Federal Grants - Local Opportunities 

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has developed a comprehensive list of resources to assist our local partners in accessing competitive federal funding. We encourage you to download our fact sheet on our available resources, contact information, and select grant opportunities for local partners here. This page will be continuously updated to provide local partners tailored, accurate, and current information on federal grants, technical assistance, and other resources tailored to your needs.

If you would like to partner with MDOT, please contact Sean Winkler at swinkler1@mdot.maryland.gov or (443 401-7788).

Awards

• On November 15, 2024, USDOT awarded the FY24 Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant, which included $3.9 million in funding for 11 projects across Maryland:
  • Board of Commissioners of Garrett County ($360K)
  • City of Annapolis ($623K)
  • City of College Park ($540K)
  • City of Greenbelt ($200K)
  • City of New Carrollton ($200K)
  • City of Takoma Park ($220K)
  • Laurel City ($451K)
  • Montgomery County ($520K)
  • Town of La Plata ($360K)
  • Town of Perryville ($52K)
  • University of Maryland, College Park ($400K)
• On October 29, 2024 USDOT awarded Wicomico County $800,000 under the Communities Air Service Development Program (SCASDP). The funding will be used to support a new flight route from Salisbury Regional Airport (SBY) to Orlando International Airport (MCO).
• On October 24, 2024 Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR) was awarded $5.25M from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under the Infrastructure Law (BIL) Airport Terminal Program, which will enhance operational efficiency and provide the necessary space to support both the current airline and any potential future air carriers, positioning HGR for long-term success.

State Opportunities

• MDOT is accepting grant applications from small businesses impacted by construction along the Purple Line alignment in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Click here for more information.
• MDOT is hosting a series of Grants Roadshows to help partners identify projects and submit successful applications. See dates, times, and registration details here.

Federal Opportunities

The following list includes grant programs authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Department of Transportation. For more information such as funding amounts, eligible recipients, or program-specific guidance, click on the program link to learn more.

• Areas of Persistent Poverty Program
• Bridge Investment Program (BIP)
• Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program
• Clean School Bus Rebates Program (CSB)
• Community Facilities Grant Program
• Congestion Relief Program
• Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements Grant Program (CRISI)
• Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recomplete Pilot Program)
• Economic Adjustment Assistance Program
• FTA Ferry Programs
• Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program
• Grants for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Improvements at Public School Facilities program
• Low or No Emission Vehicle Program
• Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program
• Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Program (PROTECT)
• Public Works Program
• Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program
• Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program
• Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program (RCN)
• Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program
• Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program
• Thriving Communities Program
• Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program

Resources

MDOT is growing our resources to support you.

• MDOT presented at the Maryland Association of Counties on how to leverage federal infrastructure funds. The slidedeck can be viewed here.
• Watch our federal grant video and webinar playlist
• Visit our websites to view submitted MDOT projects and to learn more information about Infrastructure Investment and Job Act (IIJA) grant opportunities.
• This is a list of compiled comments from denied grant proposals for grants from debriefs with USDOT.
• If you are interested in receiving a letter of support from MDOT for current or anticipated projects, please fill out this request.
• The State Highway Administration’s (SHA) District 3 Office maintains a federal grants fact sheet tailored to local partner needs in their region available here.
• The Build America Center (BAC) at the University of Maryland and National Transportation Center (NTC) at Morgan State University can provide assistance and resources aimed at building successful federal grant applications.
• Find the transportation funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) webinar recording, participants journal, and other resources on the FHWA Local Aid Support website.
• Through assistance with project planning or grant applications, Norfolk Southern is able to provide assistance to those looking to take advantage of state or federal infrastructure funding. Check out their page for more information.

US Mapping and Data Tools

Many U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) grants require the applicant to determine the level of disadvantage in a project area or their community. There are multiple federal mapping and data tools, which can make the process confusing. Always be sure to confirm in the Notice of Funding Opportunity which tools and definitions USDOT is seeking in your application.

The below is a list of tools that are commonly referred to in Notices of Funding Opportunity and are helpful assets to reference during grant development activities:

• USDOT Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer – an interactive mapping tool that utilizes census tracts and data to explore the cumulative burden communities experience from a multitude of sources.
• USDOT Areas of Persistent Poverty and Historically Disadvantaged Communities – determining if your project is in an Area of Persistent Poverty is a commonly asked question by federal agencies.
• USDOT Rural Eligibility – USDOT has built a tool to determine if a project is in a defined rural area across its multi-modal discretionary grant and formula programs
• MDOT has recently updated its own Federal Discretionary Grants Interactive Map Application.

Be A Resource

If you are interested in sharing best grant and federal funding practices with your colleagues around the state, please share your contact information with us. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you to highlight local success stories and best practices. Please contact Sean Winkler at swinkler1@mdot.maryland.gov or (443 401-7788).

Success Stories

Safe Streets for All (SS4A)

Fast Forward Frederick

Fast Forward Frederick: Safe Streets and Roads for All - Planning and Demonstration - $1,050,000.00 (FY 2023 Award)

This award will be used by Frederick County to 1) update the County's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, 2) pilot demonstration activities on three county roadways such as protected bike lanes and road diets, 3) develop feasibility analyses to prioritize 3 long-term shared usepath or trail corridors, and 4) provide technical assistance to 12 municipalities in the County to achieve alignment with the countywide approach towards zero deaths, update bicycle/pedestrian master plans, and/or pilot demonstration activities.

Frederick County’s Division of Planning and Permitting will use grant funds to update the 2018 County Bike and Trails Plan. In addition, they will construct pilot projects to demonstrate ways excess pavement on roadways can be repurposed, conduct feasibility studies for trail corridors or connections, and support municipalities that are striving to align with a countywide approach to bikeways and trails. These steps support the County’s Complete and Green Street Policy. The policy emphasizes the importance of improving the accessibility and mobility of pedestrians and bicyclists, while reducing conflict with motorized traffic.

Protecting Mount Rainer's Most vulnerable

Protecting Mount Rainier’s Most Vulnerable - $9,764,000.00 (FY2023 Award)

The City of Mount Rainier, Maryland (Greater Washington) was awarded funds for multiple citywide safety improvements to implement its Vision Zero Action Plan. The funding will support traffic calming, daylighting intersections, sidewalk gap-filling, lead pedestrian interval installation, and bicycle network improvements. The City and FHWA executed the SS4A Grant Agreement in September 2024. This agreement provides the City five years, from September 2024 to September 2029, to deliver and complete 10 key safety projects across the City.

The City has completed the environmental study as required by NEPA to assess and document potential significant environmental impacts. The City has also secured clearance from the Maryland Historical Trust confirming the projects under the SS4A Grant will have no adverse effect on historic properties.

The City will wait for final approval from FHWA to proceed. Upon receiving approval, the City will begin the process to proceed with each identified key safety project as weather conditions improve.

Other SS4A Selected Projects

Improvements Along Prince George's High Injury Network

Improvements Along Prince George's High Injury Network - $21,253,985 (FY2022 Award)

Prince George's County, Maryland seeks to implement seven safety and connectivity improvements along their High Injury Network and similar corridors. There is a demonstrated need to reduce crashes overall and more effectively connect the community with transit. The applicant is pursuing countermeasures that would improve visibility, slow vehicle speeds, and promote pedestrian and bicyclist safety in underserved communities. These countermeasures include, among many others, reduction of lane widths and street crossing distances, installation of ADA curbs and high-visibility crosswalks, use of Light Emitting Diode lighting, implementation of a road diet. The countermeasures also include installation of new sidewalks and medians as pedestrian refuges, rectangular rapid flashing beacons for bus stop crossings, and bicycle lanes to connect to existing networks. Some projects already have completed design plans.

Salisbury Vision Zero Rapid Safety Improvements

Salisbury Vision Zero Rapid Safety Improvements - $11,753,586.67 (FY2022 Award)

The City of Salisbury seeks to fund the rapid overhaul and traffic calming of every City-owned arterial and collector. From 2015 to 2018, of the 3,456 crashes that occurred in City limits, 1,875 of those (54%) occurred on City-controlled streets, with the vast majority of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes happening on City streets (63% and 88% respectively). To address the safety needs of vulnerable road users, the City will apply their best practices, many of which are Proven Safety Countermeasures, including 21 miles of sidewalk infill segments on collectors and arterials, 4.5 miles of side paths along arterial streets to infill gaps in the network, approximately 100 new high-visibility crosswalks or crosswalks upgraded to high-visibility styles, 12 crosswalks upgraded with beacons, pedestrian signals at 24 intersections, at least 9 miles of bikeways, 36 streets and numerous intersections calmed to prevent excessive speeds, and approximately 160 intersections with permanent or interim curb extensions

Low or No Emission Gran Program – 5339(c)

Prince George’s County Government

Prince George’s County Government - $25,475,520.00 (FY2024 Award)

Prince George's County in Maryland will receive funding to buy battery-electric buses, bringing the county closer to transitioning its bus fleet to fully zero-emission by 2040. The buses will enhance service to people who rely upon public transportation to connect to jobs in the County and throughout the Washington, DC region.

The funding will be used to purchase 15 zero-emission battery-electric fixed-route buses and 5 battery-electric vans, expanding clean transit options for residents. To support this transition, the County will install Level 4 electric chargers and develop a microgrid and energy management system, enhancing the resilience and efficiency of its transit infrastructure. Additionally, the grant will help expand demand-response transit services, ensuring improved access to jobs and essential destinations throughout the County and the Washington, DC region. These efforts align with Phase 2 of the County’s “Proud to Charge” Zero Emissions Transportation Plan, which aims to convert 70% of its transit fleet to zero emissions by 2035 and nearly 100% by 2040, reinforcing the County’s commitment to sustainability and modernizing public transportation.

Other Low or No Emission Selected Projects