More TOD Act
Bill: H.R.1615 | Sponsor: Rep. Brown, Anthony G. (D-MD)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Maximizing Our Redevelopment and Efficiency for Transit Oriented Development Act of 2021 or the More TOD Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to provide transit-oriented development planning grants to states, local governments, or metropolitan planning organizations. These grants shall be awarded to assist in the financing of comprehensive planning that is associated with a new or existing fixed guideway capital system project.
Grants may be used to (1) enhance economic development, ridership, and other goals; (2) facilitate multimodal connectivity and accessibility; (3) increase access to transit hubs for pedestrian and bicycle traffic; (4) enable mixed-use development; (5) identify infrastructure needs; and (6) include private sector participation in facilitating a project.
A grant shall not exceed 80% of total project costs, except that a grant that includes an affordable housing component shall not exceed 90% of total project costs.

To amend title 49, United States Code, to expand and codify the transit 
  oriented development planning grant program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Maximizing Our Redevelopment and 
Efficiency for Transit Oriented Development Act of 2021'' or the ``More 
TOD Act''.

SEC. 2. TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 5327 the following:
``Sec. 5328. Transit oriented development planning grant program
    ``(a) Definition.--In this section the term `eligible project' 
means--
            ``(1) a new fixed guideway capital project or a core 
        capacity improvement project as defined in section 5309; or
            ``(2) an existing fixed guideway system, or an existing 
        station that is served by a fixed guideway system.
    ``(b) General Authority.--The Secretary may make grants under this 
section to a State, local governmental authority, or metropolitan 
planning organization to assist in financing comprehensive planning 
associated with an eligible project that seeks to--
            ``(1) enhance economic development, ridership, and other 
        goals established during the project development and 
        engineering processes or the grant application;
            ``(2) facilitate multimodal connectivity and accessibility;
            ``(3) increase access to transit hubs for pedestrian and 
        bicycle traffic;
            ``(4) enable mixed-use development;
            ``(5) identify infrastructure needs associated with the 
        eligible project; and
            ``(6) include private sector participation.
    ``(c) Eligibility.--A State, local governmental authority, or 
metropolitan planning organization that desires to participate in the 
program under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application 
that contains at a minimum--
            ``(1) an identification of an eligible project;
            ``(2) a schedule and process for the development of a 
        comprehensive plan;
            ``(3) a description of how the eligible project and the 
        proposed comprehensive plan advance the metropolitan 
        transportation plan of the metropolitan planning organization;
            ``(4) proposed performance criteria for the development and 
        implementation of the comprehensive plan;
            ``(5) a description of how the project will reduce and 
        mitigate social and economic impacts on existing residents and 
        businesses vulnerable to displacement; and
            ``(6) identification of--
                    ``(A) partners;
                    ``(B) availability of and authority for funding; 
                and
                    ``(C) potential State, local or other impediments 
                to the implementation of the comprehensive plan.
    ``(d) Cost Share.--A grant under this section shall not exceed an 
amount in excess of 80 percent of total project costs, except that a 
grant that includes an affordable housing component shall not exceed an 
amount in excess of 90 percent of total project costs.''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 5338 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) Transit Oriented Development Planning Grant Program.--There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 5328--
            ``(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
            ``(2) $21,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;
            ``(3) $22,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;
            ``(4) $23,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; and
            ``(5) $24,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 53 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 5327 the following:

``5328. Transit oriented development planning grant program.''.
                                 <all>