Arlington and Fairfax counties have been informed that the Federal Transit Administration has not included the Columbia Pike Streetcar Project in its Small Starts program for Fiscal Year 2014. The FTA released its FY 2014 Annual Report on Funding Recommendations on April 12.

Arlington County Board Chairman J. Walter Tejada reaffirmed the county’s commitment to the Columbia Pike Streetcar Project last week and noted that the county has not received any official evaluation of the project or explanation for the FTA’s decision.

Project work on the Columbia Pike Streetcar continues, including conceptual engineering and environmental efforts to finalize project facilities and secure required environmental approvals.

Arlington and Fairfax applied to the FTA’s Small Starts program in September 2012. The program offers up to $75 million in funding for projects costing less than $250 million to design and build. The funding plan for the Streetcar Project relies on a combination of federal, state and local funding, with Arlington’s local funding coming from the tax on commercial properties that is dedicated to transportation.