Filing Date:
Varies—contact your local U.S. DOT official to learn more.
Eligibility:
State, tribal and local governments, transit agencies, port authorities, Metropolitan Planning Organizations and other political subdivisions of state or local governments.
Description:
In 2018, the BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grants program replaced the Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants program. BUILD, like TIGER, is focused on surface transportation infrastructure investments that make a positive impact throughout the country.
Funds may be requested for capital projects that include, but are not limited to: passenger and freight rail transportation projects; public transportation projects; intermodal projects; highway, bridge, or other road projects; and port infrastructure investments.
To address rural transportation infrastructure needs, the U.S. DOT intends to award a greater share of BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grants funding to projects located in rural areas. Up to $15 million may be awarded as grants for the planning, preparation or design of eligible projects.
For example, the city of Niagara Falls, N.Y., received $16.5 million in Tiger II Discretionary Grants to complete the third and final phase of its international railway station. This phase relocated Amtrak’s passenger terminal from a site outside the city center to a downtown location. The passenger rail terminal accommodates multimodal operations (bus/taxi/park and ride, etc.). The project also improved freight and passenger rail efficiency by eliminating conflict points and addressing passenger safety concerns such as speeding border crossings into Canada.
Financing:
Individual awards can be $5 million-$25 million. As usual, the federal share is up to 80 percent of project costs with a 20 percent local match. At least $450 million will be allocated for projects in rural areas, where 100 percent of project costs are eligible for funding and project awards can be as low as $1 million. No one state can receive more than $150 million of program funds. The FY 2018 BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grants funds are available for obligation through September 30, 2020.
Funding:
$500 million (TIGER FY 2012)
$474 million (TIGER FY 2013)
$600 million (TIGER FY 2014)
$500 million (TIGER FY 2015)
$500 million (TIGER FY 2016)
$500 million (TIGER FY 2017)
$1.5 billion (BUILD FY 2018)
Additional Information:
U.S. Department of Transportation – BUILD Discretionary Grants
Amtrak established the Great American Stations Project in 2006 to educate communities on the benefits of redeveloping train stations, offer tools to community leaders to preserve their stations, and provide the appropriate Amtrak resources.
Amtrak is America’s Railroad®, the nation’s intercity passenger rail service and its high-speed rail operator. More than 31.7 million customers traveled on Amtrak in FY 2018 on more than 300 daily trains that connect 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces. Choose the smarter way to travel at Amtrak.com or call 800-USA-RAIL for schedules, fares and more information.