Now why on earth would we be blogging about the first Earmark Repurposing effort from way back in 2016? Because there are deadlines approaching….as you may remember, all Repurposed Earmark funds from the 2016 effort must be obligated on or before September 30, 2019. On that date, all unobligated repurposed balances will lapse.
What does this mean for local/regional agencies? To assure processing of Requests for Authorization (RFA) from our agencies, and allow for review and issuance of E-76 approvals through Caltrans and FHWA, agencies are recommended to submit RFA’s to their appropriate District Local Assistance Engineer before July 1, 2019.
Let’s quickly reflect on the 2016 Earmark Repurposing Effort: thanks in large part to the leadership and coordination efforts of our Regions (RTPA’s and MPO’s), we repurposed over $162 Million from 184 Earmarks to 65 new and existing projects across the State!
Now we just need to finish the process – obligating these funds! As of October 1, 2018, we have over $68 Million in repurposed funds that have yet to be obligated onto 38 projects. To help you review the status of your funds and projects, we have updated the 2016 Earmark Repurposing webpage with a new section titled “2016 Repurposed Earmark Funding Set to Expire September 30, 2019” and a spreadsheet with additional details. We will continue to update this section and spreadsheet as we work our way through the federal fiscal year.