Grantee Resources: Transit-Oriented Communities & Priority Development Areas
These resources are intended for applicants of Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) Density Update grants and recipients of Priority Development Area (PDA) grants.
As part of the One Bay Area Grant program, Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) Density Update grants and Priority Development Area (PDA) grants are subject to federal requirements.
Supporting Long-Range Regional Goals
Priority Development Areas (PDAs) are locally identified areas near transit that are planned for future development. The Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) Policy helps advance Plan Bay Area 2050, the region’s long-range plan. Both PDAs and TOCs are part of the Regional Growth Framework, designed to align future housing and commercial growth with major regional transit investments.
TOC Policy
The TOC Policy applies to parcels within a half-mile radius of existing or planned stations served by trains, bus rapid transit (BRT) or ferries. Read MTC's administrative guidance for details of the TOC policy.
Find a TOC
To learn more about where the TOC Policy applies:
PDA & TOC Grant Resources
Post-Award Steps
Follow the steps below once you have received award approval.
- Once an executed Master Funding Agreement and supplement are in place, work under this grant may begin. Please remember to refer to the scope of work and schedule sections of the agreement for guidance on what deliverables are reimbursable under your grant and when MTC staff expect to receive them by.
- Please contact your MTC project manager to discuss any changes to scope, budget or timeline.
- All invoices must be submitted within 30 days of project end date. Please note that while you do not need to submit DBE reports with every invoice, you will need to provide a final DBE report at the conclusion of the grant term. You will also need to submit a Plan Summary (which should be included in the consultant’s scope of work).
Federal Requirements
Templates and procedures for invoices.
Federal Requirements
Read more about the requirements applicable to TOC and PDA grants.
Federal Funding Administration
Funding comes from the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) Program (Assistance Listing Number 20.20). STBG is a formula program that falls under the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The FHWA apportions the funds to the State (Caltrans) and Caltrans apportions some funds to the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). MTC is the MPO for the nine-county Bay Area (Caltrans District 4). MTC determines how STBG will be used in the region through the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) Program.
Federal Funding Resources
The Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual (LAPM) describes the requirements to receive federal aid and/or state funds for many types of local transportation projects.
The Single Point of Contact (SPOC; see more information below) for your jurisdiction will have sufficient knowledge and expertise in the federal-aid delivery process. They are responsible for working closely with FHWA, Caltrans, MTC, and the respective CTA on all issues related to FHWA-funded projects. Your SPOC and local CTA would be good resources to meet the federal aid requirements.
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
Subrecipients of United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) funding are required to comply with certain nondiscrimination requirements in the award and administration of USDOT-assisted contracts and procurements. The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program is intended to ensure a level playing field and foster equal opportunity in federal aid contracts. DBE requirements only apply if you are contracting out the work. When setting a DBE goal, local agencies may use contract goals only on those federal aid contracts that have subcontracting possibilities.
More information about the DBE Requirements can be found in Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual (LAPM), especially Chapters 9, DBE, and 17, Project Completion.
LAPM Chapter 10, Consultant Selection, describes the procurement requirements.
PDA Orientation Slides
A PDA orientation was presented to grantees on December 12th, 2023. The presentation includes an overview of the program, contracting process, federal/MTC requirements and invoicing process.
- View in PDF
- View in PPT (with additional information in the Speaker Notes section of the document)
Planning Bench
The 109 Bay Area jurisdictions in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties (Local Governments) may utilize this RFQ to obtain all services, at the same terms and conditions included in this procurement and firms’ submissions during the period of time that contracts resulting from this procurement are in effect. All terms and conditions of Local Agency contracts will be negotiated between the Consultant and Local Governments and will be subject to the Local Agency’s applicable procurement rules, terms and conditions, and form of contract. Please feel free to use this resource to facilitate your procurement process. Please see the Regional Planning Bench Contact List spreadsheet for a list of the firms on the MTC planning bench listed by category, with additional tabs on the bottom describing the categories and a list of prime- and subcontractors with SBE/DBE.
Invoicing
Invoices should be submitted to PDAs@bayareametro.gov.
Please include the following documents:
- Cover sheet: Please use this cover sheet template.
- Tracking Sheet: This spreadsheet will help you track all expenses incurred under your grant. You will receive this form from your MTC project manager, but a tracking sheet sample can be found here.
- Copy of deliverable (if applicable) and proof of costs incurred. Direct staff costs are eligible for reimbursement. Indirect costs are eligible in accordance with USC 200.332 (4).
With the final invoice, please provide the following two documents:
- Plan Summary
- Report on DBE Participation. Please use Exhibit 17-F, Final Report-Utilization of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE). This form can be found in Chapter 17, Project Completion of the Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual.
Single Point of Contact (SPOC) Information
MTC and Caltrans require the designation of a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) by each jurisdiction. This person must have sufficient knowledge and expertise in the federal aid delivery process. They are responsible for working closely with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Caltrans, MTC and the respective County Transportation Agency (CTA) on all issues related to FHWA-funded projects. To receive assistance with complying with Caltrans requirements, we recommend contacting your jurisdiction’s SPOC. They and the CTA would be good resources to meet the federal aid requirements. You can find more information about SPOCs on the "Single Point of Contact" tab at the bottom of the Project Delivery web page.
Housing Element Compliance
In order to receive PDA funds, a jurisdiction is required to have a compliant Housing Element by December 31, 2023. A grace period for this policy was approved by the Commission on December 20, 2023. Furthermore, to ensure that program requirements do not impede progress on regional housing goals, MTC staff may make exceptions to this policy. Such exceptions would be determined by MTC staff on a case-by-case basis. For full details, please refer to December 13, 2023 Programming and Allocations Committee Meeting materials. You may also view tables summarizing the jurisdictions receiving PDA planning grants and their Housing Element compliance status. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy and the impact to your project, please contact Ada Chan at achan@bayareametro.gov.
Staff Contacts
For administrative questions, please contact PDAs@bayareametro.gov.
For project-related questions, please contact Ada Chan at achan@bayareametro.gov.