By: CAGTC Staff

On June 26, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded $1.8 billion in funding under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program to 148 projects across all 50 states, four territories, and the District of Columbia. Among the award recipients are several projects sponsored or supported by members of the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC), including the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS), Port of San Diego, and the Memphis Chamber of Commerce.

The RAISE program supports a diverse slate of communities with projects of local and regional significance. Under the RAISE program, project sponsors, including state and local governments, counties, Tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities, can pursue multimodal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are difficult to fund through traditional funding sources. Consistent with previous years, the RAISE program remains oversubscribed – this year, USDOT received nearly $13 billion in requests for the $1.8 billion in funding available.

The City of Notus, Idaho, will receive $1.4 million for its Notus Collector Street Reconstruction Plans. The project, which is supported by COMPASS, will fund the comprehensive design for full-depth reconstruction of four collector streets. The focus of this project encompasses the engineering, design, environmental analysis, and pre-construction planning to prepare the project for the construction and revitalization of the four worst-condition collector streets: Notus Road, Jasper Avenue, 1st Street, and 3rd Street. The project will improve safety for children walking to school and other pedestrians by implementing sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, as well as by designing improved road geometry.

“This RAISE planning grant will have a profound impact on the tiny City of Notus. The city’s four collector streets are badly in need of repair and the city did not have the funds to plan or design the project, much less pay for construction,” states Matt Stoll, Executive Director of the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS). “We appreciate the assistance and support for this project from Idaho’s Congressional Delegation, the Idaho Transportation Department, and other partners. The funding received will allow the City of Notus to take a significant step toward the comprehensive reconstruction of its streets, improving safety, livability, and economic opportunity for its residents.”

The Port of San Diego will receive $5 million for Phase II of the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal (TAMT) Redevelopment Plan. This award will fund the planning, design, and environmental permitting for on-terminal rail track replacement, realignment, and load capacity improvements. The project will also advance the planning of seismic upgrades, resurfacing, water and utility reconfiguration and upgrades, as well as front gate, perimeter fence, and operations center reconfiguration. The project will improve safety and cargo handling by eliminating the need to decouple/couple rail cars in a constrained area, reduce conflicts with vertical obstructions, and reduce cargo rehandling to load rail cars on load-strengthened track, as well as reduce personnel engaged in cargo movements and improve cargo handling capabilities by expanding heavy-lift handling and storage areas.

“We are immensely grateful to Sen. Padilla and Rep. Vargas for their continued support and helping us deliver on our promises to support commerce, community and the environment,” said Chairman Frank Urtasun, Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners. “Modernizing our cargo terminals creates better efficiency for our maritime tenants and cargo trade business and aligns with and bolsters our environmental and public health goals.”

The City of Memphis will receive $21.8 million for its Walking (and Biking) in Memphis: Filling the Final Gaps of the Wolf River Greenway Project. The project is supported by the Memphis Chamber of Commerce. The project will construct approximately one mile of trail to complete the Wolf River Greenway in Memphis, which will require the construction of a bicycle/pedestrian bridge over a railroad and an underpass under Highway 14/Jackson Avenue. The project will provide safe routes for walking and biking to reduce serious and deadly crashes in an area with above-average traffic fatalities and low car ownership. The project implements community prioritized improvements that fill gaps in the transportation network, reduce barriers, and increase accessibility.

The full list of selected projects can be found here.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that makes available over $1.1 billion in Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program funding. As the only competitive discretionary grant program dedicated to improving railroad crossings’ safety and efficiency, the RCE Program invests in projects that construct grade separations, upgrade safety devices at crossings, or close at-grade crossings where roads and train tracks intersect. Addressing collisions and blockages at grade crossings has been a top priority for FRA – especially as growing train lengths lead to more frequent and longer blocked crossings – and the funding announced will improve safety and access to communities separated by rail crossings.

Project applications will be evaluated based on factors such as whether they improve safety, increase community connectivity, enhance access to emergency services, improve the mobility of goods, strengthen supply chains, and reduce noise. At least 20 percent of RCE Program funding (around $230 million this round) will also be set aside for projects located in rural communities or on Tribal lands, and around $38 million will be available to fund planning projects.

“Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, FRA is equipped with unprecedented levels of resources to tackle long-standing issues of grade crossing collisions and blocked crossings, which create safety risks for numerous communities around the country,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “Railroads play a vital role in our nation’s transportation network by moving people and goods in a sustainable and efficient way, and the funding announced today will help ensure that railroad operations are compatible with safety and mobility in the communities through which trains move.”

The NOFO is available here. Applications are due by September 23. Read the full release here.

On July 10, the House Appropriations Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 31 to 26.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack (R-AR) said, “With both targeted investments and targeted cuts, the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill carefully allocates resources to the most critical missions at DOT and HUD while meeting our responsibility to rein in spending with a reduction of $7 billion below Fiscal Year 2024. The bill prioritizes the safety of all modes of transportation from our railways to roads and airways. We ensure a responsible safety net with housing support for our most vulnerable citizens. This bill includes numerous wins for communities across the nation, including Arkansas’ Third District. I’m pleased the bill passed the full committee today, and I look forward to getting it across the finish line. Thank you to my dear friend Chairman Cole for his leadership in this process.”

Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said, “To herald the nation into the America of the future, we need to build smarter, move faster, and push the boundaries of ingenuity. This just-advanced bill reflects those points. Whether on a highway or airport runway, the strength of our transit systems, flow of freight, and safety of the traveling public are prioritized. Safety net resources to help vulnerable populations, including veterans and the elderly, are maintained. Responsible community investments support local decision-making, and we protect taxpayers from the Administration’s burdensome overreach. Chairman Womack’s leadership and experience as a mayor led to a measure dedicated to fiscal discipline and effective policy.”

The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $90.400 billion, which is $7.084 billion (7.3%) below the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level. The bill provides a non-defense discretionary total of $90.022 billion and a defense discretionary total of $378 million. This bill prioritizes highway, railway, and aviation safety while maintaining housing assistance for our nation’s most vulnerable.

Read the full release here.