Grant Programs
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as enacted in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, was signed into law by President Biden in November 2021 and is the largest federal investment in public transportation in the nation’s history. The legislation reauthorizes surface transportation programs for FY 2022-2026 and provides advance appropriations for certain programs. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorizes up to $108 billion to support federal public transportation programs, including $91 billion in guaranteed funding.
| Title Sort descending | Description | Grant Type |
|---|---|---|
| Accelerating Innovative Mobility | Accelerating Innovative Mobility (AIM) will highlight FTA’s commitment to support and advance innovation in the transit industry. | Competitive |
| American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), which President Biden signed on March 11, 2021, includes $30.5 billion in federal funding to support the nation’s public transportation systems as they continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and support the President’s call to vaccinate the U.S. population. | Competitive |
| Areas of Persistent Poverty Program | This program provides competitive funding for planning studies or financial plans to improve transit services in areas experiencing long-term economic distress. | Competitive |
| Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Grants Program (formerly TIGER) | US DOT’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grants program funds investments in transportation infrastructure, including transit. | Competitive |
| Bus Exportable Power Systems | FTA’s Bus Exportable Power Systems (BEPS) program enables public transportation agencies, communities, and states to access resilient and flexible power options through hybrid electric bus fleet vehicles during major power disruptions. This program builds on BEPS technologies developed under FTA’s previous research grants that provided the ability to address a need for generating power immediately after natural disasters by transforming hybrid electric and fuel cell buses into mobile power generators. | Competitive |
| Capital Investment Grants - 5309 | Provides funding through a multi-year competitive process for transit capital investments, including heavy rail, commuter rail, light rail, streetcars, and bus rapid transit. Federal transit law requires transit agencies seeking CIG funding to complete a series of steps over several years to be eligible for funding. | Competitive |
| Enhanced Mobility of Seniors & Individuals with Disabilities - Section 5310 | Formula funding to states for the purpose of assisting private nonprofit groups in meeting transportation needs of the elderly and persons with disabilities. | Formula |
| Enhancing Mobility Innovation | FTA’s Enhancing Mobility Innovation program advances a vision of mobility for all – safe, reliable, equitable, and accessible services that support complete trips for all travelers. The program promotes technology projects that center the passenger experience and encourage people to get on board, such as integrated fare payment systems and user-friendly software for demand-response public transportation. | Competitive |
| Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program - Section 3005(b) | The EPD Pilot Program, authorized by Section 3005(b) of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), is aimed at expediting delivery of new fixed guideway capital projects, small starts projects, or core capacity improvement projects. These projects must utilize public-private partnerships, be operated and maintained by employees of an existing public transportation provider, and have a Federal share not exceeding 25 percent of the project cost. FTA will notify applicants in writing within 120 days after the receipt of a complete application whether the application has been... | Competitive |
| Flexible Funding Programs - Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program - 23 USC 149 | CMAQ provides funding to areas in nonattainment or maintenance for ozone, carbon monoxide, and/or particulate matter. States that have no nonattainment or maintenance areas still receive a minimum apportionment of CMAQ funding for either air quality projects or other elements of flexible spending. Funds may be used for any transit capital expenditures otherwise eligible for FTA funding as long as they have an air quality benefit. | Formula |
| Flexible Funding Programs - National Highway Performance Program - 23 USC 119 | Provides support for the condition and performance of the National Highway System (NHS), for the construction of new facilities on the NHS, and to ensure that investments of Federal funds in highway construction are directed to support progress toward the achievement of performance targets established in a State’s asset management plan for the NHS. | Formula |
| Flexible Funding Programs - Surface Transportation Block Grant Program - 23 USC 133 | Provides funding that may be used by states and localities for a wide range of projects to preserve and improve the conditions and performance of surface transportation, including highway, transit, intercity bus, bicycle and pedestrian projects. | Formula |
| Formula Grants for Rural Areas - 5311 | Provides capital, planning, and operating assistance to states to support public transportation in rural areas with populations less than 50,000, where many residents often rely on public transit to reach their destinations. | Formula |
| Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Formula Program - 5339(a) | Provides funding to states and transit agencies through a statutory formula to replace, rehabilitate and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities. In addition to the formula allocation, this program includes two discretionary components: The Bus and Bus Facilities Discretionary Program and the Low or No Emissions Bus Discretionary Program. | Formula |
| Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program | Provides funding through a competitive allocation process to states and transit agencies to replace, rehabilitate and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities. The competitive allocation provides funding for major improvements to bus transit systems that would not be achievable through formula allocations. | Competitive |
| Helping Obtain Prosperity for Everyone Program | In keeping with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s focus on addressing the deteriorating conditions and disproportionately high fatality rates on our rural transportation infrastructure, FTA’s Helping Obtain Prosperity for Everyone (HOPE) Program supports projects that will address the transportation challenges faced by areas of persistent poverty. | Competitive |
| Human Resources & Training - 5314 (b) | Provides for grants or contracts for human resource and workforce development programs as they apply to public transportation activities. | Formula |
| Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility Grants | This program provides competitive funding to support innovative capital projects for the transportation disadvantaged that will improve the coordination of transportation services and non-emergency medical transportation services. | Competitive |
| Integrated Mobility Innovation | FTA's Integrated Mobility Innovation (IMI) Program funds projects that demonstrate innovative and effective practices, partnerships and technologies to enhance public transportation effectiveness, increase efficiency, expand quality, promote safety and improve the traveler experience. | Competitive |
| Low and No-Emission Component Assessment Program (LoNo-CAP) | On September 29, 2016, FTA announced the opportunity for eligible institutions of higher education to apply for funding to conduct testing, evaluation, and analysis of low or no emission (LoNo) components intended for use in LoNo transit buses used to provide public transportation. The deadline for applications is November 28, 2016. | Competitive |