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Information for Communities

For Those Interested in Receiving Technical Assistance through the Thriving Communities Program

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) invited Letters of Interest (LOIs) from eligible applicants interested in receiving technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support from the Thriving Communities Program (TCP) to help them compete for federal aid and deliver quality infrastructure projects that enable their communities and neighborhoods to thrive.

This Call for Letters of Interest is intended for teams of community partners that may lack the staffing or technical expertise to scope, fund, and develop infrastructure projects that advance broader community goals.

For selected communities, the Thriving Communities Program will provide two years of deep-dive assistance to help them plan and develop a pipeline of comprehensive transportation, housing, and community revitalization activities.

Award Announcements Expected in Spring 2023

The Thriving Communities Program Call for Letters of Interest closed on December 6, 2022. USDOT expects to announce the selected communities in spring 2023.

Please subscribe for updates to stay up to date on future Thriving Communities Program opportunities.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants for the Thriving Communities Program Call for Letters of Interest include the following:

  • Local, state, or Tribal governments including pueblos or villages
  • United States territories
  • Metropolitan planning organizations
  • Transit agencies
  • Other political subdivisions of state or local governments

DOT will prioritize communities and organizations that have had limited past success in applying for or receiving Federal transportation funding, or in successfully delivering integrated infrastructure and community development projects. TCP is targeting support to assist disadvantaged communities.

Partnership Requirements

Eligible applicants are required to partner with at least two other organizations that:

  • Are important implementation partners,
  • Can help to supplement local capacity, or
  • Can ensure that those who live in disadvantaged communities have a voice at the table.

See the Call for Letters of Interest for more information, but community partners can be diverse as your community in terms of who they are and how many you are engaging with in this work.

If you are selected as a finalist, a letter of commitment will be required by the lead applicant and two key community partners. There is no cost requirement to participate. 

Sign up to receive program updates by email. For questions, contact ThrivingCommunities@dot.gov.

Communities of Practice

The Thriving Communities Program recognizes that not all communities have the same needs, and that peer learning across communities works best when there are shared challenges and goals. Accordingly, the TCP is organized into three different Communities of Practice.

Safety, access, environmental, equity, community development, and economic impacts cut across all three of the Thriving Communities Program’s Communities of Practice. These Communities of Practice are Main Streets, which feature Rural and Tribal community revitalization and building State DOT relationships; Complete Neighborhoods, which feature urban and suburban connectivity and equitable transit-oriented development; and Networked Communities, which feature intermodal (rail, port, airport) neighborhoods and are outside the STIP/TIP.
The Thriving Communities Program is organized into three Communities of Practice: Main Streets, Complete Neighborhoods, and Networked Communities. 

Applicants will select which one of the following three Communities of Practice they would like to participate in:

  • Main Streets – Focused on Tribal and rural communities and the interconnected transportation, housing, community, and economic development issues they face. 
  • Complete Neighborhoods – Focused on urban and suburban communities located within metropolitan areas working to better coordinate transportation with land use, housing, and economic development.  
  • Networked Communities – Focused on those communities located near ports, airports, freight, and rail facilities to address mobility, access, environmental justice, and economic issues including leveraging their proximity to these facilities for wealth-building and economic development opportunities.  

The Call for Letters of Interest includes more details on these Communities of Practice.

How Will DOT Make Selections?

DOT plans to select at least 30 communities to receive direct, individualized support during the first year of the program. DOT will review LOIs for completeness and eligibility; those determined to be complete and eligible will be evaluated based on the applicant’s demonstration of need and vision, the strength of partnerships, and community leadership.

See Section G in the Call for Letters of Interest for more detailed information about the review and evaluation process.

Last updated: Monday, December 19, 2022