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Grant Programs

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Areas of Persistent Poverty Program

What’s New

Overview

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260, Dec. 27, 2020) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 (Public Law No: 117-103, March 15, 2022) makes available $20,041,870 (of which $20 million is funding from Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and $41,870 is from FY 2021). The Areas of Persistent Poverty Program awards grants to eligible applicants for planning, engineering, or development of technical or financing plans for projects eligible under Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code to assist Areas of Persistent Poverty or Historically Disadvantaged Communities.

Eligible Activities

FTA will competitively award grants for planning, engineering, or development of technical or financing plans for projects eligible under Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code that will assist “Areas of Persistent Poverty” or “Historically Disadvantaged Communities”.  Eligible activities may include, planning, engineering, or development of technical or financing plans for improved transit services; new transit routes; engineering for transit facilities and improvements to existing facilities; innovative technologies; planning for low or no emission buses; planning for a new bus facility or intermodal center that supports transit services; integrated fare collections systems; or coordinated public transit human service transportation plans to improve transit service in an Area of Persistent Poverty or Historically Disadvantaged Community, or to provide new service such as transportation for services to address the opioid epidemic, as well as increase access to environmental justice populations, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the effects of climate change. For projects eligible under the Areas of Persistent Poverty Program applicants should reference FTA Circular 8100-1D - Program Guidance for Metropolitan Planning and State Planning and Research Program Grants and FTA Circular 9030.1E - Urbanized Area Formula Program: Program Guidance and Application Instructions.

Eligible Recipients

Eligible applicants include entities that are eligible recipients or subrecipients under 49 U.S.C. 5307, 49 U.S.C. 5310, or 49 U.S.C. 5311 that are located in Areas of Persistent Poverty or Historically Disadvantaged Communities. Entities that are subrecipients or indirect recipients under these programs must apply through their ordinary pass-through entities or designated recipients. State departments of transportation may apply on behalf of eligible applicants within their States.

Identifying Areas of Persistent Poverty and Historically Disadvantaged Communities

As an additional resource applicants may use FTA’s mapping tool to determine if a proposed project is in an Area of Persistent Poverty or Historically Disadvantaged Community. FTA’s mapping tool allows applicants to map their project areas, determine eligibility, and identify their census tract numbers.

Statutory References

  • Urbanized Area Formula Grants (49 U.S.C. § 5307), Enhanced Mobility Formula Grants (49 U.S.C. § 5310), or Rural Areas Formula Grants (49 U.S.C. § 5311)
  • Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 (Public Law No: 117-103, March 15, 2022)

Match

The minimum federal share for this program is not less than 90%.

Selected Projects

Fiscal Year 2020 Tribal Transit Project Selections

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State Project Sponsor Project Description Funding AK Allakaket Village The Allakaket Village will receive funding to purchase a vehicle and initiate transit operations. This project...

Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program

"innovation"

What's New

  • On January 19, 2021, FTA announced that 37 projects in 35 states and one territory will receive a share of approximately $15.8 million in funding. Grant recipients will receive a share of $15.8 million to support strategies that develop, deploy and demonstrate solutions that improve the operational efficiency of transit agencies and enhance rider mobility during the COVID–19 public health emergency. View the project selections.

Overview

The COVID-19 public health emergency has had a significant impact on transit operations. During a series of FTA listening sessions, transit agencies asked FTA to support research to identify solutions to address the operational challenges that they are facing as a result of COVID-19. In response, FTA announced a new $10 million FY 2020 Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program. An additional $5.8 million in research funding was added to the program to maximize the number of states that could participate Nationwide, transit agencies are increasing the availability of service. The research and demonstration program will help evaluate, assess the efficacy, and promote promising innovative transit solutions that address challenges transit agencies are facing with the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Objectives

The COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program supports strategies to develop, deploy, and demonstrate innovative solutions that improve the operational efficiency of transit agencies and enhance the mobility of transit users affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency. This new program has a specific focus on the following areas:

  • vehicle, facility, equipment and infrastructure cleaning and disinfection 
  • exposure mitigation measures
  • innovative mobility such as contactless payments
  • measures that strengthen public confidence in transit services

Selected Projects

FTA issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program in the fall of 2020. In response to the NOFO, FTA received 104 eligible project proposals totaling approximately $63.4 million.

On January 19, 2021, the FTA announced approximately $15.8 million in grant selections through the COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program.

Statutory References

49 U.S.C. Section 5312

Allocation of Funding

The Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Program projects are funded under FTA’s Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment program authority.