Karn DhingraAs part of its efforts to promote roadway safety, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the availability of more than $180 million in grants this week.
Under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the grants are available to nonprofit organizations, local governments, academic institutions and other training programs. Funding opportunities are available through five discretionary grant programs.
The High Priority Innovative Technology Deployment Grant Program (HP-ITD) will support projects that advance the technological capability and deployment of intelligent transportation systems for truck parking management and other commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operations. Priority will be given to projects that link federal motor carrier safety information systems to state CMV systems. These projects should also improve safety and productivity of commercial drivers and reduce costs associated with CMV operations and regulatory requirements.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had $43 million available for HP-ITD grants in FY 2023. The agency gave 28 awards worth $23.8 million in FY 2021 and $37.7 million to 35 jurisdictions in FY 2022.
Of these awards, FMCSA funded grants in a dozen states that focused on rural roads as a component of safety efforts under the HP-ITD and CMV program. The FMCSA limits funding to a total amount of $2 million per award.
The High Priority Commercial Motor Vehicle (HP-CMV) Safety Grant Program funds CMV safety-related activities. These projects help increase public awareness and education about CMV safety, target unsafe driving in high-risk crash corridors, demonstrate technologies to improve CMV safety, improve safety data and support other CMV safety projects.
Between FY 2021 and FY 2022, the HP-CMV program awarded $64.6 million across 99 projects. Eleven recipients got $1.3 million for rural road safety issues, including education and outreach, highway safety enforcement, high-visibility efforts and technology deployment.
The Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant Program funds organizations that provide CMV operator training to current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Underserved and refugee communities may also receive funding.
The Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation (CDLPI) Grant Program helps implement and enhance the national Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program. CDL ensures each driver has only one driving record and licensing document. This is commonly referred to as “One Driver — One License — One Record.” In 2022, the FMCSA awarded $3.1 million from this program mostly to community colleges and driving schools.
High Priority Enforcement Training and Support Grants (HPETS) help develop and deliver motor carrier safety training to non-federal employees conducting CMV enforcement activities. These activities must comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR), Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Out-of-Service criteria.
Projects to develop related training materials to increase awareness and education on CMV safety and otherwise improve CMV safety are also eligible for grants. This program provides three awards totaling $5 million annually. The maximum amount for a single award is $5 million.
“FMCSA’s core mission is safety. That’s a big job, and it’s one we cannot do alone,” said FMCSA Acting Deputy Administrator Sue Lawless. “This grant funding is one way we bring in safety partners to help reduce crashes involving large trucks and buses. We are proud to support the critical CMV safety work happening across the country.” Grant applications for Fiscal Year 2024 cycle are due April 19, 2024.
Strategic Partnerships, Inc. can provide information on contract opportunities, plus existing and future government funding. For more information, contact research@spartnerships.com.
