Category Archives: Transportation

National Scenic Byways Program

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

Image by https://www.facebook.com/OurPlanetEarth01

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

DOT Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program

The U.S. Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program supports projects to remove connectivity barriers through Community Planning and Capital Construction Grants.

Applications are due by September 30, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET.

Eligibility

Applicant

Community Planning grants are open to:

State, local, and Tribal governments
Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Nonprofit organizations

Capital Construction grants are open to:

Owners of eligible facilities
Eligibile Community Planning applicants in cooperation with facility owners

Facility

Highways or other surface transportation facilities that limit community connectivity such as:

Limited access highways
Viaducts
Transit lines
Rail lines

Funding

Community Planning grants are available for up to $2 million, which can make up no more than 80% of the project cost. Applicants must provide at least 20% of the expenses in matching, non-federal funds.

Capital Construction grants are available for $5 – 100 million, which can make up no more than 50% of the project cost. Additional federal funds may be used to make up an additional 30%; applicants must provide at least 20% in matching, non-federal funds. Grantees who don’t receive their full requested amount will be given a ‘Reconnecting Extra’ designation to facilitate access to additional DOT discretionary funding.

Allowable Activities

Photo by Deva Darshan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/aerial-view-of-road-in-the-middle-of-trees-1173777/

Community Planning funds may be used for:

Public engagement
Planning and feasibility studies
Engineering plans

Captial Construction funds may be used for:

Permitting, including required assessments
Removing or retrofitting eligible facility
Building new, replacement facility
Meaningful community involvement

Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way Program

The Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way Program supports projects to implement, improve, or develop a Pollinator-Friendly Practice Plan. The goal of the program is to turn the 3.9 million miles of roadside across the U.S. into pollinator habitat.

Applications for up to $150,000 are due by June 18, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. The Federal Highway Administration is required to fund all satisfactory applications, which must conform to the Application Template.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

State Departments of Transportation
Federal Land Management Agencies
Native American Tribes

Eligible Pollinator-Friendly Practices

Applicants may request funding for one or more of the following:

Pollinator-friendly mowing strategies
Planting or seeding
Removing nonnative grasses from planting and seeding mixes
Protecting existing habitat
Updating, improving, or further developing the Pollinator-Friendly Practices Plan
Implementing a Pollinator-Friendly Practices Plan or an integrated vegetation management plan
Obtaining expert training or assistance on pollinator-friendly practices
Design, construction, or maintenance to ensure habitat does not negatively impact road safety
Outreach to increase public support and/or coordinate with adjacent landowners

Applications Requirements

State Departments of Transportation and Federal Land Management Agencies must provide documentation of:

Coordination with applicable State agencies in the development of their Plan
Consultation with affected or interested Indigenous tribes in the development of their Plan

Review Criteria

All applications will be reviewed based on:

Merit Criteria

Overall Benefits to Pollinator Species and Habitats
Context and Connectivity
Roadside Pollinator Project Design and Methods
Maintenance and Management

Project Readiness Criteria

Environmental Review and Permitting Risk
Project Risks and Mitigation Strategies
Technical Assessment
Financial Completeness Assessment

AARP Community Challenge Grant

The AARP Community Challenge Grant funds small projects to make communities more livable. Awards are made in three categories – Flagship Grants, Capacity-Building Microgrants, and Demonstration Grants.

Available funding varies by grant type, but applications for all categories are due by March 6, 2024 at 5 PM ET.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

Nonprofits with a 501(c)3, 501(c)4, or 501(c)6 status
Government entities

Organizations that do not fall into either of the above categories may be able to apply, but that will be determined on a case by case basis. For-profit businesses and individuals are not eligible.

Grant Types

Flagship Grants

Flagship Grants focus on improving life for community residents, especially those who are 50 years of age or older. In the past, awards have ranged from $500 to $50,000 and the average award is $11,900. But don’t be afraid to dream big! There is no cap and extraordinary projects may receive larger amounts.

Project Categories

Public Places – Improvement of parks, open spaces, and equitable access to public amenities
Transportation and Mobility Options – Road improvements, wayfinding, improved connectivity and walk/bikeability, and increased access to transportation
Housing – Increasing availability of affordable and accessible housing
Digital Connections – Expanding access to high speed internet and digital literacy
Community Resilience – Disaster preparedness and mitigation
Community Health and Economic Empowerment – Increasing physical and financial health

Capacity-Building Microgrants

Capacity-Building Microgrants provide $2,500 as well as non-financial assistance like one-on-one coaching and webinars.

Project Categories

Bike Audits – Perform a bike audit using the AARP Bike Audit Tool Kit
HomeFit Modifications – Provide education, simple modification, and easy home safety/accessibility using the AARP HomeFit Guide
Walk Audits – Perform a walk audit of the community using the AARP Walk Audit Toolkit

Demonstration Grants

Demonstration grants are intended to be used for pilot projects that can be replicated by other communities. Awards may be up to $50,000.

Project Categories

Enhancing digital connectivity to prepare and respond to disasters
Facilitating equitable engagement to reconnect communities divided by infrastructure
Implementing housing choice design competitions

Selection Criteria

Impact (45 points) – Does the project address a need to become more livable for residents, particularly those age 50 or older?
Execution (30 points) – Has the applicant demonstrated an ability to complete the project on time and on budget, engage residents, and enlist volunteers, especially those age 50 or older?
Addressing Disparities (15 points) – Does the project address disparities faced by historically marginalized groups?
Innovation (10 points) – Is the project unique?

DOT Planning and Bridge Project Grants

Planning and Bridge Project Grants through the U.S. Department of Transportation fund projects to replace or repair bridges on the National Bridge Inventory (NBI).

Grants are awarded in two categories: Bridge Project and Planning. Applications for Bridge Project grants are due by March 19, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET; applications for Planning grants are due by February 19, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. Award amounts vary by category, but all grantees must provide a 20% non-federal match. Applications should be submitted through Grants.gov.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

A state or group of states
A unit of local government or group of local governments
A political subdivision of a state or local government
A Tribal government or consortium of Tribal governments
A metropolitan planning organization that serves an urbanized area with a population over 200,000
A special purpose district or public authority with a transportation function
A Federal Land Management Agency (FLMA)
A multi-state or multi-jurisdictional group of entities as described above

Program Goals

The goals of the Bridge Investment Program are to:

Improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of people and freight over bridges
Improve the condition of bridges in the United States
Provide financial assistance that leverages and encourages non-Federal contributions from sponsors and stakeholders involved in the planning, design, and construction of eligible projects

Grant Categories

Bridge Projects

Bridge Projects should replace, rehabilitate, preserve, or protect one or more bridges on the NBI. They may also include bridge bundling and culverts.

Funding

Awards may not be less than $2.5 million or more than 80% of the total project cost. Total eligible costs may not exceed $100 million.

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds may be spent on:

Development activities such as feasibility analyses, environmental reviews, and revenue forecasting
Construction, including environmental mitigation, equipment acquisition, and operational improvements
Protection, such as seismic or scour protection

Requirements

All Bridge Projects must:

Demonstrate a reasonable expectation of beginning construction within 18 months of the award
Have preliminary engineering work completed
Address how the bridge will be maintained
Provide accomodations for pedestrians and cyclists

Planning

Planning grants are intended for preliminary work, such as feasibility analyses and revenue forecasting, to develop projects that would be eligible to apply for a Bridge Project grant.

There is no minimum or maximum award for Planning grants. However, the cost of the final bridge project must be at least $3.125 million.