Kate McClanahan, Americans for the Arts March 20, 2017 Arts & Infrastructure Kate McClanahan, Americans for the Arts March 20, 2017

What is the FAST Act Why Does it Matter What’s Happening Agenda What is the FAST Act Why Does it Matter What’s Happening What Can We Do

Review of Federal Changes

What that Means New prohibition on the use of FTA grants or loans: These funds can no longer be used for the “incremental costs of incorporating art or non- functional landscaping into facilities, including the costs of an artist on the design team.”

What THAT Means https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/grant-programs/art-and-non-functional-landscaping-federally-funded-public-transit

Memo to the Field http://www.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/pdf/2016/by_program/networks_and_councils/pan/tools/FAST%20implementation%20memo%20to%20the%20field_FINAL.PDF                                                              

Our “Ask” Provide the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) the flexibility to allow transit authorities to incorporate art into federally-funded transit projects and facilities.

Why Is This Important? Prior to December 2015, federal law allowed the FTA to include project costs associated with art (typically 1%-2% of the project’s capital budget). Funds could be used to support the employment of an artist/artist team as a member of a design team, provided that the artistic elements were integrated into the facility of served a functional transit-related purpose. In cities large and small across America, transit agencies have been employing artist to enhance transit projects for over the past three decades. But now, even the local funds that are required to match federal FTA funds also face the same federal restrictions and prohibitions, severely limiting the ability to incorporate art into transit projects.

Questions? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?