$1.7M Transit Village grants (right) • NJ TRANSIT extends Transitway • CA approves $1.8B for transit and housing • UTSA studies developable land in Texas • Belgrade’s first subway line (left, top to bottom)
Article of the Week
Governor Murphy Announces $1.7 Million in Fiscal Year 2026 Transit Village Grants to Revitalize Areas Around Transit Facilities
Press Release, NJDOT | December 11, 2025
New Jersey distributed $1.7 million in Transit Village Grant funds across six municipalities to advance transit station revitalization projects. This year’s recipients include Pleasantville, Burlington, East Orange, South Orange, High Bridge, and Long Branch. The funds support quality of life, pedestrian safety, and wayfinding improvements.
NJ TOD News
JERSEY CITY—Jersey City’s Harborside 8 & 9 Development Sells for $75 Million
Chris Fry, Jersey Digs | December 11, 2025
Panepinto Properties purchased a former surface parking lot in Jersey City for $75 million and plans to create two mixed-use towers. The project already includes approvals for 1,257 units and 23,378 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail near the Exchange Place PATH Station and adjacent to Harborside Station on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line.
NJ TRANSIT Advances Secaucus-Meadowlands Transitway Project
Staff, ROINJ | December 11, 2025
NJ TRANSIT extended its contract with engineering firm HNTB to complete design work for Phase 2 of Transitway Jersey City. The $22 million project aims to create a dedicated right of way with multiple stops between Secaucus Junction Station and Jersey City to increase service capacity between the Meadowlands Sports and Entertainment Complex and Jersey City.
NEWARK—Five-Hour Hearing on Controversial $800M Ironbound Apartment Project Will Continue, Board Decides
Nicole Zanchelli, TAPinto Newark | December 10, 2025
Newark’s Zoning Board voted to continue its review of what would become the Ironbound neighborhood’s largest development after a five-hour hearing ended without a final decision. If approved, Iberia Urban Renewal’s proposal would create 1,408 housing units—including 283 affordable—in a transit-rich area, but residents continue to voice concerns about traffic impacts and displacement.
SOUTH ORANGE—N.J. Development Secures $2.85M Loan for 61-Unit, Mixed-Use Project in 2027
Stephanie Loder, NJ.com | December 5, 2025
Kennedy Funding secured a $2.85 million loan, allowing the developer to move forward on a planned 61-unit development in South Orange. In addition to the residential component, the project includes over 22,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail and sits half a mile from South Orange Station. Construction is slated to begin in 2027.
Transit and Equity News
CALIFORNIA—Governor Newsom Creates New Housing and Transportation Using Nearly $1B Paid by Big Polluters
Press Release, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom | December 10, 2025
California Governor Gavin Newsom released $865 million in affordable housing, transportation, and infrastructure investments funded by a tax on greenhouse gas emissions. The funds will support the creation of 2,393 new affordable homes, 30 new zero-emission public transit vehicles, 150 bus shelters, and 45 miles of bikeways. Since its launch in 2008, the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) has invested over $5 billion in housing and transportation projects.
HAWAII—Developer Chosen for Affordable Housing Project in Kapolei
Dillon Ancheta, Hawaii News Now | December 10, 2025
Honolulu selected Kobayashi Group to develop a transit-oriented project on 14 acres of City-owned land in Kapolei near a future Skyline station. The City estimates the site could support around 750 affordable units and plans to build on the success of the 169-unit Parkway Village at Kapolei, which Kobayashi Group completed in 2024. The project still needs community input, environmental review, and land use approvals before construction can start.
MARYLAND—Metro Breaks Ground on Bethesda Senior Housing Project to Promote ‘Transit-Oriented Community’
Steven Cohen, DC News Now | December 10, 2025
Metro officials and local leaders celebrated the groundbreaking of a new senior-housing development in Bethesda. The project will offer 200 affordable senior housing units and commercial space next to the Grosvenor-Strathmore Red Line Metro Station as part of a six-year master plan to transform the Rockville Pike corridor into a transit-oriented community.
Regional and National TOD News
FLORIDA—Massive Mixed-Use ‘University Village’ Proposed for Boca Raton
Kartik Krishnaiyer, The Boca Raton Tribune | December 12, 2025
Penn-Florida Companies proposed a 77-acre, transit-oriented project called University Village that would bring 781 homes, a hotel, and 150,000 sq. ft. of retail to Boca Raton. The plan targets young professionals by leveraging a future Tri-rail Station but faces scrutiny over traffic and environmental concerns. If the City approves the project, construction could begin next year.
TEXAS—UT San Antonio Researchers Identify More Than 7k Acres for Housing Development Around Proposed Transit Corridors
Jasper Kenzo Sundeen, San Antonio Report | December 12, 2025
A UTSA study identified 7,000 acres of vacant land or underutilized surface parking near seven potential transit corridors that could support housing for more than 600,000 new residents. Proposals from the study include converting motels into workforce housing, adding multifamily housing to strip malls, and increasing density near transit. Two corridors—the Green Line and Silver Line—are under development, while the other five remain proposed.
NEW YORK—Gotham on Track to Build MTA’s First Long Island TOD
David Winzelberg, Long Island Business News | December 9, 2025
Gotham Organization and MTA partnered to develop a 157-unit apartment building with more than 15,000 sq. ft. of retail space on an MTA-owned surface parking lot next to the Westbury LIRR Station. MTA plans to enter a 99-year ground lease with Gotham, receive $2.25 million during construction, and collect $500,000 annually as base rent. The project still needs approval from the Westbury Village Council.
MASSACHUSETTS—Lawmakers Say Infrastructure Needs More Funding, and Congestion Pricing Should Be on the Table
Meghan Volcy, Streetsblog Mass | December 9, 2025
Massachusetts transportation leaders argue that the State urgently needs long-term funding reform and say congestion pricing should remain a consideration. At a recent event, legislators outlined priorities such as rail electrification, stronger RTA and microtransit systems, and more reliable transit service statewide. While short-term finances remain stable, legislators emphasized that the State must modernize revenue sources to advance long-term goals.
International TOD News
CANADA—Chow Promises Transit Signal Priority for LRTs and Streetcars Citywide
Emma Johnston-Wheeler, Toronto Today | December 9, 2025
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow plans to introduce traffic signal prioritization for the City’s LRT and streetcars after riders complained about slow transit and frequent red-light stops. She also called for removing speed caps and boosting service. TTC officials say travel times should improve, and full signal priority should help clear delays.
MONGOLIA—ADB Supports Urban Mobility in Mongolia’s Capital With New Bus Rapid Transit System
Staff, Asian News Network | December 9, 2025
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $60 million loan to advance construction of a bus rapid transit corridor in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Rapid population growth has contributed to severe congestion and pollution, increasing the need for mass transit. The BRT corridor will feature traffic signal prioritization, dedicated bus lanes, and upgraded streetscapes with bike lanes.
SERBIA—Europe’s Largest Capital Without a Subway Is Finally Getting One
Misha Savic, Bloomberg | November 28, 2025
Belgrade will build a subway after nearly a century of unsuccessful attempts, following the signing of roughly €1 billion ($1.175B) in contracts to construct the first of three planned lines. Officials expect the first line to open in 2030 and aim to reverse severe congestion after a decade of rapid population growth.