Fact Sheet: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver for Local Governments

Office of Public Affairs 
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Washington, DC 20590 
www.transportation.gov/newsroom 

President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will benefit communities across the nation. The law expands the amount of funding available directly to local governments so that American households and businesses can rely on a safe and modern transportation system. While every level of government is supported, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers historic investments to counties, cities, and towns; to fix our bridges, make our roadways safer, to build a national network of electric vehicle (EV) charging, and to provide grant programs that help communities build innovative projects, including those that might otherwise be too difficult to tackle without regional partnership. These investments will also support Tribal Nations. Read more in USDOT’s fact sheet on how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver for Tribal Nations [LINK].   

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes over $6.5 billion in FY 2022 in new competitive grant programs for which local governments can apply. Programs in FY22 include: 

• Bridge Investment ($2.45B) – This new competitive grant program will provide financial assistance dedicated to replacing, rehabilitating, preserving, or protecting existing bridges. This includes a $36 million set aside for bridges eligible under the Tribal Transportation Program. 
• Safe Streets for All program ($1B) – This new competitive grant program will provide funding directly to and exclusively for local governments to support their efforts to advance “vision zero” plans and other complete street improvements to reduce crashes and fatalities, especially for cyclists and pedestrians. 
• MEGA Projects ($1B) – This new National Infrastructure Project Assistance grant program will support multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional projects of national or regional significance. Communities are eligible to apply for funding to complete critical large projects that would otherwise be unachievable without assistance. 
• Railroad Crossing Elimination ($600M) – This new competitive grant program will support the elimination of highway-rail grade crossing for the simultaneous benefit of safety and improved movement of freight and other rail operations. 
• Charging and fueling infrastructure discretionary grants ($300M) – The law provides $7.5 billion over five years to build out a national network of EV chargers. In addition to the $1 billion formula program for States, this discretionary grant program will provide up to $300 million in funding in FY 22 to provide convenient charging where people live, work, and shop. These grants will be available to communities and will strategically deploy publicly accessible charging infrastructure along designated alternative fuel corridors. 
• Rural Surface Transportation Grant ($300M) - This new competitive grant program will improve and expand surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas, increasing connectivity, improving safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generating regional economic growth. This amount includes specific set asides for small projects ($30 million), rural roadway lane departure improvements ($45 million), and the Appalachian Development Highway System ($75 million). 
• Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) ($250M) – The competitive portion of this new program will support projects that improve the resilience of transportation infrastructure, with set-asides for planning grants, evacuation routes and at-risk infrastructure. These competitive grants are in addition to $1.4 billion in formula funding included to States for resilient infrastructure improvements. 
• National Culvert Removal, Replacement and Restoration ($200M) – This new competitive grant program will support improvements for local fish habitats and infrastructure to facilitate passage between fresh and saltwater habitats. 
• Reconnecting Communities Pilot ($195M) – The law creates a first-ever program to reconnect communities divided by transportation infrastructure. This new competitive program will provide dedicated funding to State, local, MPO, and Tribal governments for planning, design, demolition, and reconstruction of street grids, parks, or other infrastructure. 
• Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grant ($100M) – The SMART Grant program will be a competitive grant program that will allow States and local governments to compete for funding for projects that improve transportation safety and efficiency. This program encourages applicants to develop innovative solutions to a variety of challenges faced by communities, including reducing congestion, helping first responders to assist public safety, and improving the environment. 
• Wildlife Crossings Pilot ($60M) – This new competitive grant program will provide financial assistance to projects that reduce the number of wildlife vehicle collisions through improved habitat connectivity. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law expands existing grant and financing programs which provide funding to local governments. Local governments can apply for funding through a variety of competitive grant programs and project financing offerings that are expanded under the law and can be applied for without working through states or transit agencies. In FY 2022, these programs include: 

• Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grants ($1.64B) – INFRA grants will offer needed aid to freight infrastructure by providing funding to state and local government for projects of regional or national significance. The law also raises the cap on multimodal projects to 30% of program funds. 
• Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grants ($1.5B) – RAISE grants support surface transportation projects of local and/or regional significance. 
• TIFIA/RRIF - The law includes funding for TIFIA and RRIF loans, which are available for a wide variety of both transportation and transit-oriented development projects including commercial and affordable housing projects near public transportation stations, supporting transit-oriented development in communities. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes formula programs with expanded eligibilities and increased funding which will benefit local governments. In FY 2022, these programs include: 

• Surface Transportation Block Grants (STBG) ($13.8B) – Local governments will also receive additional funding through suballocations through STBG. The law also increases the set-aside within STBG for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), increases the minimum percentage of TAP funding that is sub-allocated by population to 59 percent, and provides a process by which States may opt to increase that percentage to as high as 100 percent. The law also adds eligibilities for STBG, including construction of wildlife crossing structures, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and vehicle-to-grid infrastructure, installation and deployment of intelligent transportation technologies, projects that facilitate intermodal connections between emerging transportation technologies, resilience features, cybersecurity protections, and rural barge landings, docks, and waterfront infrastructure projects, and the construction of certain privately-owned ferry boats and terminals.  
• Carbon Reduction Program ($1.2B) - The law also creates a new formula program to reduce transportation-related emissions which includes a local suballocation consistent with STBG. This Carbon Reduction Program has a 65% suballocation to local areas.   

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law increases funding streams that will benefit local government.  

• Investments in bridges will be a major benefit to state and local government, who often struggle to find the resources to keep bridges in a state of good repair. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests more than $40 billion in bridges over five years – the single largest investment in repairing and reconstructing our nation’s bridges since the construction of the interstate highway system. In addition to the nearly $2.4 billion in competitive funding mentioned above, the law includes $5.5 billion in formula funding in FY 2022 available for bridges.  This funding will include investments to both large bridges, as well as to bridges that are in rural and tribal areas. The formula bridge funding includes a 15% set-aside for “off-system” bridges, providing substantially more federal funding to these bridges. 
• Investments in transit and rail will improve connectivity in communities, connect people to opportunities, and spur economic growth.  
  • Local governments will also benefit from increased funding for the Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program, which will support transit agencies, along with critical investments in broadband across the country. The law includes $1.6 billion in FY 2022, to invest in new high-capacity transit projects communities choose to build.  
  • The law includes $400 million in FY 2022 for transit ADA investment, including $350 million for the All Stations Accessibility Program and $50 million for Enhanced Mobility for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities. These programs will remove barriers to transportation service and expand transportation mobility options for Americans across the country. 
  • The law makes the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak. A total $13.2 billion in FY 2022 for rail will support climate goals, taking cars off our roads and providing more connectivity. $7.2 billion is dedicated to partnership grants for intercity rail service, including high speed rail. This also includes $1.0 billion for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program (CRISI), which funds projects that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail.   
• Investment in ports and airports will reduce air and noise pollution in communities. The law invests $5 billion in airports and $475 million in port infrastructure through the DOT Maritime Administration in FY 2022. Airport funding is broken into $3 billion for airport infrastructure development, $1 billion for the Airport Terminal Program, and $1 billion for FAA Facilities and Equipment. These investments will address repair and maintenance backlogs, reduce congestion and emissions near ports and airports, and drive electrification and other low-carbon technologies. Modern, resilient, and sustainable port, airport, and freight infrastructure will support U.S. competitiveness by removing bottlenecks and expediting commerce and reduce the environmental impact on neighboring communities. 

You can view upcoming notices of funding opportunities on USDOT’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law website. Learn more about funding opportunities at transportation.gov/grants.