Federal Highway Administration
Discretionary Grant Programs: The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has
announced a Fiscal Year 2012 solicitation for candidate projects for a number
of discretionary grant programs. The FHWA's goal is to advance these grants as
quickly as possible to provide transportation improvements and support economic
growth. Programs of interest to San Francisco project sponsors are listed below
with eligibility information, preliminary funds available for each program
pending final calculations of Federal-aid highway program funding
distributions, and key program goals. Potential sponsors should note that many
of the FHWA programs are only open to applications from state departments of
transportation. Applications for each
program were due to Caltrans (District 4) by the close of business on Friday,
December 9, 2011. Applications for
all programs except the Rail Highway Crossing Hazard Elimination in High Speed
Rail Corridors program, which should be forwarded to Lauran Clausen (
) at the Caltrans Rail Office, should be
sent to Louis Schuman (
) at Caltrans (District 4). Caltrans will review the applications and
forward them to the appropriate FHWA office on or before January 6, 2012. The discretionary funding programs include:
Ferry
Boat:Funds may be used for
the construction of ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities, whether toll or
free, subject to certain conditions.Eligible applicants include states, ferry systems, and other
public entities responsible for developing ferry facilities. Eligible public entities must submit their
application through their State transportation agency. This program requires a 20% local match. There
is $22,200,000 available nationwide.
Highways
for Life:Funds may be
used for the construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of a route or
connection on a federal-aid highway. Funds may also be used on innovative
technologies, manufacturing processes, financing, or contracting methods that
improve safety, reduce congestion due to construction, and improve quality.Eligible public entities (e.g. entities
that have a qualifying project on a Federal-aid highway) must submit their
application through their State transportation agency. There is $9,500,000 available nationwide.
Innovative
Bridge Research and Deployment:Funds may be used for costs of
preliminary engineering, repair, rehabilitation, or construction of bridges or
other highway structures, and costs of project performance evaluation and
performance monitoring of the structure following construction. The project may
be on any public roadway, including state and locally funded projects. Eligible public entities (e.g. entities that have a
qualifying project on a Federal-aid highway) must submit their application
through their State transportation agency.
There is $4,200,000 available nationwide.
Interstate
Maintenance:Funds may be used for resurfacing, restoring, rehabilitating
and reconstructing work, including added lanes, on the Interstate System. Eligible public entities (e.g. entities that have
jurisdiction over the Interstate system) must submit their application through
their state transportation agency. This
program requires a 10% local match for maintenance projects and a 20% local
match for projects that involve adding single-occupancy vehicle lanes to
increase capacity. There is
$47,300,000 available nationwide.
National
Scenic Byways:Funds
may be used for activities related to the planning, design, or development of a
state or Indian tribe scenic byway program, or development and implementation
of a corridor management plan to maintain the scenic, historical, recreational,
cultural, natural, and archaeological characteristics of a byway corridor while
providing for accommodation of increased tourism and development of related
amenities. Eligible applicants include states and
Indian tribes. Eligible public entities
must submit their application through their State transportation agency. This program requires a 20% local match. There is $20,600,000 available nationwide.
Public
Lands Highways:Funds
may be used for transportation planning, research, and engineering and
construction of, highways, roads, parkways, and transit facilities that are
within, adjacent to, or provide access to Indian reservations and federal
public lands, including national parks, refuges, forests, recreation areas, and
grasslands. Eligible applicants include
states, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, and tribal
governments. Eligible public entities must submit their
application through their State transportation agency. There is $45,000,000 available nationwide.
Rail
Highway Crossing Hazard Elimination in High Speed Rail Corridors:Funds may be used for projects that will
improve the safety of or eliminate a hazard at a public or private
highway-railroad grade crossing located along federally-designated high-speed
rail corridors. Eligible applicants
include states containing a federally
designated high-speed rail corridor.
Eligible public entities must submit their application through their
FHWA district office. This program requires a 20% local match. There is $7,100,000 available nationwide.
Transportation,
Community, and System Preservation:Funds
are may be used to plan and implement strategies which improve the efficiency
of the transportation system, reduce environmental impacts of transportation,
reduce the need for costly future public infrastructure investments, ensure
efficient access to jobs, services and centers of trade, and examine
development patterns and identify strategies to encourage private sector
development patterns which achieve these goals.
Eligible applicants include states, metropolitan planning organizations, local
governments, and tribal governments.
Eligible public entities must submit their application through their
State transportation agency. This
program requires a 20% local match. There is $29,000,000
available nationwide.
Truck
Parking Facilities:Funds may be used for projects that
address the shortage of long-term parking for commercial motor vehicles on the
National Highway System. Eligible
applicants include states,
metropolitan planning organizations, and local governments. Eligible public entities must submit their
application through their State transportation agency. There is
$2,900,000 available nationwide.
Value
Pricing Pilot Program:Funds
may be used to support pre-implementation study activities and also to pay for
implementation costs of value pricing projects. Costs of planning for, setting
up, managing, operating, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on local
congestion pricing pilot projects are eligible for reimbursement, but neither pre-implementation
study costs nor implementation costs may be reimbursed for longer than three
years. Eligible applicants include states, local governments, and public authorities are eligible
to apply for funding under the VPP Program, but FHWA strongly prefers
applications to be submitted through State departments of transportation, since
that would allow the potential for multiple VPP program projects within a State
counting as only one of the 15 allowable partnerships. This program requires a 20% local match. There is $6,900,000 available nationwide. $3,000,000 must be set
aside for projects not involving highway tolls.
Federal Transit Administration Sustainability
Initiative, Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER
III): The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is soliciting
proposals for its TIGGER III program. TIGGER provides funding for capital
projects that assist in the reduction of the energy consumption of a public
transportation system and/or the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of a
public transportation system. Changes made to this cycle of the TIGGER grant
program will prioritize projects which are technologically innovative and of
national significance. $49.9 million in funding will be available. Applications
were due to the FTA by Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at midnight EDT.
Federal Transit Administration Transit Climate
Change Adaptation Assessment Pilots: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is
soliciting proposals for transit climate change adaptation assessment pilots.
The pilots will fund transit agencies or partnerships with transit agencies to
assess the vulnerability of transit agency assets and services to climate
change hazards such as heat waves and flooding. The pilots will also assess
initial adaptation strategies and link these strategies to transit agency
organizational structures and activities. $525,000 in funding will be available. Applications were due to the FTA by Thursday, August 25, 2011 at midnight EDT.
2012 San Francisco
Transportation Enhancements (TE) Call forProjects: The Authority is
accepting applications for the 2012 TE Call for Projects. Approximately
$1.1 million is available this funding cycle for the Authority to program to
San Francisco projects. TE funds help expand transportation choices and enhance
the transportation experience by funding 12 different project categories
related to surface transportation, including pedestrian and bicycle
infrastructure and safety programs, scenic and historic highway programs,
landscaping and scenic beautification, historic preservation, and environmental
mitigation. Summary project lists were due to the Authority by close of
business on Wednesday August 31, 2011 and final applications were due to the
Authority by close of business on Wednesday September 7, 2011.
Transportation Fund for
Clean Air (TFCA) Regional Fund Call for Projects, Existing and Pilot
Shuttle/Feeder Bus Projects and Regional Ridesharing Projects: The Bay Area Air
Quality Management District (Air District) provides incentive funding for
projects that reduce air quality health impacts and protect the global climate.
Funds are generated from a $4 surcharge on vehicle registration fees. In this
FY 2011/2012 cycle $4 million in funding will be available for existing and
pilot shuttle/feeder bus projects and regional ridesharing projects. The
minimum grant amount is $10,000 per project and the maximum total award(s) per
public agency for a calendar year for all TFCA Regional Fund categories is $1.5
million. Only public agencies from the counties within the jurisdiction of the
Air District are eligible to apply for TFCA Regional Fund funding, and a 10%
local match is required. Applications were due to the Air District by
Thursday, September 1, 2011.
Federal Transit Administration Livability Expansion Initiative - Alternatives Analysis: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is soliciting proposals for its Alternatives Analysis program. The program will provide funding to assist potential sponsors of New Starts and Small Starts projects in the evaluation of all reasonable modal and multimodal alternatives and general alignments options to address transportation needs in a defined travel corridor. $25 million in funding will be available. Applications were due to the FTA by Friday, July 29, 2011 at midnight EDT.
Federal Transit Administration State of Good Repair Discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is soliciting proposals for its State of Good Repair (SOGR) Discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program. Eligible projects include the purchase, replacement, or rehabilitation of buses and vans and related equipment (including Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), fare equipment, communication devices that are FCC mandatory narrow-banding compliant); replacement or the modernization of bus maintenance and revenue service (passenger) facilities; replacement or modernization of intermodal facilities; and the development and implementation of transit asset management systems, that address the objectives identified. $750 million in funding will be available.Applications were due to the FTA by Friday, July 29, 2011 at midnight EDT.
Federal Transit Administration Livability Expansion Initiative - Bus and Bus Facilities: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is soliciting proposals for its Livability Expansion Initiative: Bus and Bus Facilities program. The program will award funds for the purchase or rehabilitation of buses and vans, bus-related equipment (including ITS, fare equipment, communication devices), construction and rehabilitation of bus-related facilities (including administrative, maintenance, transfer, and intermodal facilities). $150 million in funding will be available. Applications were due to the FTA by Friday, July 29, 2011 at midnight EDT.
Federal Highway Administration Discretionary Grant Programs: The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced a Fiscal Year 2011 solicitation for candidate projects for a number of discretionary grant programs. The FHWA's goal is to advance these grants as quickly as possible to provide transportation improvements and support economic growth. The programs of interest to San Francisco project sponsors are listed below with preliminary funds available for each program pending final calculations of Federal-aid highway program funding distributions. These funding programs include:
Each program has its own eligibility requirements. A web page with links to information about each program is available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/discretionary/. Eligible applicants had until Friday, May 20, 2011, to submit applications for the appropriate program(s), to the Caltrans District 4 Office or the FHWA(for the Rail Highway Crossing Hazard Elimination in High Speed Rail Corridors program).
California Office of Traffic Safety Grant Solicitation: The Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) administers traffic safety grant funds to reduce traffic deaths, injuries and economic losses by mitigating traffic safety program deficiencies, expanding ongoing activity, or developing a new program. OTS's traffic safety priority areas include strategies targeting alcohol and other drugs, police traffic services, emergency medical services, traffic records / roadway safety, occupant protection, and pedestrian and bicycle safety. Applications were due on February 28, 2011.
Federal Transit Administration Sustainability Initiative - Clean Fuels [Bus] Grant Program: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is soliciting proposals for its Clean Fuels Grant Program which funds the purchase/lease of alternative fuel and clean fuel buses, improvements to bus facilities to facilitate compliance with the Clean Air Act, and electric vehicle charging facilities. $51.5 million in funding will be available. Interested operators had to submit a brief summary of their proposals to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 11, 2011.
Federal Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) Cycle 3: On April 15, 2011 Caltrans Division of Local Assistance issued a call for projects for Cycle 3 of the federal SRTS program.SRTS funds may be used for infrastructure projects like pedestrian facilities, traffic calming measures, bicycle facilities, and traffic control devices; or non-infrastructure projects like public outreach, enforcement, and education. Eligible applicants include any local or regional agency. The local/regional agencies may also serve as partners to other project sponsors such as school districts or non-profit organizations. Approximately $42 million is available statewide for Cycle 3.That amount will be apportioned to Caltrans districts based on student enrollment.Funding distribution by district will be available in a few weeks.The maximum infrastructure grant size is $1,000,000 and the maximum non-infrastructure grant size is $500,000.No local match is required. Applications were due to the Caltrans District 4 Local Assistance Engineer's offices by Friday, July 15, 2011.
Station Area Planning Grants Cycle 4 Call for Projects: The Metropolitan Transportation Comission's (MTC's)Station Area Planning Grant program funds city-sponsored planning efforts that will result in land use plans and policies that will substantially increase transit ridership around public transit hubs and bus and rail corridors in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. These station-area and land-use plans are intended to address the range of transit-supportive features that are necessary to support high levels of transit ridership.Applications were due on March 1, 2011.
Elderly and Disabled Specialized Transit Program Fiscal Year 2010 and 2011 Call for Projects: Caltrans Division of Mass Transportation is currently soliciting projects for the Federal Transportation Administration's (FTA) Elderly and Disabled Specialized Transit Program. The Elderly and Disabled Specialized Transit Program provides capital grants to assist private non-profit corporations and, under certain conditions, public agencies, to provide safe, efficient, and coordinated transportation services for elderlyindividuals and individuals with disabilities for whom public transportation is otherwise unavailable. Applicants are required to specify how their proposed project addresses transportation gaps and/or barriers identified in the Bay Area's Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan. Applications were due by March 4, 2011.
Safe Routes to School Call for Capital Projects: The San Francisco County Transportation Authority's call for Safe Routes to School (SR2S) capital projects is intended to fund projects that will significantly reduce vehicle emission stemming from K-12, school-related travel. Eligible projects include: on-street bicycle facilities, off-street bicycle/pedestrian facilities; pedestrin/bicycle crossing improvements; traffic calming & speed reduction, and; traffic diversion improvements. $579,000 is available in FY 2011/12 to fund the construction of the SR2S capital project(s). Applications were due on March 8, 2011.
Bicycle Transportation Account (BTA) Fiscal Year 2011/12 Call for Projects: Caltrans Division of Local Assistance will issue a call for projects for Fiscal Year 2011/12 BTA funds by December 17, 2010. BTA provides state funds for city and county projects that improve safety and convenience for bicycle commuters. Applications will be due on March 18, 2011. Applicant projects must be included in Bicycle Transportation Plans adopted by governing boards or councils by March 31, 2011. Applications were due on March 18, 2011.
Caltrans Planning Grants Fiscal Year 2011/12 Call for Projects:Each year Caltrans awards to grants public agencies across the state to pursue planning activities that support closer placement of jobs and housing, efficient movement of goods, community involvement in planning, safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle mobility and access, smart or strategic land use, and commute alternatives. Applications for all grants types were due to Caltrans on March 30, 2011.
FHWA Highways for Life Program:The purpose of the Highway for Life Program (HfL) is to incentivize states to build projects using innovative means to accelerate the deployment and implementation process. Previous HfL projects have been able to demonstrate that highways and bridges can be built within weeks rather than years, with minimal impacts to the motorists, significantly better safety results, higher quality, and sometimes at a lower cost. The FHWA has announced that $7 million is still available to be programmed from the 2008 HfL Pilot Program. Funds for this program will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Pavement Management Technical Assistance Program (P-TAP) Round 12 Grant Program: The Metropolitan Transportation Commission has extended the call for projects for Found 12 of the P-TAP grant program. P-TAP provides cities and counties with assistance and expertise in implementing and maintaining a pavement management program. Eligible project types include pavement management systems, roadway design projects, and potentially other types of projects related to pavement management pending availability of funds. Up to $1.5 million will available in Round 12. The minimum and maximum grant sizes are $10,000 and $60,000, respectively, and there is a required local match of 11.47 percent.Applications were due to MTC by 4pm on Tuesday, November 30, 2010.
Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 4: On September 3, 2010, Caltrans Division of Local Assistance made a call for projects for Cycle 4 of HSIP for the 2010/11 federal fiscal year. Eligible applicants include city or county agencies that are able to expend federal-aid highway funds. The funds may be used for work on publicly-owned roadways or bicycle or pedestrian pathways or trailes that improves safety for its use rs. Approximately $70 million will available in Cycle 4. The maximum grant size is $900,000, and there is a required local match of 10 percent.Applications were due to the District Local Assistance Engineer's offices by Thursday, December 9th, 2010.
Regional Transportation Fund for Clean Air - Shuttle/Feeder Bus and Regional Ridesharing Projects:The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has released its Fiscal Year 2010/11 call for applications for shuttle/feeder bus and regional ridesharing projects. Only public agencies are eligible to apply for TFCA Regional Fund shuttle/feeder bus and regional ridesharing projects grants. This Fiscal Year up to $4.0 million is available for these project types.The Air District began reviewing all applications received for the FY 10/11 cycle on Monday, August 16, 2010 at 4 pm. Applications received after this date were reviewed on a first-come-first-serve basis.The calls for projects for other project types, including bicycle projects, alternative-fuel vehicle and infrastructure projects, and vehicle-based advanced technology demonstration projects will be released later this year.
Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Program: The Fiscal Year 2010 TIGGER program makes available $75 million for capital investments that assist in reducing the energy consumption of a transit system or that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions of a public transit system. Grants will have a $1 million minimum and a $25 million maximum. Public transportation agencies and states may apply. The evaluation criteria generally focuses on the project’s ability to reduce energy consumption or greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the level of innovation involved in the project, the return on investment, and whether the project could be replicated in other areas. Applications were due to Federal Transit Administration by August 11th.
Clean Fuels Grant Program: The Clean Fuels/Bus and Bus Facilities program makes available $81.2 million for projects that support emerging clean fuels and advanced propulsion technologies for transit buses. Eligible applicants according to the NOFA are designated recipients of FTA 5307 funds. Funds are only available to projects located in areas that are nonattainment or maintenance for ozone or CO, which includes the Bay Area. There are no minimum and maximum grant award amounts. The evaluation criteria for this program generally focus on project need and air quality benefits, and consistency and coordination with other transit operators and local planning efforts including the region’s long range plan. Applications were due to Federal Transit Administration by June 14th.
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Climate Initiatives Program - Competitive Grants Guidelines: In December 2009, MTC adopted the New Surface Transportation Act Cycle 1 Surface Transportation Program (STP)/Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Project Selection Criteria and Programming Policy which, among other programs, includes the Climate Initiatives Program. The Climate Initiatives Program aims to test new strategies to reduce transportation-related emissions and vehicle miles traveled, encourage the use of cleaner fuels, and build a knowledge base through evaluation that informs the Sustainable Communities Strategy. A total of $80 million is available to the Climate Initiatives Program. The focus of this guidelines is on the two competitive grants:
Up to $2 million to implement creative Safe Routes to School programs with the overall goal of significantly reducing transportation emissions related to school travel; and
Up to $31 million for an Innovative Grants Program to support a small number of high-impact, innovative projects.
Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program: The goal of this program is to support multi-jurisdictional regional planning efforts that integrate housing, economic development, and transportation decision-making. Funding categories will include funding of regional plans for sustainable development, detailed execution plans and programs to implement existing regional sustainable development plans, and implementation incentives for plans already in place. The Department of Housing and Urban Development anticipates publishing a competitive notice of funding availability in My 2010, which will include more program details. More information on the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program can be found on HUD's website.
Caltrans Safe Routes to School Cycle 9: This program will award grants on a competitive basis to programs that reduce injuries and fatalities and capital projects that improve safety for children in grades K-12 who walk or bicycle to school. Eligible project types include pedestrian facilities, traffic calming measures, installation of traffic control devices, construction of bicycle facilities, and public outreach/education/enforcement. In addition, up to ten percent of construction costs can fund an education/encouragement/enforcement element. There is $24.25 million in funding available in this cycle. Projects must have a local match of ten percent, and $450,000 is the maximum award amount. Applications were due to the Caltrans District Local Assistance Engineer on July 15, 2010.
Regional Transportation for Livable Communities Program: This program will award grants on a competitive basis for streetscape, non-transportation infrastucture, transportation demand management, and density incentives projects that support transit-oriented development in the Bay Area. There is approximately $40 million available for the first federal funding cycle (Fiscal Year 2009/10 - Fiscal Year 2011/12). There is no minimum grant size and the maximum grant size is $6 million. The City and County of San Francisco will be allow0
