The U.S. Department of Transportation will provide $1.5 billion in funding for transportation projects that have significant local or regional impact and improve safety and equity, according to a press release on Thursday.
The department will provide the funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity discretionary grant program, known as RAISE, allowing local and state governments to get financial support for transportation projects that other DOT programs usually do not fund. The department will consider several factors, including environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness, when making funding decisions.
The investments “will help communities across the country modernize their transportation,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
RAISE grant applications are due Feb. 28. The department will announce the grant recipients no later than June 28.
Rural and urban areas will each receive half the funding, with at least $15 million guaranteed for projects in communities where there is persistent poverty or those that are historically disadvantaged.
“Projects located in these areas will be eligible for up to 100 percent federal cost share, as directed by Congress in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” the press release said.
RAISE funded 166 projects nationwide in 2022, including a bridge replacement in Tucson, Arizona, and a snowmelt system in Berlin, New Hampshire. Last year’s bipartisan infrastructure law provided an additional $7.5 billion in funding for the program over five years.
