The U.S. Department of Transportation has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $1.5 billion in grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. The popular program helps large and small communities around the country carry out infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact, including active transportation, Complete Streets, Transit-Oriented Development, and other projects. 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, like the Washington Street Livability Project, Tracks to Trails: Reconnecting Atlanta Communities, and others are available for review.
RAISE 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. New this year, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, 2022 RAISE applications will also be evaluated on the criteria of mobility, community connectivity, and universal design. This year, the Department is also encouraging applicants to consider how their projects can create workforce development opportunities or are supporting worker opportunities and training. As was the case last year, the Department is encouraging applicants to consider how their projects can address climate change, ensure racial equity, and remove barriers to opportunity.
Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, RAISE expands the number of communities eligible for 100 percent federal share of funding, specifically those in rural communities, Areas of Persistent Poverty and Historically Disadvantaged Communities. To help reach this goal, the Department has launched a tool that will allow applicants to determine if their project location is considered as a Historically Disadvantaged Community.
For more details, the NOFO is available HERE. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. EST on April 14, 2022, and selections will be announced no later than August 12, 2022. ASLA encourages landscape architects and firms to work with state and local governments, non-profits, and other community groups to apply for funding under this NOFO to bring your innovative transportation infrastructure projects to fruition.
