WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity for $1.5 billion in grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program.
RAISE discretionary grants, which were originally created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as TIGER grants, can be used for a wide variety of projects.
Recent examples of funded projects include dedicated bus lanes in Baltimore, highway and bridge repair in New Mexico, dock replacements in Alaska and a rail-to-trail project in Arkansas.
Overall, DOT has awarded $9.9 billion to more than 700 projects.
“The RAISE program helps communities large and small fix and modernize their infrastructure,” DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.
This is the first discretionary funding program to accept applications as directed by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The $1.5 billion in available funding for 2022 represents a 50% increase in available funds compared to last year when applicants requested $10 in funding for every $1 available. In 2021, RAISE funded 90 projects in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.
Projects will be evaluated on statutory criteria of safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, economic competitiveness and opportunity, state of good repair, partnership and innovation.
This year RAISE applications will also be evaluated on the criteria of mobility and community connectivity. The DOT will assess projects for universal design and accessibility for travelers, as well as consider how proposals increase mobility for freight and supply chain efficiency.
At least $15 million in funding is guaranteed to go towards projects located in areas of persistent poverty or historically disadvantaged communities.
Under the bipartisan infrastructure law, RAISE expands the number of communities eligible for 100% federal share of funding, specifically those in rural communities, areas of persistent poverty and historically disadvantaged communities.
This year the DOT is also encouraging applicants to consider how their projects can create workforce development opportunities. Applicants can be more competitive in the process if they are creating jobs with free and fair choice to join a union and good labor standards, creating jobs that underserved communities can access, or are supporting worker opportunities and training.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
This is interesting. I’m a owner operator and slowly going out of business. I have been in business in trucking for 10 years and cannot seem to get approved for even $1 of these grants to help keep me in business so I can help keep America moving. Seems to me someone else is getting all these grants and not the truck drivers.