ATSSA Signal July/August 2019

The Signal | July/August 2019 5 Member Company & Agency News BUILD grants $900 million available for work zone management programs Since 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) has provided billions of dollars to transportation en- tities across the nation through its Bet- ter Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grant program for hun- dreds of capital projects in both rural and urban regions. The 2019 funding will be awarded to stakeholders in work zone management programs. While the application process is rigorous, U.S. DOT Secretary Elaine Chao stated the BUILD grant program has successfully aided localities in im- proving roads, transit, bridges, rail, ports, and intermodal transportation. This year, the maximum amount of funding that can be provided to an applicant is $25 million, and no more than $90 mil- lion can be awarded to any one state. “These BUILD Transportation grants will provide needed infrastructure invest- ment to better connect rural and urban communities around our nation,” stated Chao in an April 23, 2019 press release. The U.S. DOT bases its decision on what projects to fund on criteria including safety, innovation, economic competi- tiveness, state of good repair, quality of life, and partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders. According to the U.S. DOT, projects that have a better chance of being selected “will enter construction within the obli- gation period, have specific timelines for completion, present a clear story, and detail project impact.” Ideal projects should emphasize access to safe, reliable, and cost-effective trans- portation. Additionally, projects should incorporate innovations in project de- livery, financing, and technologies, as well as foster new partnerships such as multi-jurisdictional cooperation includ- ing public-private partnerships. “BUILD provides federal funding for proj- ects that have a significant local or re- gional impact, which may include how the project increases the efficiency of movement of goods and people, im- proves connectivity to the national and global economy, and improves the over- all well-being of communities,” said Kim Bathrick of the U.S. DOT’s Office of the Secretary. Anthony Burton, also of the U.S. DOT’s Office of the Secretary, said the more detailed and organized the application, the better chance municipalities have of receiving federal funding. “With regards to all of these categories, we really are looking for you to provide as much substantiating information as you can to give our evaluators confi- dence that you are able to deliver on the claims that are being made in the application,” Burton said. For more information regarding the 2020 BUILD grant program, visit www.transportation.gov/ BUILDgrants. BUILD provides federal funding for projects that have a significant local or regional impact, which may include how the project increases the efficiency of movement of goods and people, improves connectivity to the national and global economy, and improves the overall well-being of communities.