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    1. Management

    NOFO issued for $900 million available in BUILD grants

    April 22, 2019
    Interested parties have until July 15 to submit applications for the grants, which are made possible through an FY19 budget deal signed in February.
    unsplash-logoJeremiah Higgins
    CTA train at station

    The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has officially opened the next round of Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grants by issuing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the $900 million in available funds.

    “These BUILD Transportation grants will provide needed infrastructure investment to better connect rural and urban communities around our nation,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao. 

    The available funding is less than the $1.5 billion available in FY18 and is a result of a budget deal struck last February. During the last BUILD round, transit projects were awarded approximately $195 million in funds. 

    For this round of BUILD grants, the maximum grant award is $25 million and no more than $90 million can be awarded to a single state. Additionally, 50 percent of BUILD grants in this round will be awarded to rural areas that align with the grant's selection criteria. That criteria includes projects that encompass safety, economic competitiveness, quality of life, state of good repair, innovation and partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders. USDOT says the FY 2019 BUILD program’s selection criteria gives special consideration to projects that emphasize improved access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation for communities in rural areas. 

    USDOT is hosting a series of webinars during the FY19 BUILD grant application process to provide technical assistance.  Details and registration information regarding these webinars will be made available at www.transportation.gov/BUILDgrants/outreach. 

    Applicants have until July 15, 2019 for projects to be considered for an award.  

    About the Author

    Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

    Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

    Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content. 

    She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

    She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.

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