Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program

The Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program will provide Federal financial assistance to highway, bridge, and tunnel projects, highway safety projects, highway freight projects, and integrated mobility management projects, located in rural areas.

The Rural Surface Transportation Grant program provides dedicated funding for projects in rural areas aimed at improving connectivity, safety, and reliability, generating economic growth, and improving quality of life.

Eligible Applicants include: States, regional transportation planning organizations, units of local government, Tribal governments or consortia of Tribal governments, or a multi-jurisdictional group of entities described above.

Eligible projects for Rural grants are: a highway, bridge, or tunnel project eligible under National Highway Performance Program(23 USC 119); a highway, bridge, or tunnel project eligible under Surface Transportation Block Grant (23 USC 133); a highway, bridge, or tunnel project eligible under Tribal Transportation Program (23 USC 202); a highway freight project eligible under National Highway Freight Program(23 USC 167); a highway safety improvement project, including a project to improve a high risk rural road as defined by the Highway Safety Improvement Program(23 USC 148); a project on a publicly-owned highway or bridge that provides or increases access to an agricultural, commercial, energy, or intermodal facility that supports the economy of a rural area; a project to develop, establish, or maintain an integrated mobility management system, a transportation demand management system, or on-demand mobility services. An eligible entity may bundle 2 or more similar eligible projects under the Rural program that are: included as a bundled project in a statewide transportation improvement program under 23 USC section 135; and are will be awarded to a single contractor or consultant pursuant to a contract for engineering and design or construction between the contractor and the eligible entity. Rural grants may be used for development phase activities, including planning, feasibility analysis, revenue forecasting, environmental review, preliminary engineering and design work, and other preconstruction activities, and construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, acquisition of real property (including land related to the project and improvements to the land), environmental mitigation, construction contingencies, acquisition of equipment, and operational improvements.

Eligible projects for Rural grants are: a highway, bridge, or tunnel project eligible under National Highway Performance Program(23 USC 119); a highway, bridge, or tunnel project eligible under Surface Transportation Block Grant (23 USC 133); a highway, bridge, or tunnel project eligible under Tribal Transportation Program (23 USC 202); a highway freight project eligible under National Highway Freight Program(23 USC 167); a highway safety improvement project, including a project to improve a high risk rural road as defined by the Highway Safety Improvement Program(23 USC 148); a project on a publicly-owned highway or bridge that provides or increases access to an agricultural, commercial, energy, or intermodal facility that supports the economy of a rural area; a project to develop, establish, or maintain an integrated mobility management system, a transportation demand management system, or on-demand mobility services.

Rural program funding is available for obligation for up to 3 years beyond the authorized year of availability. Once obligated, funds are available indefinitely, however, the Department expects recipients to meet the schedule they propose in their application.

Criteria are described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Criteria are described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Rural program funding will be awarded to projects selected by the United States Department of Transportation through a competitive selection process. After an application is selected, the Department will work with the project sponsor to complete the necessary work prior to formally obligating the funding through an obligating agreement. The obligating agreement will establish the terms and conditions of the Rural program award.

The evaluation, selection and notification timeline varies from 4-9 months.