By Nicole Chinea, CAPP
I recently dove into the world of planning after being dedicated to the parking industry for 20 years. In my previous parking career, I had the opportunity to scratch the surface of grants. However, as a planner I dove headfirst into the world of grants, specifically transportation-focused Federal Funding Pursuits. I quickly got on board learning grant jargon -NOFO, BCA, Justice 40, LMI, etc. Throughout my entire learning process, my parking hat was still on. I simply refuse to take it off. Old habits, right?! I remember saying to myself while proposing projects, “Why didn’t I look into grants for that and this?” There were so many parallels between parking operations/planning and transportation planning! Harris County was awarded the 2022 SMART grant for $2M due to a well-thought-out and executed planning study. In all my years as a parking consultant, my biggest frustration was the study never leaving the shelf. This alone justified my career shift to county planning and allowed gaps to be bridged. Unfortunately, with the current administration in DC, many organizations fear not seeing grants come to fruition. If this is the case, planning and construction efforts impacting transportation and safety may be negatively impacted and studies may be put back on the shelf. Comprehensive planning and outreach are vital to set the stage for grants. While we sit tight and rely on our decision-makers in DC, I encourage us to continue to plan and conduct studies, bringing to light the need for infrastructure and/or improvements.
Nicole Chinea, CAPP, is a Senior Planner for . Nicole can be reached at nicole.chinea@harriscountytx.gov.