$1,705,000 awarded to high valley transit district for rural and tribal assistance pilot program to support legal, technical, and financial advisors to help advance infrastructure projects

The Department of Transportation awarded High Valley Transit a $1.705 million Cooperative Agreement on September 1, 2026, under the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program (CFDA 20.943) to support legal, technical, and financial advisors advancing transportation infrastructure projects in Utah's Wasatch Back region.

High Valley Transit will use the funding to hire or procure expert advisory services to support development-phase activities for infrastructure projects reasonably expected to be eligible for DOT credit and grant programs. Deliverables include a work plan, quarterly reports, project-specific deliverables, and compliance documentation under 2 CFR 200. The work benefits residents of Wasatch County, Coalville County, and surrounding areas.

The award runs through August 31, 2029, and is performed in Utah. The Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program, established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, provides early-stage development assistance to rural and tribal communities by reimbursing the cost of financial, technical, and legal advisory services. Eligible applicants are units of local government or political subdivisions outside urban areas with populations exceeding 150,000, states advancing rural projects, federally recognized Indian Tribes, or the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis against criteria assessing whether proposed services will materially advance the project and whether requested funding is sufficient to complete identified tasks and deliverables.

Activities to be performed: transit improvements to support economic strength and regional mobility in utah's wasatch back. Deliverables/expected outcomes: work plan, quarterly reports, project deliverables and 2 CFR 200 compliance. Beneficiaries: wasatch county, coalville county, and surrounding region residents.