October ROUTES Newsletter

U.S. Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 10/18/2022 02:39 PM 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. 

 

DOT Updates

Announced DOT Awards

US DOT announces 2022 RAISE Grant recipients, Raise Grants Fact Sheets (transportation.gov) 

 

Funding & Financing

Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) & Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Biden-Harris Administration Announces $160 Million Available for Smart Transportation Technology that Helps Americans Get More Out of Their Infrastructure | US Department of Transportation 

 

Research & Technology

 

News Round-Up

 

Monthly Focus

DOT's Technical Assistance Month (All October)

DOT and HUD are partnering to launch a new $30 million Thriving Communities Program (TCP) to support communities with the planning and project development of transformative infrastructure projects with technical assistance to improve the coordination of housing and transportation planning, increase housing supply, increase affordable transportation options, enhance economic opportunity, reduce environmental burdens, and improve access and quality of life. On October 6, DOT issued a call for Letters of Interest from communities interesting in receiving Thriving Communities technical assistance. Rural and Tribal communities are specifically targeted for support, and there is no funding requirement to participate. DOT’s TCP is designed to help communities with pre-development and pre-application support including project scoping, preliminary planning and engineering studies, grant application development and public involvement activities. More information is available on the DOT website here and the HUD website here. 

 

National Pedestrian Safety Month (All October)

In an effort to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists accessing transit, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have released a new guide, which includes a variety of approaches to address common safety issues that are likely to arise near transit stations, bus stops and other places where transit (bus or rail) is operated. The new guide, Improving Safety for Pedestrians and Bicyclists Accessing Transit, provides agencies with a thorough look at pedestrian and bicyclist safety considerations in accessing and using transit. The guide can help transit agencies, state and local roadway owners, and regional organizations by providing a comprehensive understanding of how to address pedestrian and bicyclist safety concerns related to accessing transit. 

 

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool Version 3.0 (PBCAT 3) is a web application developed to help agencies generate objective descriptors of non-motorist crash types, location context, and other crash circumstances. In turn, the descriptors can be used to inform crash and injury prevention strategies. PBCAT 3 is ideally suited to examine the large numbers of pedestrians in lesser served areas, which allows for targeted assessment of vulnerable areas and the development and application of appropriate safety countermeasures. The PBCAT 3 user guide can be found here: https://highways.dot.gov/sites/fhwa.dot.gov/files/2022-06/FHWA-HRT-22-071.pdf. 

 

DOT Resources for Pedestrian Safety Month 

NHTSA Resources for Pedestrian Safety Month 

FHWA Resources for Pedestrian Safety Month 

 

National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 16th-22nd)

October 16 -22, 2022 is National Teen Driver Safety Week, and as the school year continues, it is a great time to review safety driving habits with teen drivers. Data shows that for teens, the greatest dangers while driving include inconsistent/no seat belt use, distracted driving, and speeding. Different states have different regulations for teen drivers. Check local curfew laws and look up how many passengers teen drivers can have in the vehicle. The Governors Highway Safety Association has a map highlighting the teen driving regulations for all 50 states here.

 

National School Bus Safety Week (October 17th-21st)

Nearly every day, millions of children across the United States line up to ride the bus to school. While the school bus is one of the safest modes of transportation, illegal school bus passing poses a significant threat to children and their caretakers. In every state, it is illegal for vehicle drivers to pass a school bus while the school bus stop-arm is extended, and the red lights are flashing. 

 

ROUTES

ROUTES Updates

 

ROUTES Outreach

Throughout October, the ROUTES team is traveling to various conferences in order to support rural communities and spread information about DOT grant opportunities.  

  • A member of the ROUTES team attended the Texas Municipal League conference in San Antonio on October 6th. The session, Small City Strategies for Getting Infrastructure Grants, focused on how small communities, typically rural, can access Federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In particular, ROUTES discussed DOT grant programs that can benefit small, rural communities, including those with rural set asides. 
  • Team members will be attending the 2022 NADO Conference on October 15th-18th. In particular, ROUTES will be holding a conference session on Tapping into BIL Funds. This session will provide information on how rural and small metro regions/communities can prepare for opportunities to apply for planning or implementation funding available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.   
  • ROUTES will also be in attendance at the New Mexico Tribal Transportation Summit on October 25th-27th. Here, team members will discuss current and upcoming grant opportunities for rural and Tribal communities. 

If your community or organization is hosting a summit or conference where Federal transportation funding will be discussed, reach out to the ROUTES team to discuss opportunities for collaboration. 

 

Upcoming Events/Webinars

Webinars can be a helpful way for rural communities to find information on how to apply for Federal grants or complete specific projects. Below is a list of webinars that may be helpful:  

  • TRB Webinar: Microtransit—Innovation in Rural Mobility 
  • TRB Webinar: Safer Intersections for Pedestrians and Bicyclists 
  • Federal Funding Information Regional Webinars 
  • Learn how to access, explore, and apply for Federal grants. Join representatives from USDA Rural Development, U.S. Health and Human Services, U.S. Economic Development Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Housing and Urban Development. Workshops will take place regionally and you can attend whichever workshop is most convenient for you. 
  • Rural Workforce Innovation Network | Rural Development (usda.gov) 
  • Webinars will be recorded and past webinars from USDA are posted on the link above. 
  • The National Center for Rural Road Safety has a Road Safety Champion Program where anyone can learn about roadway safety. They also have a calendar based on their events and major rural conferences, Rural Road Safety Center Calendar. 
  • The Thriving Communities Program will be holding a webinar for those interested in being a capacity builder and providing technical assistance. Webinar is on Wednesday, October 19th from 1:00-2:00 PM EST. Register here. 

Please send upcoming rural transportation events/webinars to the ROUTES team. 

 

Active & Upcoming Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs)

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

 

 

 

Program 

NOFO Close Date 

Available Funding 

OA 

NOFO Link 

October 24, 2022 

$125,215,000 

FHWA 

November 18, 2022 

$60,000,000 

FHWA 

November 18, 2022 

$100,000,000 

OST 

December 1, 2022 

$1,427,462,902 

FRA 

December 6, 2022 

N/A 

OST 

January 15, 2023 

$21,238,560 

FHWA 

February 23, 2023 

$200,000,000 

FHWA 

 

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. 

The programs listed in the table below are anticipating to release a NOFO in the coming months. This timeline is subject to change. 

 

Program 

Anticipated NOFO Release 

OA 

Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) 

November 2022 

OST 

Early Winter 2023 

OST 

 

Rural Research

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