Infrastructure Financing Options for Transit-Oriented Development

This report on funding and financing for transit-oriented development (TOD) infrastructure was produced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Sustainable Communities as part of the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance (SGIA) program, which helps state, local, regional, and tribal governments that need tools, resources, and other assistance to achieve their growth- and development-related goals. The sites identified for TOD in each of the communities had different assets and challenges. However, the issues they were confronting had many commonalities that suggested a single project could help meet their needs and the needs of many communities across the country that are considering options for funding and financing infrastructure to support TOD. EPA conducted site visits at each location in the fall of 2010 and hired contractors to help develop this document. TOD is development located within a quarter- to half-mile radius of a transit station that offers a mix of housing, employment, shopping, and transportation choices within a neighborhood or business district. This easy access to public transit can lower household costs by giving people less expensive alternatives to driving, and it can give people access to more job opportunities throughout the region.