U.S. Congressional offices have begun announcing where Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants have been secured with official word expected to come from the U.S. Department of Transportation by the end of the week.
A handful of transit specific grants have been announced so far and include $23 million to support the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority’s (SFMTA) planned safety upgrades along Howard Street in the South of Market neighborhood and $22.37 million to Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA).
House Speak Nancy Pelosi announced the SFMTA grant for the Howard Streetscape Project that will transform a congested artery into a walkable and bike-friendly street – addressing urgent safety issues that resulted in three fatalities between 2014 and 2019. Upgrades will include permanent protected bike lanes, improved traffic signals, raised crosswalks and green infrastructure.
RIPTA’s grant was announced by Rhode Island’s congressional delegation. The project will fund charging infrastructure, facility upgrades and the procurement of approximately 25 battery-electric buses which will enable all Newport-based transit services to be electric.
Elizabeth, NJ, was awarded a $5 million grant to assess the feasibility of constructing a ferry terminal and incorporating electric ferry service between Elizabeth and Manhattan.
In Washington state, Rep. Susan DelBene (D-WA-1) said a total of $69 million in RAISE grants would go toward three projects including $25 million for the Lummi Island Ferry Replacement and System Modernization Project, which will modernize the current infrastructure and replace the current ferry with a larger, more sustainable electric-battery hybrid ferry. The ferry is the only connection between Lummi Island and mainland Whatcom County. The Bothell Way NE Multimodal Improvements project will see a $19 million grant to widen the roadway, expand transit, create bike lanes, and install sidewalks to improve conditions for children and families traveling through the area. The third project to see federal funding is the Poplar Way Bridge in Lynnwood, which will benefit from a $25 million grant to build a new six-vehicle lane bridge with sidewalks and bike lanes.
Additional grants will improve transit access or have transit friendly elements.
In New York, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) said two of the state’s projects will see grants including $25 million for Buffalo’s Transforming Main Street: Building Equity and Assuring Mobility through Sustainability that will revamp Main Street into a more walkable and modern street; and $18 million to the New York State Department of Transportation for the North Genesee Street Gateway Bridge & Multimodal Connector project that will replace bridges, improve bus transit, create bike lanes and safety sidewalks, enhance access to the Empire State Trail and connect downtown Utica to North Genesee St.
In Mississippi, Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith (both R-Miss), say the Yazoo City Main Street Revitalization Project will be awarded a $12.6 million grant to construct a train station, develop a stormwater park and street-level redevelopment that would include bike lanes, broadband and stormwater management. An additional $1.45 million grant would benefit the Tupelo RAIL Improvements Program and a $1.4 million grant will go to the Tanglefoot Trail Extension for planning operations in regard to a potential 20-mile expansion of the Tanglefoot rail from New Albany to Ripley.
In Maine, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) says a $25 million RAISE grant will be awarded to the Downtown Sanford Village Partnership Initiative that will make complete streets improvements along several street sections. Work will include replacing and/or constructing streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, underground utility ducts, streetlights, parking spaces, drainage areas, a multi-use pathway and a Park & Ride facility on Emerson Street serving the Navy base.
In Ohio, Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) says a $20 million grant will be awarded to Cincinnati’s State-to-Central Project that will connect the West End, Queensgate, and Lower Price Hill neighborhoods with street safety improvements, approximately 36 enhanced intersections, new bicycle facilities and pedestrian amenities on three corridor segments totaling approximately 3.5 miles. Additionally, a $1 million grant will help fund the planning of an intermodal transportation corridor that will connect Marietta College and Harmar Village to downtown Marietta and surrounding areas, as part of the County’s project to connect residents on safer streets.
In Louisiana, U.S. Rep. Garrett Graves (R-LA-6) says a $20 million grant will advance the Baton Rouge to New Orleans rail project by providing funding for real estate acquisition, design and construction of the Baton Rouge and Gonzales Train Stations.
USDOT issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the RAISE grants early this year. This round made $1.5 billion available for the discretionary grants program. The RAISE program was the first discretionary funding program to accept applications as directed by the Infrastructure Investment in Jobs Act and represents a 50 percent increase in available funds over the 2021 round of grants. RAISE grants can be used for a variety of projects and were formerly known as TIGER and BUILD grants under previous administrations.
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Updated Aug. 10 at 11:11 am Central to incorporate Elizabeth, NJ, and Washington state grant information.
