While federal transportation funding and policy remain important to the build out of transit networks nation-wide, the participation of local leaders — whether in elected office or as citizen advocates — has emerged as being increasingly important. With federal funding for transit declining, local leaders must now think creatively about how to plan and finance transit systems as well as how to build support both for transit and for the financing it requires.

To help build this local capacity is why TransitCenter, in partnership with Transportation for America, has created a yearlong academy for key leaders from the similarly sized regions of Indianapolis, Nashville, and Raleigh to come together and share best practices, discuss challenges, and to help each other to turn each city’s ambitious plans for transit into reality.