Funding Wizard

The FAST Act, Public Law 114-94, Section 1123, established the NSFLTP Program to fund nationally significant projects to construct, reconstruct, or rehabilitate transportation facilities within, adjacent to, or accessing Federal and Tribal lands. A strong transportation network is critical to the functioning and growth of the American economy. The Nation’s industry depends on the transportation network to move the goods that it produces, and facilitate the movements of the workers who are responsible for that production. When the Nation’s highways, railways, and ports function well, that infrastructure connects people to jobs, increases the efficiency of delivering goods and thereby cuts the costs of doing business, reduces the burden of commuting, and improves overall well-being.

The FAST Act, Public Law 114-94, Section 1123, established the NSFLTP Program to fund nationally significant projects to construct, reconstruct, or rehabilitate transportation facilities within, adjacent to, or accessing Federal and Tribal lands. A strong transportation network is critical to the functioning and growth of the American economy. The Nation’s industry depends on the transportation network to move the goods that it produces, and facilitate the movements of the workers who are responsible for that production. When the Nation’s highways, railways, and ports function well, that infrastructure connects people to jobs, increases the efficiency of delivering goods and thereby cuts the costs of doing business, reduces the burden of commuting, and improves overall well-being.

The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015, Pub. L. No. 114-94, § 6020, authorized the Secretary of Transportation to establish the Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives (STSFA) Program. The purpose of the STSFA Program is to provide grants to States to demonstrate user-based alternative revenue mechanisms that utilize a user-fee structure to maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. The FAST Act authorized $15 million in FY 2016, and $20 million annually from FY 2017 through 2020 from the Highway Research and Development Program for grants for the STSFA demonstration projects. The grants are only available to States; however, groups of States can form partnerships for regional or national proposals.[3] Section 6020 of the FAST Act authorizes DOT to enter into agreements with State authorities to demonstrate user-based alternative revenue mechanisms.

This notice announces a funding opportunity and requests grant applications for FHWA’s National Scenic Byways Program (NSBP) as provided by the Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022. Established in Title 23, Section 162 of the United States Code (U.S.C.), the NSBP is a grass-roots collaborative effort to help recognize, preserve, and enhance selected roads throughout the United States. Per 23 U.S.C. 162(b), grants and technical assistance are available to State departments of transportation (State DOT) or Indian Tribes to implement eligible projects on highways designated as National Scenic Byways, All-American Roads (collectively America's Byways®), State scenic byways, or Indian Tribe scenic byways; and plan, design, and develop a State or Indian Tribe scenic byway program. This grant opportunity will result in the distribution of up to $22 million that are currently available. If additional funding is provided for the NSBP during FY 2022, FHWA intends to use those funds for projects selected to receive a grant under this NOFO. This notice identifies selection criteria, application requirements, and technical assistance during the grant solicitation period for this one-time solicitation. The FHWA will distribute these funds, as described in this notice, on a competitive basis in a manner consistent with the selection criteria. For the 2022 NSBP grants, FHWA seeks projects that meet the statutory eligibility and advance one or more of the four goals: (1) Safety; (2) Equity and Accessibility; (3) Economic Strength; and (4) Climate and Sustainability.

The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act established the NSFLTP Program to provide Federal financial assistance to projects of national significance for construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of transportation facilities within, adjacent to, or providing access to Federal or Tribal lands. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 117-58, November 15, 2021, “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” or “BIL”) modified the program in several ways, including providing $55 million per year from the Highway Trust Fund, as well as authorizing up to an additional $300 million per year from the General Fund, for each of FYs 2022 through 2026. The BIL also reduced minimum project sizes from $25 million to $12.5 million, directed 50 percent of the funds towards Tribal transportation facilities, increased the Federal share of projects on Tribal transportation facilities to 100 percent and required funding of at least one eligible project submitted by the National Park Service for a unit of the National Park System with 3,000,000 annual visitors or more.

Eligible projects described in section 148(a)(4) are strategies, activities, and projects on a public road that are consistent with a transportation safety plan and that (i) correct or improve a hazardous road location or feature, or (ii) address a highway safety problem. TTPSF emphasizes the development of strategic transportation safety plans using a data-driven process as a means for Tribes to identify transportation safety needs and determine how those needs will be addressed in Tribal communities. FHWA has identified four eligibility categories: transportation safety plans; data assessment, improvement, and analysis activities; systemic roadway departure countermeasures; and infrastructure improvements and other eligible activities as listed in 23 U.S.C. § 148(a)(4).

Eligible projects described in section 148(a)(4) are strategies, activities, and projects on a public road that are consistent with a transportation safety plan and that (i) correct or improve a hazardous road location or feature, or (ii) address a highway safety problem. TTPSF emphasizes the development of strategic transportation safety plans using a data-driven process as a means for Tribes to identify transportation safety needs and determine how those needs will be addressed in Tribal communities. FHWA has identified four eligibility categories: transportation safety plans; data assessment, improvement, and analysis activities; systemic roadway departure countermeasures; and infrastructure improvements and other eligible activities as listed in 23 U.S.C. § 148(a)(4).

The purpose of the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) Local Competition is to stimulate interest among students attending an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) that is a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) or community college to: conduct transportation-related research, pursue transportation-related degrees, enter the transportation workforce, and enhance the breadth, scope and diversity of knowledge of the entire transportation community in the United States. The DDETFP Local Competition provides funding for students to pursue associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in transportation-related disciplines in all modes of transportation. The MSIs and community colleges are encouraged to apply to administer the DDETFP Local Competition at their IHE. The IHE must be accredited by a federally-recognized accrediting agency and must be located within the United States or its territories.

The purpose of the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) Local Competition is to stimulate interest among students attending an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) that is a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) or community college to: conduct transportation-related research, pursue transportation-related degrees, enter the transportation workforce, and enhance the breadth, scope and diversity of knowledge of the entire transportation community in the United States. The DDETFP Local Competition provides funding for students to pursue associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in transportation-related disciplines in all modes of transportation. The MSIs and community colleges are encouraged to apply to administer the DDETFP Local Competition at their IHE. The IHE must be accredited by a federally-recognized accrediting agency and must be located within the United States or its territories.

Up to $60 million in Federal Funding to provide grants to eligible entities to develop model deployment sites for large scale installation and operation of advanced transportation technologies to improve safety, efficiency, system performance, and infrastructure return on investment. (23 U.S.C. 503(c)(4)(A)).