ROUTES Initiative Quarterly Newsletter

U.S. Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 04/06/2022 09:45 AM EDT

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The Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) Initiative aims to address disparities in rural transportation infrastructure by developing user-friendly tools and information, aggregating DOT resources into a single web resource, and providing technical assistance. If you want to learn more about ROUTES, or how it can help your community, visit the ROUTES Initiative website or reach out to the ROUTES team at rural@dot.gov.

ROUTES Updates

DOT Releases Charging Forward to Help Rural Communities Implement EV Infrastructure

The rapid growth in electric vehicles (EVs) today is part of a fundamental shift in transportation that promises substantial benefits to individuals, businesses, communities, and the entire Nation. All Americans, regardless of where they live, should have the opportunity to benefit from the lower operating costs, reduced maintenance needs, and improved performance that EVs provide. Similarly, all communities—including communities of color, underserved communities, and environmental justice communities—deserve equitable access to economic opportunities and improved air quality. The Nation will benefit from the successful adoption of EVs as one important element in the Federal Government’s strategy to eliminate climate-related emissions from transportation, alongside investments in quality transit, bicycle, and pedestrian networks that give Americans real choices in how to travel.

This toolkit, Charging Forward: A Toolkit for Planning and Funding Rural Electric Mobility Infrastructure, helps connect community members, towns, businesses, planning agencies, and others with partners needed for these projects. The toolkit contains best practices for planning EV charging networks and tips to navigate federal funding and financing to help make these projects a reality.

DOT hosted a webinar to discuss the toolkit in more detail, which can be seen here.

New Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program Released in a Combined NOFO with INFRA and Mega Grant Programs

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced $2.9 billion of funding now available for major infrastructure projects through a combined Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Combining three major discretionary grant programs into one Multimodal Projects Discretionary Grant opportunity reduces the burden for state and local applicants and increases the pipeline of “shovel-worthy” projects that are now possible because of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These investments will create good-paying jobs, grow the economy, reduce emissions, improve safety, make our transportation more sustainable and resilient, and expand transportation options in rural America and other underserved communities. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this funding will help enable more communities to build vital infrastructure projects that also strengthen supply chains and reduce costs for American families.

Putting these three programs under a single NOFO makes it easier for communities to apply to one, two, or three major discretionary grant programs with a single application and common set of criteria. The Department will make awards under the three grant programs consistent with each grant program’s statutory language and will focus on supporting projects that improve safety, economic competitiveness, equity, and climate and sustainability. Also, a single solicitation will help the Department get a more comprehensive view of projects in development nationwide. The three programs under this combined NOFO will continue to receive support from the Department, including the rural-focused ROUTES team and the Build America Bureau.

The deadline for applications is 11:59 pm EDT on May 23, 2022, Applicants may find the NOFO, Frequently Asked Questions, and other helpful resources here.

Funding & Financing

DOT Announces $1.2 Billion for Highways in Rural Appalachia

DOT announced that more than $1.2 billion will go to the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) toward the timely completion of designated corridors in 11 states in the Appalachian region. Under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, annual funding for the ADHS will increase 146% compared to Fiscal Year 2021, providing dedicated funding to the ADHS to spur economic growth in this historically isolated region. The total amount that will be available to the states in Fiscal Year 2022 is $246 million.

The ADHS was initiated in 1965 because Appalachia was underserved by the interstate highway system, which sometimes bypassed the rural region’s rugged terrain. The system is a network of 33 distinct corridors (about 3,000 miles) linking the region to interstates and providing access to regional and national markets. It includes 13 states connecting New York to northern Mississippi. Today, more than 85% of the ADHS is completed. By 2040, 100% of the network is expected to be complete and open to traffic. The funding announced today—over $1.2 billion throughout the 5 years of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—will help finalize the network.

The construction of the ADHS has increased economic activity across the region—including job creation and business expansion. According to a 2017 analysis, more than 168,000 jobs were created or maintained due to increased economic activity associated with the ADHS while $9 billion was added to the gross regional product. The ADHS also saves 231 million hours of travel time annually. Completion of the ADHS is estimated to create 47,000 more jobs and add $8.7 billion in goods and services annually across the Appalachian states. The ADHS also has improved travel time for commuters and truckers. Much of the freight transported through the region travels long distance to destinations outside of Appalachia. The region’s corridors serve as important national transportation links.

Active Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs)

ROUTES maintains a running list of open NOFOs applicable to rural transportation. This list can be found here, along with historical information on these grants (including prior NOFOs).

OST - Regional Infrastructure Accelerators (Closing Date - 4/11/2022: Apply Here)
PHMSA - Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training (ALERT) (Closing Date - 4/13/2022: Apply Here)
PHMSA - Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) - Tribes (Closing Date - 4/13/2022: Apply Here)
OST - Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) (Closing Date - 4/14/2022: Apply Here)
PHMSA - Community Safety (CS) (Closing Date - 4/14/2022: Apply Here)
PHMSA - Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) - State & Territory (Closing Date - 4/14/2022: Apply Here)
PHMSA - Hazardous Materials Instructor Training (HMIT) (Closing Date - 4/14/2022: Apply Here)
PHMSA - Supplemental Public Sector Training (SPST) (Closing Date - 4/14/2022: Apply Here)
PHMSA - S tate Damage Prevention (SDP) (Closing Date - 4/27/2022: Apply Here)
PHMSA - Technical Assistance (TAG) (Closing Date - 4/27/2022: Apply Here)
PHMSA - One Call Notification System (Closing Date - 4/27/2022: Apply Here)
PHMSA - Competitive Academic Agreement Program (CAAP) (Closing Date - 4/29/2022: Apply Here)
MARAD - America's Marine Highways (AMH) (Closing Date - 4/29/2022: Apply Here)
MARAD - Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) (Closing Date - 5/16/2022: Apply Here)
OST - Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) (Closing Date - 5/23/2022: Apply Here)
OST - Mega Grant Program (Closing Date - 5/23/2022: Apply Here)
OST - Rural Surface Transportation Grant (Closing Date - 5/23/2022: Apply Here)
FTA - Public Transportation on Indian Reservations (Tribal Transit) (Closing Date - 5/25/2022: Apply Here)

All Federal grants, including transportation grants, can be found at grants.gov. To find transportation related funding opportunities, select "All Department of Transportation" under the "Agency" menu on the left-hand side.

DOT Round-Up

Supply Chain Assessment of the Transportation Industrial Base: Freight and Logistics

DOT published a report that lays out vulnerabilities in our freight and logistics supply chain and clear-cut actions needed to speed up the movement of goods from ships to shelves. Building a resilient and efficient supply chain that can withstand the shocks of future large-scale weather, health or other events that will spur economic growth, lower costs for Americans, and create good-paying jobs in the process. The Biden-Harris Administration has made this work a top priority—including passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that makes the largest investment in ports in American history, reversing decades of underinvestment in our country’s critical infrastructure. DOT has already taken both immediate and long-term actions to bolster our supply chains and cut costs for the American people, and this report provides a path forward to continue that work.

DOT’s supply chain report lays out concrete steps that the federal government, Congress, states, and private companies can take to improve our supply chains now and in the long-term, including investments in both physical and digital infrastructure to support America’s supply chain resiliency. The report lays out steps to begin to reverse decades of disinvestment and consolidation, which too often has, in certain sectors, led to worse service, higher costs, and poorer working conditions. The report is a result of a years-long effort to gather information from both public and private stakeholders, who provided more than 400 responses to the Department. The report will guide the Department’s supply chain work for years to come.

National Roadway Safety Strategy

DOT released the Federal Government’s new comprehensive National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), a roadmap for addressing the national crisis in roadway fatalities and serious injuries. Almost 95% of the Nation’s transportation deaths occur on its streets, roads, and highways. While the number of annual roadway fatalities declined for many years, progress plateaued over the last decade and now fatalities have risen alarmingly during the pandemic. The NRSS provides concrete steps that the Department will take to address this crisis systemically and prevent these tragic and avoidable deaths and serious injuries. Bolstered by historic funding included in President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the NRSS is the first step in working toward an ambitious long-term goal of reaching zero roadway fatalities.

The Department, as part of the NRSS, is adopting the “Safe System Approach,” which acknowledges both human mistakes and human vulnerability, and designs a redundant system to protect everyone by preventing crashes and ensuring that if they do occur they do not result in serious injury or death. The Department will use a five-pronged model to address safety: safer people, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer speeds and post-crash care. And importantly, the NRSS recognizes that reducing traffic fatalities will take sustained and concerted action from everyone across all sectors and all levels of government.

FoRRRwD Webinar: Breaking Down Barriers

Join DOT for a free webinar on April 19, 2022 from 1:00-3:00 pm ET/10:00am-12:00 pm PT, hosted by FHWA in cooperation with the National Local Technical Assistance Program Association (NLTAPA) and the National Center for Rural Road Safety. The webinar

Rural roadway departures account for approximately one-third of all U.S. traffic fatalities—about 30 people a day. Roadside safety hardware is a proven countermeasure. Hardware such as barriers, sign supports, and work zone devices are commonly used to reduce the potential severity of these crashes. Knowing how, when and where to install roadside hardware can be a challenge for transportation agencies. Maintenance and replacement of existing barrier with newer hardware adds to the challenge.