Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Transportation opened applications Thursday for $1.5 billion in discretionary grants for road, rail, transit and port projects under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program.
- RAISE grants are open to a wider range of applicants than many other DOT programs, enabling project backers to obtain funding for projects that may not otherwise be eligible.
- Funding will be split equally to projects in urban and rural areas, and at least $15 million will be designated to projects located in areas of persistent poverty or historically disadvantaged communities.
Dive Insight:
In 2023, the transportation department awarded $2.2 billion in RAISE grants to 162 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. These projects included a new downtown transit center in New Orleans, bus rapid transit in New Haven, Connecticut and street improvements to enhance safety around six North Philadelphia schools. Grants also went to two high-speed rail station projects in California.
“Across the country, I have seen firsthand how projects funded by our RAISE program are helping communities realize long-held dreams and well-planned visions for better infrastructure,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement.
Entities eligible for RAISE grants include states, local governments, transit agencies, port authorities and other public agencies or publicly chartered authorities established by one or more states. Also eligible are federally recognized Indian tribes, territories and possessions of the U.S., multistate or multijurisdictional groups and the District of Columbia.
According to the DOT, applications for RAISE grants are evaluated on the basis of “safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity including tourism, state of good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation.” Applications are open through Feb. 28, 2024 and more information can be found on the transportation department website.
