Eligibility and types of projects

The Access to Transit program is open to municipalities, counties, and the Service Boards (CTA, Metra, and Pace) that have completed, or are in the process of completing a planning study that specifically recommends bicycle and/or pedestrian access improvements to transit. While projects that stem from recommendations from any planning study are eligible, projects stemming from recommendations from studies completed through the RTA’s Community Planning program and CMAP’s Technical Assistance program are given priority. This includes municipalities that have participated in a corridor study led by a neighboring municipality, by another agency, such as the Service Boards, or a county. Applicants must have a transit service in their community and be located within the RTA’s six-county service area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will).

People with backpacks walk next to a Metra trian.

Eligible Projects

The RTA seeks applications that will fund Phase II engineering and construction of small-scale bike and pedestrian infrastructure improvements that are recommendations from a previous plan. Eligible projects must be able to demonstrate the ability to increase transit ridership, shift trips away from the use of an automobile, improve access to existing transit services, and reduce vehicle trips.

The following list of transit-supportive infrastructure improvements located within either one-half mile of a public transportation station or one-eighth mile of a bus stop on a public transportation bus route are eligible for funding:

ADA accessibility improvements (curb ramps, detectible warning surfaces, slope correction)
Bicycle infrastructure (racks, covered parking, roadway striping, protected lanes)
Transit stop and station infrastructure (concrete pads, bus stop shelters, rail platform shelters)
Intersection improvements (marked crosswalks, curb extensions, refuge islands, pedestrian signal heads)
Mobility hub elements (co-location and installation of multi-modal infrastructure)
Multi-use paths
Sidewalk gap connections
Wayfinding (inter-transit agency transfers and other signage with a focus on transit access)
Other innovative projects that support small-scale access improvements to transit services.
Newly eligible this year from SB 2111 are Trail-Supportive Development infrastructure improvements that are located within one-quarter mile of a public trail and are designed to facilitate access to and use of public transit.

Applicants should apply for projects that require minimal to no right-of-way acquisition and the RTA may request applicants revise their proposals after submittal. Projects related to commuter parking are not eligible for funding unless parking changes are needed in the context of improving pedestrian, bicyclist, and other active mode access to transit facilities.

Funding Guidelines

Total project budgets must be no greater than $1 million and no less than $150,000. The RTA will not accept applications with project budgets over $1 million where the applicant already has the project partially funded through another funding source and is seeking RTA funding to fill the gap.
Phase II engineering and construction will be funded at 90% of the total project budget and most applicants will be required to contribute a 10% match.
Full funding with no local match requirement may be allowed for smaller municipalities and those with lower tax bases or median incomes based on the economic and demographic characteristics of the area served. Eligible applicants may contact the RTA to determine if they qualify for this exemption.

A person with a backpack and a bicycle waits on the platform for a Red Line train in Chinatown.

Phase I Engineering for construction projects

Phase I engineering should be already completed or underway at the time of application to the RTA. Applicants waiting to commence Phase I engineering until an award from the Access to Transit program must begin immediately after the RTA confirms that the project has been selected, with a goal of obtaining a Phase I Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) determination by November 2026.

Applicants risk limited funding awards or removal from the RTA Access to Transit program if Phase I engineering is not completed by November 2026.

Phase I engineering is required to be completed in a manner that preserves eligibility for federal funding. This requires the work to be completed by local government staff or by a consulting firm hired under a Qualification Based Selection (QBS) process. These requirements are available in the IDOT Bureau of Local Roads Manual (Chapter 5, Section 5.06) available for download on the IDOT website.

Applications for Phase I Engineering Only

To address a frequent municipal barrier to completing Phase I engineering, the RTA will accept applications for Phase I engineering funding from municipalities of moderate and high need. Eligible applicants can be awarded full reimbursement, up to $55,000, of the cost associated with developing Phase I engineering for bicycle and pedestrian improvements. Projects must be eligible improvements as defined above, and Phase I engineering is allocated exclusively for municipalities with lower tax bases or median incomes based on the economic and demographic characteristics of the area served. Once Phase I engineering is complete through this option applicants can apply in a future round of Access to Transit funding for Phase II engineering and construction. Guidelines for Phase I Engineering Only are:

Project budgets must be no greater than $55,000 and no less than $5,000.
To determine if municipalities qualify as moderate or high need, the RTA relies on CMAP’s Community Cohorts grouping tool, which measures the level of local capacity and technical assistance needed for communities in the region. Municipalities and City of Chicago Community Areas in cohorts 2, 3 and 4 are eligible for the local match assistance described above and are eligible to apply.

Apply online now. Applications must be submitted by 12 p.m. on January 16, 2026.

Applicants may apply for more than one project, although separate applications are required for each project. The RTA strongly encourages potential applicants to contact the RTA if you have any questions prior to submitting your application.

Applicants should apply for projects that require minimal to no right-of-way acquisition. However, if a proposed project requires minimal right-of-way of another entity (County DOT, Metra, IDOT, etc.) applicants must submit letters of support or interest from those entities with the application.

General letters of support from the Service Boards are not needed.

RTA staff, representatives from the Service Boards and potentially other regional partners will review all applications. Applications will first be screened for eligibility and then selected based on the project’s readiness, ability to increase ridership and divert automobile trips, local support, and feedback from reviewers.

Once selections are made for the Access to Transit program the RTA requires all awardees to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) that confirms the local match funding arrangement and the program standards. Awardees are required to front the engineering and construction expenses and will be reimbursed by the RTA up to the maximum dollar amount established in the IGA.

Phase I engineering only awardees will enter into an IGA with the RTA to confirm the funding arrangement and the project standards. Once an IGA has been executed, the applicant can begin procuring engineering services. Applicants are required to front engineering expenses and then seek reimbursement by the RTA according to the invoicing process established in the IGA after receiving approval from the RTA.

Have a question?

RTA staff are offering two virtual Open House sessions during which applicants can ask questions about the application process, about specific project ideas, and anything else related to the Call for Projects. Potential applicants can participate at any time during the Open House sessions, at the beginning, at the end, or any time in between, on the following dates:

Tuesday December 2, 2025 – 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Register here.
Wednesday January 7, 2026 – 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Register here.

Applicants can email questions to applications@rtachicago.org. You also can contact Michael Horsting at michael.horsting@rtachicago.org or Robert Morris at robert.morris@rtachicago.org.

Timeline

Access to Transit Call for Projects
November 2025	Open call for projects on November 20
January 2026	Applications due on January 16
January – April 2026	Application review and selection; notify all applicants of status