Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program
Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program
The Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST) has released a joint Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) and Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) programs, which will combine two major discretionary grants into one NOFO. Together, this combined program will be known as the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program. While they remain separate programs for the purposes of award, the programs share many common characteristics, including:
- Prioritizing disadvantaged communities;
- Aiming to improve access to daily needs such as jobs, education, healthcare, food, and recreation;
- Fostering equitable development and restoration;
- Reconnecting communities by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways or other transportation facilities that create barriers to community connectivity, including to mobility, access, or economic development.
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Grant Types
The RCN NOFO solicits grant applications for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot discretionary grant program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and for the newly created Neighborhood Access and Equity discretionary grant program, established by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Under the combined RCN Program, USDOT offers three grant types:
- Capital Construction
- Community Planning
- Regional Partnerships Challenge
| Grant Type | Objective(s) | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Captial Construction |
To fund both reconnecting-focused projects and smaller projects focused on reducing environmental harm and improving access in disadvantaged communities. Projects may address:
|
$1.15 Billion
|
| Community Planning |
To provide funds for planning activities to support future construction projects and allow for innovative community planning to address localized transportation challenges. Projects may address:
|
$185 Million
|
| Regional Partnerships Challenge | To incentivize stronger partnerships between local governments, Tribal governments, MPOs/RPOs, State DOTs, and non-profit, private, and community partners to tackle persistent equitable access and mobility challenges, as well as greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Applicants must consist of a partnership between two or more eligible agencies. | $450 Million NAE Funds |
USDOT has combined these two programs into a single NOFO to provide a more efficient application process for project sponsors. While they remain separate programs for the purposes of award, the programs share many common characteristics, including:
- Prioritizing disadvantaged communities;
- Aiming to improve access to daily needs such as jobs, education, healthcare, food, and recreation;
- Fostering equitable development and restoration;
- Reconnecting communities by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways or other transportation facilities that create barriers to community connectivity, including to mobility, access, or economic development.
Because of these shared characteristics, it is possible for many projects to be eligible and considered for both programs using a single application. The chart below illustrates the similarities and differences between the RCP and NAE opportunities.
