To: Board of Supervisors
From: Brian M. Balbas, Public Works Director
Report Title: Grant application for the Vasco Road Corridor Safety Improvements Project, Byron area.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and RATIFY the Public Works Director's prior submittal of a Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program grant application in the amount of $320,000 to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to conduct a feasibility study for transportation improvements along Vasco Road, Byron area. (District III)
FISCAL IMPACT:
If awarded, the recommended feasibility study will be 100% funded by Federal Funds.
BACKGROUND:
On June 15, 2023, the DOT issued the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program grant opportunity under the IIJA. In the notice, the DOT solicits applications for rural transportation projects that help communities' advance transformative infrastructure projects by enhancing the safety, efficiency, and equity of the country's transportation system. The application window opens at 11 A.M. on August 14, 2023, and closes on September 28, 2023. Funds are awarded on a first come, first serve basis, and are expected to be exhausted prior to the end of the application window due to the competitive nature of the grant opportunity.
The DOT has authorized and appropriated $3.4 million of funding to be available for this round of the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program. The funding program is meant to provide early-stage developmental assistance for rural and tribal infrastructure projects. It will award grants for either the hiring of staff or the procurement of expert firms to provide financial, technical, and legal assistance; assistance with development-phase activities; and information regarding innovative financing best practices and case studies.
The following guidelines apply to this cycle: (1) the total amount of funding sought by any single project sponsor should not ...
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