Feds release over $1.3 billion to modernize nation’s transportation infrastructure

The federal government is releasing billions in grant funding to make America’s roads safer, pushing to bring the nation’s transportation sector into the future. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is announcing $1.32 billion in federal funding to support transportation infrastructure projects that ensure residents’ safe and reliable access to transit and help to mitigate the national impact of climate change. The funding, sourced from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program, will further expand federal efforts to modernize America’s aging infrastructure. 

The RAISE program is a highly competitive discretionary grant program, intended to fund transportation projects of local, regional and national importance. The program allows state and local governments, tribal entities, transit agencies and port authorities to pursue a wide range of multimodal projects that might otherwise struggle to secure funding through traditional federal programs. 

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Representing its first funding round of fiscal year (FY) 2025, the grant program will award funding to transportation projects around the nation that seek to modernize critical infrastructure, increase access to transit services and create good-paying union jobs. 

The projects selected for funding will span a variety of sectors, from road safety improvements to public transit and freight infrastructure, emphasizing equitable access to transportation resources and fostering long-term economic and environmental sustainability.  

The projects set to receive the most funding in this FY 2025 round of grants include: 

• Connecting Communities: A Multi-Modal Vision for West State Street Project in Olean, New York – $25 million to develop a complete street makeover of a 2.5-mile road, including a two-way protected bike lane, bump-outs, pedestrian refuge islands, marked crosswalks, pedestrian crossing signals, roundabouts and other pedestrian and public transit amenities. 

• National Avenue Complete Streets Project in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – $25 million to reconstruct National Avenue from 1st Street to 29th Street. Led by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the project will also include separated bike lanes, reconfigured traffic lanes, raised crosswalks, a raised intersection, transit platforms and improved sidewalk space. 

• Orchard Avenue (E ½ Road) Safety and Connectivity Project in Mesa County, Colorado – $21.3 million to construct ADA-compliant sidewalks, dedicated bike lanes, mid-block crosswalks, new stormwater management features and accessible transit stops along about 1.75 miles of Orchard Avenue. The project will also reconstruct the Grand Valley Canal bridge with pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements. 

• Interstate 55 Pedestrian Mobility and Safety Improvements Project in Mississippi – $19.9 million to conduct a variety of safety and mobility initiatives along I-55 and its service roads, a region responsible for 18 pedestrian fatalities since 2019. Project work will include the installation of ADA-compliant sidewalks, marked pedestrian crossings, safety signage, crossing push buttons, displays, lighting and glare screen fencing. 

• Butler Avenue and Fourth Street Safety and Multimodal Improvements Project in Flagstaff, Arizona – $19 million to construct multimodal improvements, including off-street bike lanes, sidewalks, mid-block crossings and widened roadways, along Butler Avenue in a variety of locations. The project will also develop solutions to corridor access and management, utilizing a raised median and two roundabouts, install rapid flashing beacons and upgrade drainage structures. 

With the first round announced, DOT will still accept applications for FY 2025 RAISE funding. Eligible entities, including state and local governments, counties, tribal nations, transit agencies and port authorities, can apply to the RAISE Notice of Funding Opportunity by Jan. 30. 

The full list of FY 2025 RAISE awards is available here. Interested parties can find more information on the RAISE initiative and ways to apply for future funding opportunities on the DOT’s program website. 

Photo courtesy Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons