- On December 5, DOT hosted a webinar spotlighting several resources to help grantees develop more successful applications for discretionary grant programs, including a new DOT Benefit-Cost Analysis Template and newly updated Rural Grant Application Toolkit designed specifically to help rural, Tribal, and smaller communities seeking to navigate the growing menu of federal transportation grant programs and develop competitive applications. View the webinar recording and presentation slides here. To learn more about Benefit-Cost Analysis, view the Navigator’s Benefit-Cost analysis informational page and DOT’s Benefit-Cost Analysis Guidance for Discretionary Grant Programs. Recordings and slides from past Navigator webinars can also be viewed on the DOT Navigator webinar page, including Spanish translation of slide decks.
- Looking to get in touch with transportation contacts near you including those involved in regional or state planning? Wondering how to get in touch with staff from Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Maritime Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or other administrations at USDOT located in your state or region? Click here to find federal DOT contacts in your state or territory, locate your State DOT, or connect with your regional metropolitan planning organization (MPO) or local transit agency.
- DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics has launched a new Transportation Data and Equity Hub. The Hub is a one-stop-shop to find tools, metrics, and data to analyze transportation access and the impacts of the transportation system on communities. It includes a data explorer where users can search for DOT’s equity-related data by category or specific variables.
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Tis the Season…for grant award announcements. Many different DOT grant programs are or will be announcing applicants who have been selected for a discretionary grant award. Last week the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced recipients of $8.2 billion for passenger rail projects and corridor planning activities across the country; and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced $110 million in grant awards for 19 wildlife crossing projects in 17 states, including four Indian tribes. Additional grant awards are expected to be announced this week for key DOT programs. Check the DOT homepage newsroom regularly to read more about grant announcements as they happen this month.
- FHWA updated the Pedestrian and Bicycle Funding Opportunities Table. Updates reflect several new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) grant programs and new activities or project types such as charging stations for electric bicycles and scooters, public education and awareness programs, and technical assistance.
The USDOT Discretionary Grants Dashboard provides communities with an overview of discretionary grant opportunities that can help meet their transportation infrastructure needs. The Dashboard also includes Federal grant programs outside of DOT that may be of particular interest to rural communities. The below list spotlights just a few of the currently open funding opportunities – visit the Grants Dashboard to find more or check out the calendar of open and upcoming grant opportunities!
New and Noteworthy!
- DOT has announced $1.5 billion in grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program for FY2024. Information on How to Apply for RAISE Grants is available on the RAISE website. The NOFO is available here and the deadline for applications is 11:59 PM EST on February 28, 2024. Selections will be announced no later than June 27, 2024. The first RAISE program webinar is scheduled for December 19, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. ET. You may register and keep track of upcoming RAISE webinars on the FY 2024 RAISE Webinar Series webpage.
- On November 30, 2023, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced approximately $343 million available for Fiscal Year 2024 All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) funding to help make it easier for people with disabilities and mobility needs to access some of the nation's oldest and busiest rail transit systems through essential upgrades, such as elevators. There is no award maximum or cap for ASAP grants. A webinar for the FY24 ASAP opportunity will be held on December 19, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Register for the webinar.
Opening Soon!
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FY23 Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program: The FRA anticipates announcing in December the availability of $573 million in competitive, discretionary funding for highway-rail or pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects that focus on improving the safety and mobility of people and goods. FRA will host a webinar following the NOFO release to provide a program overview for potential grantees.
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FY22-23 Restoration and Enhancement Grant Program: FRA will also announce the availability of $104 million in competitive, discretionary funding for operating assistance grants for initiating, restoring, or enhancing intercity passenger rail transportation. FRA will host a webinar following the NOFO release to provide a program overview for potential grantees.
Other Grant Opportunities
In preparing your application for any of the above programs, be sure to read the specific Notice of Funding Opportunity and related program materials to ensure your project and organization are eligible and you are meeting other program/application requirements. General information to help prepare for DOT applications can also be found on the DOT Navigator, including the Fiscal Year 2023 Discretionary Grant Preparation Checklist for Prospective Applicants.
- FTA announced the availability of approximately $4.7 million in competitive grant funding to projects that improve access to vital transportation services for older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income individuals through the Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) pilot program, which supports projects that improve transportation coordination and enhance mobility, including access to non-emergency medical transportation. Applications will be evaluated based on criteria outlined in the NOFO. Applications are due February 13, 2024. A webinar for the FY24 ICAM Pilot Program will be held at 3:00 p.m. ET on December 14, 2023. Registration is not required. Join the webinar on December 14.
- FHWA’s Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund (TTPSF), which is intended to address transportation safety issues identified by federally recognized Indian Tribes, is accepting applications for its FY 2024 funding cycle until January 15, 2024. Find more information here.
- FHWA is accepting applications under the $40 million Saving Lives with Connectivity: Accelerating V2X Deployment grant opportunity to advance connected and interoperable vehicle technologies. The initiative is focused on road safety, mobility, and efficiency through technology that enables vehicles and wireless devices to communicate with each other and with roadside infrastructure and provide warnings. V2X can contribute to the Safe System Approach adopted by the USDOT’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, a comprehensive approach launched in January 2022 to address the crisis of roadway deaths. Find the NOFO here; applications are due by January 17, 2024.
- FHWA is now accepting applications for its Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Program, which awards funding to eligible entities to deploy, install, and operate advanced transportation technologies to improve safety, mobility, efficiency, system performance, intermodal connectivity, and infrastructure return on investment. Up to $120 million ($60 million for FY 2023 and $60 million for FY 2024) is set aside for the ATTAIN Program to fund grants under this NOFO. Applications are due by February 2, 2024.
With the goal of passing along outside resources specifically designed to build local capacity, especially for disadvantaged urban, rural, and tribal communities, to successfully develop transportation projects and funding applications, the DOT Navigator Bulletin includes opportunities that have been shared with the Department. Their inclusion does not indicate USDOT endorsement.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant program (Community Change Grants) is accepting applications for $2 billion in grants to fund community-driven projects that address climate challenges and reduce pollution while strengthening communities through thoughtful implementation. This historic level of support will enable communities and their partners to overcome longstanding environmental challenges and implement meaningful solutions to meet community needs now and for generations to come. There will be two tracks of funding under this opportunity. Track I will fund approximately 150 large, transformational community-driven investment grants of $10 million - $20 million. Track II will fund approximately 20 meaningful engagement grants of $1 million - $3 million. Review the NOFO for further information about the opportunities under the Community Change Grants program and details about the application process. The NOFO is open for one year and will close on November 21, 2024, with EPA reviewing applications on a rolling basis. Click here to learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
- EPA’s Community Change Equitable Resilience Technical Assistance Program consists of free design and project development assistance, community engagement, and partnership development workshops, with the intent to help eligible entities apply for the Community Change Grants. Eligible projects for this technical assistance must be in a disaster-prone area and benefit a disadvantaged community. Climate resilience projects must have a direct community benefit and could include retrofits to community-serving buildings; design or redesign of public parks, open space, and waterways; redesign of streets; or other projects that address climate resilience and environmental justice. Proposed projects should address climate change impacts such as extreme heat and more intense heat islands, wildfire and wildfire smoke, floods, storms, or other impacts that pose a greater risk to disadvantaged communities. EPA intends to offer this technical assistance to up to 50 recipients nationwide and will accept requests on a rolling basis until 50 recipients have been identified. Contact equitableresilience@epa.gov with questions.
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The U.S. Department of Labor released a new funding opportunity for YouthBuild. This funding opportunity is aligned to infrastructure workforce needs with a required focus on training young people in construction. This year, the funding opportunity has added a priority around Investing in America projects. Applicants who identify a project in their area that is funded through Investing in America and identify a partner that they can work with to prepare people for this project can receive extra funding. This means transportation agencies can help community partners in their area be more competitive by partnering with them and that workforce organizations and unions applying should seek to partner with a transportation agency. Note that unions are eligible to apply. This is a great opportunity for apprenticeship readiness programs to expand their training to disadvantaged youth and get funding for the supportive services necessary to be successful. View the Funding Opportunity Announcement here; applications are due by February 1, 2024.
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Funding Navigator provides a list of funding opportunities under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and others across federal agencies to support efforts to enhance climate resiliency, energy efficiency, renewable energy integration, healthy housing, workforce development and environmental justice in HUD supported communities, programs and properties. You can use the tool to find open and upcoming opportunities, including funding status and where to apply, for funds to implement projects that reduce energy use and strengthen resiliency in communities. In the Navigator, some grants are separated into levels. This helps identify how to apply in situations where original grantees (Level 1 grantees) are tasked with making subgrants to others (Levels 2 and 3).
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NextCity is hosting a webinar on December 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET with City Thread partners to learn about the Accelerated Mobility Playbook (AMP) and how city governments and community organizations can work more efficiently to change the way you get around in as little as 24 months. RSVP for the webinar here.
If you have information or resources you would like to be considered for inclusion in future USDOT Navigator biweekly bulletins, reach out to USDOTAssist@dot.gov.
Click the link below to join the listserv or visit the USDOT Navigator to find information and resources on applying for USDOT grants and planning for and delivering transformative infrastructure projects and services.
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