It costs New York City more than eight times as much to build a mile of subway as Paris — and more than twice as much as Madrid. New York isn’t alone — throughout the US, transit infrastructure costs more and delivers less than it does in other developed countries. Overruns and delays are common and as a result, the US stands last among peers when it comes to delivering high-capacity, high-quality public transit for our citizens.
Ultimately, the lack of progress on building transit stifles the innovation that emerges when businesses and people can easily connect, reduces quality of life and access to amenities, and erodes public confidence.
With Congress set to reauthorize surface transportation programs in 2026, now is the time to shape the future of transit policy. IFP is preparing the Transit Policy Playbook, a collection of actionable policy proposals to transform how America builds transit.
We are seeking concrete, technically-grounded proposals for tractable reforms that can be implemented via executive or legislative action. Broad manifestos will not be considered. For examples of the kind of policy memo we are interested in, check out the Techno-Industrial Policy Playbook.
We welcome submissions on a rolling basis. Submissions require only two brief components: a problem statement (<200 words) and a description of your policy solution (<400 words). More details at the application link here.
If selected, we will work with you to flesh out your idea into a 2,000-word actionable policy memo that will be published in the Transit Policy Playbook and you will receive a $2,000 honorarium.
