a transit project is located. This approach eliminates social cost of carbon criteria calculations.
The update amends FTA’s CIG Policy Guidance published in December 2024 and includes feedback FTA received when it published its Proposed CIG Policy Guidance for public comment in August. Among 16 respondents providing comments were “transit agencies, interest groups, policy organizations and individuals,” FTA noted. The agency said it will use this guidance for the CIG program’s FY2026 Annual Report ratings, available on the FTA website.
For more information, visit the CIG Regulations and Guidance webpage.
