The National Scenic Byways Program from the DOT Federal Highway Administration funds projects to recognize, preserve, and enhance selected roads throughout the United States.
Applications are due by December 16, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. The Notice of Funding Opportunity states that there is no maximum or minimum award, however, Grants.gov lists the maximum as $650,000. Applicants must provide at least 20% of project funding.
Eligibility
Applicant
This grant is open to:
- State governments
- Federally recognized Native American tribes
Previous grantees may apply to fund additional phases for their project, but they will be required to demonstrate how they effectively met budget and schedule estimates for the previous phase.
Applicants may submit more than one application and must submit separate applications for separate projects.
Highway
Only highways that have received one of the following designations is eligible:
- National Scenic Byways
- All-American Roads
- America’s Byways
- State scenic byways
- Indian Tribe scenic byways
Allowable Activities
Only the following activities are eligible for funding under this solicitation:
- Planning, design, or development of a State or Indian Tribe scenic byway program
- Developing and implementing a corridor management plan to maintain the scenic, historical, recreational, cultural, natural, and archaeological characteristics while accomodating tourism
- Making safety improvements to accomodate increased traffic and changes in the types of vehicles following the highway’s designation as a scenic byway
- Building a facility for pedestrians and bicyclists, rest area, turnout, highway shoulder improvement, overlook, or interpretive facility
- Improving the scenic byway to increase access for recreation
- Protecting adjacent scenic, historical, recreational, cultural, natural, and archaeological resources
Merit Criteria
All projects must advance at least one of the following priorities from the U.S. DOT Strategic Plan:
- Safety
- Climate and sustainability
- Equity
- Workforce development, job quality, and wealth creation
Priority consideration may be given to projects that advance two or more of these goals as well as those that:
- Spend the majority of the project’s costs within or on the boundary of a Census-designated rural area
- Fall at least partially within an economically distressed community
- Have identified more than the required 20% in non-federal matching funds
