Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants

Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants
Name	Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants
Established	2021
Awarded by	United States Department of Transportation
Country	United States

Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants RAISE grants are a competitive federal grant program created to fund surface transportation projects that emphasize sustainability, multimodal connectivity, and equitable access. Originating in federal legislation and administered by the United States Department of Transportation, the grants have been used by state, regional, tribal, and local entities to support roads, bridges, transit, and active transportation projects. The program intersects with major federal initiatives and legislation aimed at infrastructure investment and climate resilience.

Overview

RAISE grants were established by provisions in federal statutes enacted during the 21st century infrastructure policy debates and are administered through the Federal Highway Administration and related modal offices. The program awards discretionary funding for multimodal surface transportation projects that demonstrate benefits to economic vitality, safety, environmental protection, and quality of life. RAISE grants align with initiatives such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and federal priorities promoted by administrations including the Biden administration and legislative supporters from both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Project selection criteria often incorporate guidance from agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and reflect input from regional planning organizations such as metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) including the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (California), the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and state departments like the California Department of Transportation.

Eligibility and Application Process

Eligible applicants typically include state governments, municipal governments, special districts, tribal governments such as those represented by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, public agencies, and multijurisdictional partnerships including regional transit authorities like the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County and port authorities like the Port of Los Angeles. Applicants prepare grant proposals grounded in engineering studies and planning documents produced by entities such as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and regional planning bodies like the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Applications require demonstration of project readiness, cost estimates often benchmarked against analyses by the Congressional Budget Office, and compliance with statutes including the National Environmental Policy Act and standards informed by the Federal Transit Administration. Competitive rounds involve review panels with participants from the Office of Management and Budget and subject-matter experts from universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of California, Berkeley.

Funded Projects and Impact

Funded projects have spanned bridge rehabilitation projects similar in scope to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge repairs, transit expansions akin to investments in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York), and active transportation corridors comparable to the Minneapolis Midtown Greenway. Examples include downtown multimodal hubs, rural road safety improvements in states like Montana, and urban complete-streets conversions in cities such as Portland, Oregon, Seattle, and New Orleans. Project outcomes reported by recipients often cite reduced traffic fatalities referenced in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, increased transit ridership paralleling trends at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and economic development effects reminiscent of waterfront revitalizations like the Baltimore Inner Harbor.

Funding, Administration, and Governance

RAISE grant funding is appropriated through congressional action and programmatic direction is overseen by the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Annual award cycles reflect budgetary decisions by the United States Congress and appropriations committees including the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Grant governance incorporates federal cross-agency coordination with the Department of Energy for resilience measures, the Department of Housing and Urban Development where projects intersect housing policy, and state transportation agencies such as the Texas Department of Transportation and New York State Department of Transportation for implementation. Auditing and compliance draw on standards from the Government Accountability Office.

Environmental Justice and Equity Considerations

Equity objectives in RAISE grant guidance mirror principles advanced by the Office of the Vice President and executive orders on environmental justice issued during the Biden administration. Applicants are encouraged to address disproportionate impacts identified by agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and community organizations including the Natural Resources Defense Council and NAACP. Projects frequently incorporate access improvements for disadvantaged communities informed by data sets such as the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool and planning frameworks used by the Federal Transit Administration and regional health departments. Tribal engagement protocols align with consultations led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal governments across regions including the Navajo Nation and Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques of the program have included concerns about geographic distribution of awards raised in hearings before the United States Congress and by state executives including governors from states such as Texas and Florida. Observers from policy think tanks like the Brookings Institution and American Enterprise Institute have debated the balance between urban and rural allocations, administrative burden cited by municipal officials in cities like Detroit, and the adequacy of funding relative to needs documented by the American Society of Civil Engineers in its infrastructure reports. Legal challenges and disputes have occasionally involved procurement practices scrutinized under statutes such as the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act.

Category:United States transportation funding