FTA Opens FY2026 Round of Transit Accessibility Grants Under BIL
March 2, 2026 · 2 min read
David Almeida
The Federal Transit Administration published a new notice of funding opportunity on March 2, opening FY2026 applications for the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) — the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's dedicated pipeline for making America's aging rail stations usable by everyone.
Authorized at $1.75 billion over five years under the BIL, ASAP funds capital projects that bring legacy rail systems into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. That means elevators, ramps, tactile warning strips, wider fare gates, and platform-edge detection systems at stations built decades before modern accessibility standards existed.
What the First Round Revealed
The program's inaugural round awarded approximately $686 million across 28 stations in nine states, including Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Demand far outstripped supply: FTA received $905 million in requests against the available funding, leaving hundreds of millions in qualified projects unfunded.
That gap signals opportunity for the FY2026 round. Transit agencies whose applications fell just below the cut line in previous rounds now have a second shot — and new applicants can learn from the scoring criteria that shaped earlier awards.
Who Should Apply
Eligible applicants include state and local government agencies that operate legacy rail fixed guideway systems predating the ADA's 1990 passage. Projects must demonstrate a clear path to making stations fully accessible, with preference given to proposals that address the highest-ridership stations or serve communities with significant disability populations.
Transit agencies preparing applications should review the program fact sheet and prior award summaries to benchmark competitive proposals. Organizations navigating the federal grants landscape can use platforms like Granted to track deadlines and identify complementary funding sources for large capital projects.