ROUTES Initiative April Newsletter

U.S. Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 04/27/2023 03:39 PM EDT

The Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) Initiative aims to address disparities in rural transportation infrastructure by developing user-friendly tools and information, aggregating USDOT resources into a single web resource, and providing technical assistance. If you want to learn more about ROUTES, or how it can help your community, visit the ROUTES Initiative website or reach out to the ROUTES team at rural@dot.gov.

USDOT Updates 

 

Funding & Financing

 

 

Biden-Harris Administration Opens PROTECT Grant Program Applications for $848 Million 

 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has opened applications for the first round of the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Discretionary Grant Program. The program will invest in projects to make the country’s surface transportation system – including highways, public transportation, pedestrian facilities, ports, and intercity passenger rail – more resilient to the worsening impacts of climate change, while reducing long-term costs by minimizing demands for more expensive future maintenance and rebuilding.

 

By funding projects that improve resilience to natural hazards and climate change impacts, the PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program aims to reduce damage and disruption to the transportation system and improve the safety of the traveling public. The program will improve equity and further environmental justice by addressing the needs of disadvantaged communities that are often the most vulnerable to hazards. 

 

Projects funded by States using funding through the $7.3 billion PROTECT Formula Program include: 

· Design phase work in Kentucky to raise a two-mile stretch of Kentucky-459 above the floodplain 

· Planning in Alaska to evaluate areas to enhance the resiliency of roads, bridges, and associated infrastructure 

· Resilience improvements to the I-20 Wateree River Bridge in South Carolina 

The Notice of Funding Opportunity for Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023 is available here and will remain open for applicants through August 18, 2023. 

 

 

USDOT Announces More Than $1 Billion for Local Communities to Improve Roadway Safety 

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has opened the process for cities, towns, counties, Tribal governments, and Metropolitan Planning Organizations to apply for a total of $1.177 billion to fund local projects that improve roadway safety. The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program was created to help communities both plan and carry out projects that help reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our highways, streets, and roads. Funding can be targeted toward known high-crash areas, which are easier than ever to identify thanks to an interactive tool created by USDOT.  

 

In February, USDOT announced 473 communities received Action Planning grants and 37 communities received Implementation grants from the first round of SS4A funding. The application process for SS4A is designed to be as easy as possible and increase accessibility to this program, particularly for smaller communities, Tribal governments, and recipients new to Federal funding. The Safe Streets and Roads for All Notice of Funding Opportunity can be found at  https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A. Applications are due on or before July 10 at 5pm Eastern.   

 

 

FHWA Announces Nearly $300 Million for 9 Bridge Projects 

 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced nearly $300 million for nine small and medium-sized bridge projects in eight states and the District of Columbia. The Bridge Investment Program is a competitive grant program that will invest $12.5 billion over 5 years to rebuild, repair, and replace small, medium, and large bridges with $2.4 billion already invested in Fiscal Year 2022.   

 

The nine projects include three rural projects: 

· Circuit Engineering District 8 – Improving Rural Bridges in Northwest Oklahoma (OK) – $11.5 million 

· South Carolina Department of Transportation – Investing in South Carolina’s Rural Bridges (SC) – $51.2 million 

· Texas Department of Transportation – US-59 San Antonio River Bridge (TX) – $14 million 

 

 

USDOT Awards $21.15 million Through New Thriving Communities Program to Help 64 Communities Better Access Federal Funding 

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has announced funding through the Thriving Communities program for 64 communities across the country. The program provides two years of no-cost intensive technical assistance to under-resourced and disadvantaged communities to help identify, develop, and deliver transportation projects that strengthen communities. In the first year of this program, a large proportion of the communities selected had submitted previous applications for federal funding but were unsuccessful. Selected communities will be grouped into four “Communities of Practice” identified by USDOT based on their unique technical assistance needs.

 

The Communities of Practice are:  

· Main Streets – Focused on Tribal, rural and small-town communities and the interconnected transportation, community, and economic development issues they face. 

· Complete Neighborhoods 

· Complete Transit

· Networked Communities

 

Selected awardees from the Main Streets Community of Practice include: 

· City of Saint Paul, AK  

· City of Douglas, AZ  

· Town of Elizabethtown, NC  

· Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, ND  

 

 

PHMSA Announces Historic Funding for 37 Projects to Improve Safety, Fix Old, Leaky Gas Pipes and Create Jobs 

 

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has announced a historic $196 million in grants for 37 projects spread across 19 states. This new grant program will improve public safety, protect public health, and reduce methane emissions from natural gas distribution pipes. The Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM) grant program provides nearly $1 billion in funding over the course of five years to modernize municipally and community-owned natural gas distribution pipes, helping to keep communities across the country safe from pipeline leaks. 

 

These grants are projected to create hundreds of jobs in rural and urban communities around the U.S. and will repair, replace, or rehabilitate nearly 270 miles of pipe, thereby reducing methane emissions by approximately 212 metric tons, annually. The next funding opportunity of $392 million is expected to be released in May of this year. For more information about this grant, including additional resources and information for applicants and stakeholders, click here. 

 

 

FHWA Launches First-Ever Program to Improve Safety on America’s Roadways by Preventing Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions 

 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced the first-of-its-kind pilot program to make roads safer, prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions, and improve habitat connectivity. Wildlife vehicle collisions are a clear safety issue, especially in rural areas. Through the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, USDOT is taking the unprecedented step of dedicating funding for wildlife crossing projects that will make our roads safer – making a total of $350 million available over five years, including more than $111 million in grants through its first round of funding this year. 

 

The grant funding will promote activities that reduce wildlife vehicle collisions, including warning signs for drivers and construction of wildlife crossings both over and under roadways where habitats exist on either side of a busy road. Grants are available for all project activities, including but not limited to research, planning, design, and construction. FHWA seeks to award non-construction and construction projects under the Wildlife Crossings Program, including research on safety innovations, mapping and tracking tools, and the design and construction of overpasses and underpasses. 

 

Please see here for Notice of Funding Opportunity and here for more information on the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. 

 

 

FAA Announces $20 Million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding to Modernize 29 Airport Control Towers 

 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will award $20 Million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to 29 airport owned traffic control towers across the U.S. This funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law goes to smaller and regional airports to help improve safety, lower costs and support local businesses. The funding will support important aviation operations such as commercial services, emergency services, agricultural aviation, flight training, and shipping of goods. 

 

Among the grant awardees are: 

· $315,000 to Aguadilla Rafael Hernandez Airport in Puerto Rico 

· $608,000 to Central Wisconsin Airport in Wisconsin 

· $855,000 to Latrobe Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Pennsylvania 

· $860,000 to Joplin Regional Airport in Missouri 

 

This announcement includes 33 grant awards at 29 airports for Fiscal Year 2023 as part of the FAA Contract Tower Competitive Grant program. These grants will sustain, construct, repair, improve, modernize, replace or relocate airport-owned towers and install communications equipment. For more information on FY2023 awardees, a data visualization map has been created and a full list of all awardees is located here. 

 

Research & Technology

 

State of Practice Scan: Planning for Freight Resiliency to Climate Change 

 

FHWA has a new report that examines how public agencies are incorporating resilient concepts into their freight networks. Given that climate change is causing more frequent and more severe extreme weather events, this research provides a summary of current practices, methods, and gaps in freight resiliency planning. Some of the strategies identified include expanding resiliency planning beyond highway operations to include multimodal freight network through infrastructure investments and not focusing only on climate change mitigation but include adaptation and resiliency strategies into State Freight Plans.

 

Addressing Truck Bottlenecks — FHWA Report 

 

This report provides information on strategies to address truck emissions and noise at truck freight bottlenecks, including significant highway bottlenecks and truck access to intermodal connectors. The report includes case studies to demonstrate the potential benefits of various mitigation strategies at three locations. Overall, strategies that improve traffic flow and reduce congestion can have meaningful emissions benefits but are not likely to reduce noise. The same is true for strategies to replace older, more polluting trucks with newer, cleaner trucks, although electric trucks provide some noise benefits at low speeds. Noise-specific mitigation strategies, such as noise barriers and quiet pavements, are generally the most effective means of mitigating noise impacts. 

 

NHTSA Estimates for 2022 Show Roadway Fatalities Remain Flat 

 

USDOT Announces Effort to Accelerate Surface Transportation Project Delivery 

 

FAA Selects Sustainable Design for New Control Towers at Municipal, Smaller Airports 

 

 

 

Round-Up

 

FMCSA Launches Operation Protect Your Move 

 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced the launch of Operation Protect Your Move, a nationwide crackdown on scam movers ahead of the busy summer moving season. Through Operation Protect Your Move, FMCSA is deploying dozens of investigators across the country in an enforcement sweep to address the significant uptick in complaints of movers holding household possessions hostage to extort exorbitant additional charges from consumers. It will also address complaints against moving companies and brokers that are not in compliance with federal safety and consumer protection regulations and statutes while transporting household goods. The Operation covers both movers and the brokers that purport to connect consumers to local movers but instead facilitate fraud by promoting scams. 

 

 

USDOT Announces Effort to Accelerate Surface Transportation Project Delivery 

 

USDOT Issues New Safety Advisory to Major Freight Railroads to Help Prevent Derailments 

USDOT Smart Community Resource Center 

 

INVEST – Sustainable Highways Self-Evaluation Tool  

 

Checklist for a Strong Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience Grant Application 

 

Interchange Comparison Safety Tool User Guide 

 

 

 

Upcoming Webinars

 

 

Webinars can be a helpful way for rural communities to find information on how to apply for Federal grants or complete specific projects. Most USDOT webinars are recorded and available on the USDOT website. Below is a list of recent and upcoming webinars that may be helpful:  

 

Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Grant Program webinars 

 

· The Federal Highway Administration held two informational webinars to share information about the recently released Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program (CFI Program).

· Tribal Outreach Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Webinar 

· Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Webinar 

· Passcode: i#l2b6UV 

 

Safe Streets and Routes for All (SS4A) Grant Program Webinars 

· Rural and Tribal Focused Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Webinar 

· USDOT’s Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) and Thriving Communities teams are partnered to host this webinar to explain how the SS4A program can support planning, infrastructure, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets involving all roadway users. 

· View the recording here.

· Passcode: H==4yl&q 

· Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) — Action Plan Webinar 

· This webinar will offer a general overview of the SS4A program and the grant application process with a particular focus on applying for grants to develop an Action Plan.

· Wednesday, April 26, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM ET. Register here. 

· Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) — Supplemental Planning and Demonstration 

· This webinar will offer a general overview of the SS4A program and the grant application process and provide a particular focus on applying for funding for Supplemental Planning and Demonstration activities. 

· Thursday, April 27, 2023 from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM ET. Register here. 

· Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) — Implementation Grants 

· This webinar will offer a general overview of the SS4A program and the grant application process and provide a particular focus on applying for Implementation Grants.

· Tuesday, May 2, 2023 from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM ET. Register here. 

 

Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Planning, Transportation Planning Webinar Videos 

· Two videos are now available on FHWA’s Transportation Planning Capacity Building Website under Connect & Learn. This video learning series is designed to exchange information on planning tools, share common experiences and noteworthy practices across the planning discipline, and establish a common knowledge base for all planners. 

· Federal Transportation Planning Process

· Federal Transportation Planning Funds 

 

Federal Highway Administration, Local Road Technical Assistance Webinar 

· This upcoming FHWA webinar will showcase the benefits realized by two county agencies, one city, and one Tribal transportation agency. The webinar will provide information on accessing available technical assistance, the various formats of technical assistance, and feature direct benefits realized by the participating agencies. 

· Wednesday, May 3, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM ET. Register here. 

 

 

ROUTES Outreach

 

 

Throughout March, the ROUTES team traveled to the multiple conferences and events order to support rural communities and spread information about USDOT grant opportunities.   

 

· Reservation Economic Summit, April 3-6, 2023, in Las Vegas, NV (With USDOT’s Office of Tribal Affairs)

· Council of Development Finance Agencies Federal Policy Conference, April 11, 2023, in Washington, DC

· Rural Partners Network Fulton County Federal Convening, April 11-12, 2023, in Fulton, KY

· Electrification Coalition’s Gateway Community Workshop, April 25, 2023, virtual

 

If your community or organization is hosting a conference where federal transportation funding in rural communities will be discussed, reach out to the ROUTES team to discuss opportunities for collaboration. 

 

 

 

Active & Upcoming Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs)

 

 

ROUTES maintains a running list of open NOFOs that may be relevant to rural transportation. This list can be found here, along with historical information on these grants (including prior NOFOs). The U.S. Department of Transportation lists key upcoming NOFOs here. 

 

 

Program	NOFO Close Date	Available Funding	OA	NOFO Link
Port Infrastructure Development Grants (PIDP)	April 28, 2023	$662,203,512	MARAD	Apply Here
United States Marine Highway Grants	April 28, 2023	$12,423,000	MARAD	Apply Here
One Call Grants	May 4, 2023	$1,058,000	PHMSA	Apply Here
Technical Assistance Grants (TAG)	May 4, 2023	$2,000,626	PHMSA	Apply Here
Pipeline Emergency Response Grant (PERG)	May 4, 2023	$6,463,841	PHMSA	Apply Here
State Damage Prevention Grants	May 4, 2023	$1,500,000	PHMSA	Apply Here
Hazardous Materials Instructor Training (HMIT) Grant	May 5, 2023	$4,000,000	PHMSA	Apply Here
Community Safety (CS) Grant	May 5, 2023	$1,000,000	PHMSA	Apply Here
Assistance for Local Emergency Responders Training (ALERT)	May 5, 2023	$1,000,000	PHMSA	Apply Here
Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP)	May 17, 2023	$15,000,000	OST	Apply Here
Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) Grant for Tribes	May 19, 2023	$1,000,000	PHMSA	Apply Here
Public Transportation Emergency Relief Funds (CY 2017, 2020-2022) Grant Program	May 26, 2023	$212,300,000	FTA	Apply Here
Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program	May 30, 2023	$700,000,000	FHWA	Apply Here
Hazardous Materials Safety Inspection (HMSI) Grant	June 19, 2023	$4,000,000	PHMSA	Apply Here
Supplemental Public Sector Training (SPST) Grant	June 19, 2023	$1,000,000	PHMSA	Apply Here
Tribal Transit Competitive Grant Program	June 26, 2023	$8,935,753	FTA	Apply Here
Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program	July 10, 2023	$1,177,213,000	OST/FHWA	Apply Here
Airport Improvement Program (AIP)	July 14, 2023	$1,500,000,000	FAA	Apply Here
Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program	August 1, 2023	$111,850,000	FHWA	Apply Here
Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Grant Program	August 18, 2023	$848,000,000	FHWA	Apply Here

 

 

All Federal grants, including transportation grants, can be found at grants.gov. To find transportation related funding opportunities, select “All Department of Transportation” under the “Agency” menu on the left-hand side. 

 

 

 

The programs listed in the table below are anticipating to release a NOFO in the coming months. This timeline is subject to change. 

 

Program	Anticipated NOFO Release	OA
Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program	Spring 2023	OST
Ferry Service For Rural Communities	Spring 2023	FTA
Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program (Mega, INFRA, Rural)	Spring 2023	OST
Thriving Communities Grant Program	Late Spring 2023	OST
Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning	Late Spring 2023	FTA
Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program – Planning and Capital Construction Grants	Late Spring 2023	OST/FHWA

 

 

 

Important ROUTES Links and Resources 

 

 

· Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) 

· Charging Forward: A Toolkit for Planning and Funding Rural Electric Mobility Infrastructure 

· Joint Office of Energy and Transportation 

· Applicant Toolkit for Competitive Funding Programs at USDOT 

· DOT Navigator