Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Transportation would be making available $1 billion in FY 2021 discretionary grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants.
Formerly known as BUILD and TIGER grants, since 2009, the RAISE program has awarded nearly $9 billion in grants to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
“In communities across the country, there is tremendous need for transportation projects that create high-quality jobs, improve safety, protect our environment, and generate equitable economic opportunity for all Americans,” Buttigieg said. “With RAISE grants, we are making those needed investments in our communities’ future.”
Projects for RAISE funding will focus on safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, economic competitiveness, state of good repair, innovation, and partnership. The department said the grants were highly competitive, with only 680 projects of the 9,700 applications over the course of the program receiving funding. The department will also be prioritizing projects that demonstrate improvements to racial equality, reduce the impact of climate change and create good-paying jobs.
Recipients of this round of RAISE funding will get a maximum of $25 million. Appropriations acts stipulate that more than $100 million can be awarded to a single state. Up to $30 million will go to planning grants, and at least $10 million will go to areas of persistent poverty. Awards will also look at whether projects are distributed equitably to urban and rural areas.
The DOT will hold a series of webinars to provide prospective applicants with technical assistance. Applicants should register for the webinars at www.transportation.gov/RAISEgrants/outreach. Applications must be received by July 12 by 5 p.m.