Technical assistance

The US Department of Transportation Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (R.O.U.T.E.S.) Initiative addresses disparities in rural transportation infrastructure to improve safety and economic competitiveness in all parts of the country. For R.O.U.T.E.S. updates and funding opportunities for rural communities, go to https://www.transportation.gov/rural/ and subscribe at https://service.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOT/subscriber/new?topic_id=USDOT_143.

In addition to R.O.U.T.E.S., USDOT has a resource page for rural transit funding opportunities and technical assistance. For more information, go to https://www.transit.dot.gov/rural.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) established the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant program, which includes Rural Surface Transportation Grant (Rural) program, the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) program, and the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program.

The Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program supports projects that improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas to increase connectivity, improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generate regional economic growth and improve quality of life. The Mega program supports large, complex projects that are difficult to fund by other means and are likely to generate national or regional economic, mobility, or safety benefits. The INFRA program awards competitive grants to multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, accessibility, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of freight and people in and across rural and urban areas.  For more information on the MPDG program, go to MPDG Program | US Department of Transportation.

The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant Program provides grants for surface transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact. For more information on go to https://www.transportation.gov/BUILDgrants.

The Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program supports project development leading to future applications to DOT credit or grant programs. The grants can support legal, technical, and financial advisors to help advance infrastructure projects. For more information on this first-come, first-served program, go to https://www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/RuralandTribalGrants or email RuralandTribalTA@dot.gov.

Build America Bureau’s Rural Project Initiative is a loan program feature to help improve transportation infrastructure in America’s rural communities. The Rural Project Initiative (RPI) makes Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) financing for projects between $10 million and $100 million in total cost accessible to small communities and emphasizes rural America’s transportation needs, offering significant benefits and savings to project sponsors. For more information on the RPI, go to https://www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/financing/tifia/tifia-rural-project-initiative-rpi.