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Commissioners ask FTA to remove transit-signal prioritization from BUILD grant; staff to revisit alternatives
Summary
The board directed staff to request the Federal Transit Administration remove transit-signal prioritization (TSP) from a BUILD grant application, citing high local match and state concerns; commissioners asked staff to pursue lower-cost alternatives and a concept-of-operations in the future.
Teton County commissioners on Aug. 19 directed staff to request the Federal Transit Administration to remove transit-signal prioritization (TSP) from a BUILD grant the county had been pursuing. The board’s direction follows a prior decision by the STAR board and reflects concern about local match requirements and state agency hesitation.
Heather Overholser, public works director, said the Town Council had approved a similar recommendation and that the county would request removal of TSP from the BUILD grant. Commissioners expressed disappointment at losing TSP funding but discussed alternatives. Commissioner Karlman asked whether a smaller, targeted project — for example, signal work at an intersection — could salvage elements of the TSP scope and reduce the county match; Overholser said the state Department of Transportation is evaluating whether an interim signal is warranted and that TSP requires a signalized intersection before prioritization can be implemented.
Commissioners directed staff to keep TSP on the county’s radar and to explore a future concept-of-operations and lower-cost options that could support bus-priority work through other funding paths. Staff said the federal portion of the BUILD grant item was roughly $225,000 while local matching costs under the original scope would have been substantially higher.
