Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Program
General Grant Program Information
The Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program (RCP) aims to advance and support reconnection of communities divided by transportation infrastructure—with a priority on helping disadvantaged communities improve access to daily needs (jobs, schools, healthcare, grocery stores, and recreation). RCP offers two tracks of grants: planning and construction.
For fiscal year (FY) 2023, the Department combined two major discretionary grant programs—the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) and Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) programs—into one Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Together, this combined program is known as the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program.
A Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) is required for capital projects. For more information about BCAs, see What Is a BCA? and USDOT's Benefit-Cost Analysis Guidance for Discretionary Grants.
Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants for the RCP program include the following:
RCP Community Planning Grants:
- A State;
- A unit of local government;
- A Tribal government;
- A metropolitan planning organization; or
- A non-profit organization.
RCP Capital Construction Grants:
- Owner(s) of the eligible facility proposed in the project for which all necessary feasibility studies and other planning activities have been completed; or
- A partnership between a facility owner (#1 above) and any eligible RCP Community Planning Grant applicant.
See the NOFO for additional details on eligibility.
Eligible Uses
RCP Community Planning Grants:
Eligible planning uses include but are not limited to:
- Public engagement activities
- Planning/feasibility studies
- Engineering
- Traffic studies
- Capacity measurements
- Roadway design
- Environmental review
- Impact surveys (e.g., community, mobility, health, economy, workforce, culture)
- Safety evaluations
- Cost estimations
- Restoration and development proposals
RCP Capital Construction Grants:
Eligible construction uses include:
- Preliminary and detailed design activities and associated environmental studies
- Predevelopment/preconstruction
- Permitting activities (including the NEPA process)
- Removal, retrofit, or mitigation of eligible facilities
- Replacement of eligible facilities with new facilities that restore community connectivity
- Delivering community benefits or mitigating the impacts identified through the NEPA process
- Other planning and project development expenses for the capital construction project
Funding Information
Funds for the FY 2023 RCP grant program are to be awarded on a competitive basis to support planning and capital construction activities that aim to restore community connectivity through the removal, retrofit, mitigation, or replacement of highways, roadways, or other infrastructure facilities that create barriers to mobility, access, or economic development.
The RCP can provide up to $198 million in competitive grants for FY 2023.
Federal cost-sharing for planning grants is 80 percent; applicants must provide the remaining 20 percent using non-federal funds (partial in-kind contributions allowed). The cost-share for construction grants is 50 percent, but applicants may use other federal funds to supplement their contribution for a maximum federal cost-share of 80 percent.
For more information, please contact ReconnectingCommunities@dot.gov.
Applications
Applicants must submit their applications via ValidEval at the links below:
Do not submit applications through Grants.gov.
Contact Information
Andrew Emanuele
Grantor
ReconnectingCommunities@dot.gov
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.