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 | Description | Grant Type Sort descending |
|---|---|---|
| Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program - 5324 | Helps states and public transportation systems pay for protecting, repairing, and/or replacing equipment and facilities that may suffer or have suffered serious damage as a result of an emergency, including natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. It provides authorization for Section 5307 and 5311 funds to be used for disaster relief in response to a declared disaster. | |
| Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program | This program will fund grants through public transit agencies to develop, deploy, and demonstrate innovative solutions that address COVID-19 related concerns to increase operating efficiencies and improve mobility. | Competitive |
| FTA Ferry Programs | Provides funding to the Passenger Ferry Grant Program, Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program, and Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program. | Competitive |
| Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for Transit Buses Demonstration and Automated Transit Bus Maintenance and Yard Operations Demonstration Program | Part of FTA’s Bus Automation Research program, the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for Transit Buses Demonstration and Automated Transit Bus Maintenance and Yard Operations Demonstration program provides funding to help improve transit bus safety and efficiency, including in bus yards. | Competitive |
| Rail Vehicle Replacement Grants | Provides competitive awards to states and local governmental authorities to assist in funding capital projects to replace rail rolling stock. | Competitive |
| Standards Development Program | The Transit Standards Development Program provides competitive funding to perform an assessment and develop voluntary standards and standards-related best practices, guidance, and tools in safety, and other areas to address transit industry needs. | Competitive |
| Transit Worker and Rider Safety Best Practices Research Project | Provides funding to support a research project to help the transit industry mitigate transit worker and rider assaults. | Competitive |
| Accelerating Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems Program | The Accelerating Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems Program, created as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aims to improve how transit agencies deliver capital construction projects. The ADCMS program will fund demonstrations to accelerate the adoption of field-tested digital platforms to reduce costs and improve the delivery of transit infrastructure projects. Digital systems for construction management provide a technology solution for workers throughout the infrastructure project, enabling them to perform tasks faster, more safely, smarter, and more accurately. | Competitive |
| Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending | Community Project Funding (CPF) is Congressionally directed spending. All projects were specifically allocated funding in the FY22 Consolidated Appropriations Act and are for the projects listed in the Joint Explanatory Statement (JES). | 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 |
| 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 |
| Tribal Transit Competitive Program (Section 5311(c)(1)(A)) | The Tribal Transit Program is a set-aside from the Formula Grants for Rural Areas program consisting of an approximately $36 million formula program and a $9 million competitive grant program subject to the availability of appropriations. There is no local match required under both the formula program and competitive program. | 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 |
| Real-Time Transit Infrastructure and Rolling Stock Condition Assessment Research and Demonstration Program | FTA’s Public Transportation Innovation Program (49 U.S.C. § 5312), authorizes FTA to fund research, development, demonstrations, and deployment projects to improve public transportation. The Real-Time Transit Infrastructure and Rolling Stock Condition Assessment Demonstration Program is a competitive demonstration opportunity under FTA's research emphasis area of infrastructure. This priority area supports the U.S. Department of Transportation's Infrastructure strategic goal, as well as the strategic objective of life cycle and preventive maintenance for asset management planning and... | Competitive |
| Accelerating Innovative Mobility | Accelerating Innovative Mobility (AIM) will highlight FTA’s commitment to support and advance innovation in the transit industry. | Competitive |
| Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning – Section 20005(b) | Provides funding to local communities to integrate land use and transportation planning with a transit capital investment that will seek funding through the Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program. | Competitive |
| 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 |
| Low or No Emission Grant Program - 5339(c) | Provides funding through a competitive process to states and transit agencies to purchase or lease low or no emission transit buses and related equipment, or to lease, construct, or rehabilitate facilities to support low or no emission transit buses. The program provides funding to support the wider deployment of advanced propulsion technologies within the nation’s transit fleet. | 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 |