SPI Insights

The U.S. Department of Transportation has released the official list of awardees from the FY 2022 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. The RAISE grant program provides funding for surface transportation projects of local and regional significance. California won the largest amount of RAISE funds with $119.6 million, Texas ranked second with $101.6 million, and Minnesota was third with $99.4 million.

In Texas, the Port of Port Arthur is getting a $13.6 million federal grant to assist with the conversion of about 25.5 acres of an abandoned railyard in Port Arthur into a multimodal area. The area will include site stabilization, lighting, fencing, fiber optic, storm water management, relocation of utilities underground, and reconditioning of a two-story structure to mitigate flood risks.

The city of Houston will receive $20.96 million in federal funding for the Telephone Road: Main Street Revitalization Project. The project begins at the intersection of Lawndale Drive and Telephone Road and extends 2.8 miles to Interstate 610. Safety modifications include restriped crosswalks, new green “cross-bike” markings, tighter corners to slow vehicle speed, closed-circuit cameras installed at three fully rebuilt intersections, median refuge islands at nine locations, and upgraded METRO bus stops.

The city of El Paso has been awarded $12 million to help construct pedestrian safety improvements at the Ysleta/Zaragoza Port of Entry – streetlights, pedestrian drop-off and pick-up zones, shade canopies, Sun Metro bus stop, seating areas, screening walls for security, and more. The city has committed $3 million as a local match that will come from bridge toll revenues via the public-private partnership program.

The city of Harlingen will receive $5 million for roadway reconstruction; stormwater improvements; and intersection, multimodal, and streetscape improvements. The project will rehabilitate 3.4 miles of Commerce Street starting at the intersection of South Commerce and North 77 Sunshine Strip to the intersection of South Commerce and South 77 Sunshine Strip. The grant funds will cover the design and engineering phase of the project.

This year’s allocations throughout the U.S. include more than $2.2 billion thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an additional $7.5 billion over five years for the program to help meet the strong demand for projects moving across the country.

The full list of awards can be found, here.