Transportation Alternatives (TA) Solicitation

Sponsors:

Federal funds for transportation alternative projects are passed through MnDOT to recipients that are adequately staffed and equipped to undertake and satisfactorily complete the requirements associated with federally-funded work. MnDOT determined that state aid cities (i.e. cities with population of over 5,000 persons) and counties are qualified recipients for federal funds. The Transportation Alternatives solicitation requires their participation as a sponsor and/or applicant. If an eligible applicant is not a state aid city or county, then the applicant will need a state aid city or county to be a sponsor on their project.

Project applicants must be an entity eligible to receive the Transportation Alternatives funding. Eligible applicants are:

1. A local government: Local government entities include any unit of local government below a State government agency, except for an MPO. Examples include city, town, township, village, borough, parish, or county agencies.
2. A regional transportation authority: Regional transportation authorities are considered the same as the Regional Transportation Planning Organizations defined in the statewide planning section (23 U.S.C. 135(m)).
3. A transit agency: Transit agencies include any agency responsible for public transportation that is eligible for funds as determined by the Federal Transit Administration.
4. A natural resource or public land agency: Natural resource or public land agencies include any Federal, Tribal, State, or local agency responsible for natural resources or public land administration. Examples include:
- State or local park or forest agencies;
- State or local fish and game or wildlife agencies;
- Department of the Interior Land Management Agencies; and
- U.S. Forest Service.
5. A school district, local education agency, or school: School districts, local education agencies, or schools may include any public or nonprofit private school. Projects should benefit the general public and not only a private entity.
6. A tribal government.
7. A nonprofit entity responsible for the administration of local transportation safety programs: Examples include a nonprofit entity responsible for:
- A local program implementing construction, planning, and design of infrastructure-related projects and systems that will provide safe routes for non-drivers, including children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities to access daily needs; and
- A safe routes to school program.
8. any other local or regional governmental entity with responsibility for, or oversight of, transportation or recreational trails (other than an MPO or a State agency) that the State determines to be eligible, consistent with the goals of this subsection.

State DOTs and MPOs are not eligible project sponsors for Transportation Alternatives funds. However, State DOTs and MPOs may partner with an eligible entity project sponsor to carry out a project.

Nonprofit organizations are not eligible as direct grant subrecipients for Transportation Alternatives funds unless they qualify through one of the eligible entity categories (e.g., where a nonprofit organization is a designated transit agency, school, or an entity responsible for the administration of local transportation safety programs). Nonprofit entities are eligible to partner with any eligible entity on an eligible project, if State or local requirements permit.

Non-Qualifying Activities:
- State or metropolitan planning organization administrative purposes. Exceptions:
--- See FHWA’s Memo Allocating Indirect Costs to Projects, dated September 4, 2015.
--- RTP administrative costs of the State for RTP set-aside funds.
- Promotional activities, except as permitted under the SRTS (2 CFR 200.421(e)(3)).
- Routine maintenance and operations, except trail maintenance as permitted under the RTP.
- General recreation and park facilities, playground equipment, sports fields, campgrounds, picnic areas and pavilions, etc.
- Engineering activities
- Purchase of right-of-way

Timeline:
- Friday, October 30: Deadline for applicants to submit letters of intent. (11:59 PM)
- Friday, November 13th, 2020 – Deadline for RDO/MPO/district review of letters of intent. Recommendation to proceed forward with full application given to applicants.
- Monday, November 16th, 2020 – Official start of full application period.
- Friday, January 8: Deadline for applicants to submit full applications.
- Thursday, April 15, 2021: Deadline for ATPs to select TA projects. Grant recipients announced.

For all projects, including SRTS projects, funded with TA funds, the federal share is the same as for the general federal-aid highway program: 80 percent Federal and 20 percent State or local match subject to the sliding scale adjustment.

Greater Minnesota applicants must submit a letter of intent describing the key components of their project. A regional representative will contact applicants to help review the project proposal and the steps necessary for delivering a federally funded project prior to local communities and regional agencies submitting a full grant application.

Grant information: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/fastact/factsheets/transportationalternativesfs.cfm