LM    Topics     Logistics    3PL

DOT issues NOFO for $1.5 billion in RAISE grants program


The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) recently announced it published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $1.5 billion in grants through its 2023 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainable and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program.  

According to DOT, the objective of RAISE is to help United States communities carry out projects with significant local or regional impact, with the grants helping project sponsors at the state and local level, including municipalities, Tribal governments, counties, and others complete critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects. And it added that RAISE’s eligibility requirements allow project sponsors to obtain funding for projects that are harder to support through other U.S. DOT grant programs.

“The historic investments the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing today will help communities across the country modernize their transportation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. “After decades of underinvestment in America’s infrastructure, we are supporting projects that help people and goods get where they need to go more safely, efficiently, and affordably.”

In 2022, RAISE grants have provided funding for 166 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

DOT said that the RAISE grants funding will be allocated through:

  • half of the funding going to projects in rural areas;
  • half of the funding will go to projects in urban areas; and
  • at least $15 million in funding is guaranteed to go towards projects located in Areas of Persistent Poverty or Historically Disadvantaged Communities, and projects located in these areas will be eligible for up to 100 percent federal cost share, as directed by Congress in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

The Washington-based Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) gave a strong endorsement for the RAISE program.

“Competitive grant programs, such as the RAISE program, are critical for advancing complex freight projects and providing much-needed flexibility to invest in multimodal or cross jurisdictional projects,” said Elaine Nessle, CAGTC Executive Director. “While the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law presents a historic opportunity for infrastructure investment, rising inflation threatens its impact. We urge the Administration to utilize all of the tools at its disposal to minimize funding delays to awardees.”

DOT said that the deadline for applications is 11:59 PM ET on February 28, 2023, with selections to be announced by June 28, 2023.

Earlier this year, the White House and the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that $2.9 billion in funding was made available through a combined NOFO (notice of funding opportunity). DOT said that this NOFO meshes three discretionary grant programs into a single Multimodal Projects Discretionary Grant and reducing the burden for state and local applicants while also increasing the pipeline of what it calls “shovel-worthy” projects.

The three discretionary grant programs include: the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (MEGA) program; the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program; and the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program (RURAL) program.

Randy Mullett, president of Mullett Strategies, said in a March interview he thinks DOT combined the programs for a few reasons besides making it easier on the grant seekers.

“First, the new infrastructure law established several new grant programs for which DOT doesn’t have the bandwidth or personnel expertise,” he said. “Combining several programs helps with that. Second, depending on their definition or statute of what constitutes a significant project might mean it will be difficult for a small request to qualify. Finally, the administration is very focused on climate and their corresponding transit/rail preference. This may allow them to focus more in that area.  My last thought is, if I was a rural state with fewer resources to chase grants, I would feel disadvantaged by this since funds originally carved out for rural projects are now co-mingled.”


Article Topics

News
Logistics
3PL
Transportation
3PL
Department of Transportation
DOT
Infrastructure
Logistics
Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainable and Equity RAISE
Transportation
   All topics

3PL News & Resources

April Services PMI contracts after 15 months of growth, reports ISM
2023 industrial big-box leasing activity heads down but remains on a steady path, notes CBRE report
Q1 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index sees shipment and spending declines
Ryder opens up El Paso-based multi-client facility logistics facility
April manufacturing output takes a step back after growing in March
TIA rolls out updated version of framework focused on fighting freight fraud
National diesel average is down for the third consecutive week, reports EIA
More 3PL

Latest in Logistics

April Services PMI contracts after 15 months of growth, reports ISM
2023 industrial big-box leasing activity heads down but remains on a steady path, notes CBRE report
U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed in April, reports AAR
Q1 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index sees shipment and spending declines
S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Rogers assesses 2024 import landscape
Pitt Ohio exec warns Congress to go slow on truck electrification mandates
Q1 intermodal volumes are up for second straight quarter, reports IANA
More Logistics

About the Author

Jeff Berman's avatar
Jeff Berman
Jeff Berman is Group News Editor for Logistics Management, Modern Materials Handling, and Supply Chain Management Review and is a contributor to Robotics 24/7. Jeff works and lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, where he covers all aspects of the supply chain, logistics, freight transportation, and materials handling sectors on a daily basis.
Follow Modern Materials Handling on FaceBook

Subscribe to Logistics Management Magazine

Subscribe today!
Not a subscriber? Sign up today!
Subscribe today. It's FREE.
Find out what the world's most innovative companies are doing to improve productivity in their plants and distribution centers.
Start your FREE subscription today.

May 2024 Logistics Management

May 2, 2024 · As the days of slow, invisible supply chains that “worked behind the scenes” continue to fade in the rearview mirror, companies are improving their demand forecasting, gaining real-time visibility across their networks and streamlining their operations—and its software that makes that all possible.

Latest Resources

Warehouse/DC Automation & Technology: Time to gain a competitive advantage
In our latest Special Digital Issue, Logistics Management has curated several feature stories that neatly encapsulate the rise of the automated systems and related technologies that are revolutionizing how warehouse and DC operations work.
The Ultimate WMS Checklist: Find the Perfect Fit
Reverse Logistics: Best Practices for Efficient Distribution Center Returns
More resources

Latest Resources

2024 Transportation Rate Outlook: More of the same?
2024 Transportation Rate Outlook: More of the same?
Get ahead of the game with our panel of analysts, discussing freight transportation rates and capacity fluctuations for the coming year. Join...
Bypassing the Bottleneck: Solutions for Avoiding Freight Congestion at the U.S.-Mexico Border
Bypassing the Bottleneck: Solutions for Avoiding Freight Congestion at the U.S.-Mexico Border
Find out how you can navigate this congestion more effectively with new strategies that can help your business avoid delays, optimize operations,...

Driving ROI with Better Routing, Scheduling and Fleet Management
Driving ROI with Better Routing, Scheduling and Fleet Management
Improve efficiency and drive ROI with better vehicle routing, scheduling and fleet management solutions. Download our report to find out how.
Your Road Guide to Worry-Free Shipping Between the U.S. and Canada
Your Road Guide to Worry-Free Shipping Between the U.S. and Canada
Get expert guidance and best practices to help you navigate the cross-border shipping process with ease. Download our free white paper today!
Warehouse/DC Automation & Technology: It’s “go time” for investment
Warehouse/DC Automation & Technology: It’s “go time” for investment
In our latest Special Digital Issue, Logistics Management has curated several feature stories that neatly encapsulate the rise of automated systems and...