That mouthful of a program was made possible by a provision in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act called the Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects program (NSFHP). This is designed to fund both small and large projects based on size and meeting certain requirements, and is authorized for $4.5 billion through 2020.
A large project, for example, would be valued at “the lesser” of a specified percentage of a project’s fiscal year 2015 apportionment from a state or $100 million. Such a project would receive $25 million through FASTLANE. A small project is valued below the minimum large project size, and could receive a minimum of $5 million. Twenty-five percent of the funds are set aside for rural projects and 10 percent is reserved for small projects.
“Our nation needs a strong multimodal freight system to both compete in the global economy and meet the needs of consumers and industry,” says Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We now have an opportunity to fund high-impact projects that address key challenges affecting the movement of people and freight.”
Applications for this year are due April 14 and can be submitted following the steps available at www.transportation.gov/FASTLANEgrants. Also in the site are listings for webinars that fully explain the program. The first webinar is available today (March 3) from 12-2 pm CST and will cover the basics of how to apply for FASTLANE funding.
