The full suite of US Department of Transportation (USDOT) technical assistance resources can be accessed at Search Technical Assistance Resources | US Department of Transportation.
DOT is Investing in America
- U.S. Transportation announced $3.33 billion in grant awards for 132 projects through the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Grant Program. The Department created a Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Virtual Story Map that spotlights the stories and historic context for the program, as well as the future it seeks through funding the reconnection of communities. View all of the FY 2023 RCN awards in the full screen map here.
- U.S. Transportation announced grant awards for 34 technology demonstration projects through the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program. The competitive grant program, established by President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides $500 million over five years for State, local, and Tribal governments to leverage advances in technology to create safer, more efficient, and more innovative transportation systems.
USDOT Technical Assistance and Resources Spotlight
- The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has posted a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit feedback from stakeholders on updating FHWA’s minimum standards and requirements for EV charging stations to allow for new technology and continued innovation. Responses are due by April 5, 2024.
Upcoming Events
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the DOT Climate Change Center are co-hosting a webinar on March 25, 2024 from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm PT, to educate State, regional, Tribal, and local decisionmakers and other stakeholders on how transit-oriented development (TOD) can be a transportation decarbonization strategy. This session is a part of the DOT Climate Change Center’s 2024 Webinar Series on climate change and transportation topics, ranging from greenhouse gas reduction strategies to climate resilience activities to research and technology advancements. Registration is now open.
- The National Center for Applied Transit Technology, sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), is hosting free virtual workshops for transit agency staff with minimal experience in geographic information systems (GIS). The workshop will include three virtual half-day sessions, each from 10:30 am – 1:30 pm PT, on March 26, 27, and 28, 2024. Topics include an introduction to GIS, route and system mapping, and conducting ridership and market analyses. AICP credits will be provided, and priority is given to small-urban, rural, and tribal transit agencies. Register here for a workshop.
- National Rural Technical Assistance Program (RTAP) Rural and Tribal Transit Training – Capital Projects on April 22-24, 2024, in Spokane, WA, is now open for registration. This free workshop provides a thorough overview of the capital project development process for small rural and Tribal transit providers and offers guidance to those who are taking on sizable construction projects despite limited prior experience. RTAP is a technical assistance center sponsored by FTA.
- 2024 Equity in Roadway Safety webinar series registration is open. These webinars feature noteworthy tools and strategies that can support your agency in making progress towards closing disparities in traffic fatalities and serious injuries to reach zero deaths. The 2024 series includes the following events, all sessions are scheduled for 10:00 am – 12:00 pm PT:
- March 27, 2024 – Tools and Strategies for Equitable Design
- May 22, 2024 – Equitable Data Analysis
- July 24, 2024 – Roadway Safety for People Experiencing Homelessness
USDOT Funding Opportunities
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 view the NOFO Calendar of open and upcoming grant opportunities!
New and Notable!
- FHWA’s new Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) is a competitive grant program that will focus on building networks of connected bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements, including to better connect trail networks between communities. The funding is available for states, local and Tribal governments, as well as metropolitan and regional planning organizations, and applicants can apply for more than one grant. FHWA is hosting two informational webinars – register for the April 9th NOFO webinar or the April 10th NOFO webinar for Tribal nations. Applications are due by June 17, 2024.
- DOT’s Build America Bureau released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a new program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: the Innovative Finance and Asset Concession Grant Program. This program makes $100 million available over five years to assist public entities in facilitating and evaluating public-private partnerships and exploring innovative financing and delivery opportunities for Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) eligible projects. The NOFO allocates funds for fiscal years 2022, 2023, and 2024, totaling $57.72 million in available grant funding. Applications are due May 10, 2024. Two types of grants will be available:
- Technical Assistance Grants will be awarded to build organizational capacity to develop, review, or enter into asset concessions to advance TIFIA-eligible projects. Register for the Technical Assistance Grants webinar on March 21, 2024 at 10:00 am – 11:00 am PT.
- Expert Services Grants will be awarded for project development of identified assets, including hiring professional services to explore opportunities for leverage. Applicants can seek either type of grant but must choose one for this round of funding. Grants up to $2 million are available, with the first million requiring no local match. Register for the Expert Services Grants webinar on March 21, 2024 at 11:30 am – 12:30 pm PT.
- FHWA launched the Low Carbon Transportation Materials Program, aimed at lowering air pollution, specifically greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), through reimbursement and incentive funding for low carbon construction materials and products used in transportation. States can refer to the Request for Applications for State Departments of Transportation page for application information and program details. Applications are due by June 10, 2024.
- DOT’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) published a $450 million NOFO for the Federal Fiscal Year 2024 Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). PIDP grants support efforts by ports and industry stakeholders to improve port and related freight infrastructure to meet the nation’s freight transportation needs and ensure port infrastructure can meet anticipated growth in freight volumes. Funds for the PIDP are awarded on a competitive basis to projects that improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods into, out of, around, or within a port. View the PIDP NOFO. Applications are due by May 10, 2024.
- The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary grant program is accepting applications in response to its Fiscal Year 2024 NOFO. A number of webinars have been held to provide more information; the presentation slides and webinar recordings are posted on the SS4A Webinar Series page. The FY24 SS4A NOFO has multiple application deadlines depending on the grant type.
Implementation Grant applications:
Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 2:00 pm PT
Planning and Demonstration Grant applicants have three deadlines:
April 4, May 16, and August 29, 2024, by 2:00 pm PT.
Other Grant Opportunities
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is making more than $180 million in grants across four different programs to promote roadway safety. These grants, part of the funding included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, are open to State, territorial, and Tribal organizations; local jurisdictions; academic institutions; and other training programs and entities to promote commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety-related activities. Grant applications for the fiscal year 2024 cycle are due by 2:00 pm PT on Friday, April 19, 2024. The full NOFO can be found at grants.gov. Details regarding funding amounts, application requirements, and applicant and project eligibility can be found on FMCSA’s Grants website.
- FHWA is accepting applications for its $250 million Congestion Relief Program, which offers competitive grants to advance innovative, multimodal solutions to reduce vehicular traffic in the most congested metropolitan areas of the United States. The Congestion Relief Program is accepting applications for the first round through a NOFO that provides $150 million in grants for fiscal years 2022, 2023 and 2024. Applications are due by April 22, 2024.
- FTA is accepting applications for its $1.5 billion FY 2024 Low- or No-Emission Program to support state and local efforts to buy or modernize buses, improve bus facilities, and support workforce development. The funding opportunity will advance FTA’s priorities of strengthening U.S. bus manufacturing, containing vehicle costs, and accelerating the delivery of new vehicles. The opportunity introduces streamlined application requirements for tribes requesting less than $1 million, making it easier for tribes with relatively small requests to apply. Applications are due by April 25, 2024.
Non-USDOT Capacity Building Resources and Opportunities
- The Environmental Protection Agency $3 billion Clean Ports Program funds zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure as well as climate and air quality planning at U.S. ports. The Clean Ports Program includes two separate funding opportunities: the Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition and the Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition. Both NOFOs are open now until the application deadline at 8:59 pm PT on May 28, 2024. EPA anticipates notifying selectees by September 2024 and awarding the grants by December 2024.