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Capital Investment Grants

General Grant Program Information

The Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program funds fixed guideway investments, including new and expanded rapid rail, commuter rail, light rail, streetcars, bus rapid transit, and ferries, and corridor-based bus rapid transit investments that emulate the features of rail. 

Eligible Applicants:
State Governments; Local Governments
Eligible Activities:
Planning; Construction; Equipment and Materials; Accessibility
Transportation Type:
Maritime Railway Transit
Most Recent Annual Program Funding Amount:
$4,600,000,000
Match Waiver:
No
Rural Set-Aside:
No
Tribal Set-Aside:
No
Links to Additional Information:
Agency:
USDOT / Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

Eligibility Information

There are three categories of eligible projects under the CIG program: New Starts, Small Starts, and Core Capacity. Each type of CIG project has a unique set of requirements in the law, although many similarities exist among them. To be eligible to receive a CIG construction grant, all proposed projects must go through a multiyear, multistep development process outlined in the law. FTA is required to evaluate and rate CIG projects on statutorily defined project justification and local financial commitment criteria that differ by project type. 

Funding Information

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) authorized $3 billion per year in annual appropriations and $1.6 billion per year in advance appropriations for the CIG program, including funding that may be awarded under the Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program. Individual awards vary depending on type of project.

  • Small Starts: Projects less than $400 million in total project cost and that are seeking CIG funding of less than $150 million. 
  • New Starts: Projects with total project cost of $400 million or more and that are seeking CIG funding of $150 million or more.
  • Core Capacity: Projects in an existing fixed guideway corridor that is at capacity today or will be in 10 years, where the project will increase the capacity of the corridor by at least 10 percent.

Disclaimer:
The Dashboard provides users with a high-level overview of relevant Federal discretionary grant programs. The information in the Dashboard is maintained as a secondary resource and may not be updated with the most recent changes to each program's primary guidance materials. Accordingly, please refer to the Federal grant-making agency for the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on a grant opportunity in the Dashboard.

Last updated: Thursday, April 27, 2023