Funding Opportunities

Call for Projects: Other Funding Opportunities

Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program

Application deadline: May 30, 2023

The Federal Highway Administration announced the availability of $700 million from the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program (CFI). This competitive grant program aims to make modern and sustainable infrastructure accessible to all drivers of electric, hydrogen, propane, and natural gas vehicles. Projects should strategically deploy electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in urban and rural communities in publicly accessible locations, including downtown areas and local neighborhoods, particularly in underserved and disadvantaged communities. Funding is available under two grant categories: Community Charging and Fueling Grants (Community Program); and (2) Alternative Fuel Corridor Grants (Corridor Program). Eligible applicants include States or political subdivision of States; metropolitan planning organizations; units of local governments; special purpose districts or public authorities with a transportation function, including port authorities. The CFI will prioritize funding for projects that address environmental justice, that are in low- and moderate-income areas, that reduce GHGs, and that support the creation of good-paying jobs. For the Community Program, the minimum grant award is $500,000 and the maximum award is $15 million. For the Corridor Program, the minimum grant award is $1 million, and there is no maximum award. Required local match is 20%.

Clean California Local Grant Program — Cycle 2

Application deadline: May 31, 2023 (extended from April 28, 2023)

Caltrans has announced the availability of approximately $100 million in FY 2023/24 funding from the Clean California Local Grant Program, Cycle 2. This competitive grant program aims to beautify and clean up local streets and roads, tribal lands, parks, pathways, transit centers, and other public spaces. Eligible projects include infrastructure related community litter abatement and beautification projects, such as at parks, transit centers, park-and-ride facilities, and other public spaces; non-infrastructure related community events and/or educational programs about litter abatement, proper waste disposal, or how to get involved with doing sanctioned artwork in a community; and combinations of infrastructure and non-infrastructure related projects. Project areas may contain multiple locations and must be located on public property, be under the applicant’s jurisdiction or permission to improve, be located at least partially in an underserved community, and have at least 75% of the surrounding population be underserved. Eligible applicants are local or regional public agencies, transit agencies, or federally recognized tribal governments. Nonprofit organizations may partner with eligible applicants as sub-applicants. Awardees from Cycle 1 may apply for Cycle 2 for a new project. The maximum grant award is $5 million. There is no minimum grant award. Required local match ranges from 0% to 50%, depending on the severity of disadvantage (SOD) of the surrounding community (higher SOD corresponds to lower required local match).

Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program

Application deadline: July 10, 2023

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the availability of over $1 billion in competitive grant funds for the FY 2023 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. The program supports planning, infrastructure, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on streets involving all modes, including pedestrians; bicyclists; public transportation, micromobility users; and motorists. Eligible activities fall under two grant categories:

• Planning and Demonstration Grants (awards from $100,000 to $10 million)
  • Develop an Action Plan
  • Conduct supplemental safety planning to enhance an Action Plan
  • Carry out demonstration activities to inform the development of, or an update to, an Action Plan
• Implementation Grants (awards from $2,500,000 to $25 million)
  • Conduct planning, design, and development activities for projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan
  • Carry out projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan

Eligible applicants include metropolitan planning organizations; counties, cities, towns, and transit agencies or other special districts that are subdivisions of a State; Federally recognized Tribal governments; and multijurisdictional groups comprised of the above entities. An eligible applicant for an Implementation Grant must have an existing Action Plan and either have ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities over a roadway network, have safety responsibilities that affect roadways, or have agreement from the agency that has ownership and/or maintenance responsibilities for the roadway within the applicant’s jurisdiction. The required local match is 20%.

Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Round 5

Application deadline: August 1, 2023

The California Strategic Growth Council announced the availability of $99.2 million in competitive grant funds for neighborhood-level transformative climate community plans and investments derived from collaborative stakeholder engagement. Eligible projects fall under three grant types:

• Planning: Planning Grants fund planning activities to prepare disadvantaged communities for future funding opportunities in programs that align with the TCC Program’s objectives. $900,000 available for 3 awards of $300,000 each.
• Project Development: Project Development Grants fund pre-development and basic infrastructure activities to support disadvantaged, unincorporated and tribal communities to meet their climate and community resilience goals. SGC will pilot this new grant type in Round 5 to address the funding support gap between Planning and Implementation Grants. $9.8 million available for multiple awards ($5 million each).
• Implementation: Implementation Grants fund neighborhood-level proposals that include multiple, coordinated projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve other community benefits. $88.5 million available for 3 awards ($29.5 million each).

Planning grants require a Lead Applicant and at least 1 Co-Applicant; Project Development and Implementation grants require a Lead Applicant and multiple Co-Applicants. Organizations eligible to serve as Lead Applicants or Co-Applicants may include but are not limited to: community-based organizations, local governments, nonprofit organizations, philanthropic organizations and foundations, faith-based organizations, coalitions or associations of nonprofit organizations, community development finance institutions, community development corporations, joint powers authorities, councils of governments, and California Native American Tribes. The majority of the project area must be located in a disadvantaged community, as defined for the purposes of this grant program.

Reliable, Equitable, and Accessible Charging for Multi-family Housing 2.0 (REACH 2.0)

Application deadline: August 2, 2023

The California Energy Commission announced the availability of $20 million in competitive grant funds for the Reliable, Equitable, and Accessible Charging for Multi-family Housing 2.0 (Reach 2.0). Reach 2.0 aims to demonstrate replicable and scalable business and technology models for large-scale deployment of EV charging infrastructure capable of maximizing access and EV travel for multi-family housing (MFH) residents. Eligible projects will:

• Install EV chargers onsite or within 1/4 mile of the MFH.
• Demonstrate business and technology models for large-scale deployment of EV charging infrastructure capable of maximizing access to EV travel for MFH residents.
• Include charger installations that will benefit and be used by MFH residents within disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, or a combination of both.
• Address challenges to onsite installations, such as properties with shared onsite parking, properties with assigned parking spaces for residents, or properties with limited or no onsite parking.
• Conduct outreach to MFH residents that will explain the benefits of having accessible chargers and provide relevant consumer information on charging and on EVs.
• Develop installation and business models that will maximize accessibility and ease of use while minimizing EV charging costs for MFH residents.
• Address other support and maintenance services that will ensure reliability.

All public and private entities are eligible to apply. The maximum grant award is $5 million.

Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program

Application deadline: August 18, 2023

The US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration announced the availability of $848 million in FY 2023 competitive grant funds for the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program. PROTECT aims to fund projects that address the climate crisis by improving the resilience, safety, and equity of the surface transportation system, including highways, public transportation, ports, and intercity passenger rail. PROTECT projects have the potential to demonstrate innovation and best practices that can be replicated. Grant funding is divided into four categories:

• Planning Grants (up to $45 million total available). Eligible projects include but are not limited to resilience planning, predesign, and design; technical capacity building; and evacuation planning and preparation.
• Resilience Improvement Grants (up to $638 million available). Eligible projects include construction activities to improve the ability of an existing surface transportation asset to withstand weather events or natural disasters, or to increase the resilience of surface transportation infrastructure from the impacts of changing conditions, such as sea level rise, flooding, wildfires, and extreme weather events.
• Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants (up to $45 million available). Eligible projects include but are not limited to projects that strengthen and protect evacuation routes that are essential for providing and supporting emergency evacuations, including but not limited to capacity expansion, intelligent transportation and communications equipment, and access to critical destinations such as hospitals and intermodal facilities.
• At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants (up to $120 million available). Eligible projects address the risks to highway and non-rail infrastructure from a current or future weather event or natural disaster, including coastal flooding, coastal erosion, wave action, storm surge, or sea level change, in order to improve safety and to reduce long-term infrastructure costs by avoiding larger future maintenance or rebuilding costs.

Eligible applicants are states or political subdivisions of states, MPOs, units of local government, special purpose districts or public authorities with a transportation function. The minimum grant award for Planning Grants is $100,000 and no local match is required. The minimum grant award for all other grants is $500,000 and a 20% local match is required. There is no maximum award.

Intersection Safety Challenge

Application window closes: September 25, 2023

The US Department of Transportation announced $6 million in cash prizes for the Intersection Safety Challenge. The Challenge aims to incentivize the innovative application of new and emerging technologies to identify and mitigate unsafe conditions involving vehicles and vulnerable road users at intersections. Of particular interest are systems that apply emerging capabilities enabled by advanced sensing, communications technologies, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), including machine sensing and perception, data fusion, trajectory and path prediction, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, and real-time decision-making.

The Challenge begins with a two-part prize competition:

• Stage 1A: Concept Assessment: Participants submit an Intersection Safety System (ISS) Concept Paper. Maximum prize is $100,000.
• Stage 1B: System Assessment and Virtual Testing: Participants develop, train, and improve algorithms for the detection, localization, and classification of vulnerable road users and vehicles using DOT-supplied sensor data collected at a controlled test intersection. Further, participants will use these data and algorithms in real-time to predict future intersection conditions and identify potentially unsafe conditions and events. Maximum prize is $1 million.

The Challenge is open to individuals and teams from the academic, research, and business communities.

Bay Area Vanpool Program

Application period: Continuous

MTC’s recently established Bay Area Vanpool Program is offering direct subsidies to new and existing vanpools, thanks to an infusion of over $9.5 million approved by MTC in July of 2018 for the next five years. Qualifying vanpools that rent their vehicles through Enterprise (the preferred vendor for the Vanpool Program) are eligible for a $350/month subsidy. Vanpoolers can pay for their remaining vanpool costs with pretax dollars, further reducing the cost of their shared commute.

Learn how to join a vanpool, start a new one, or see if your existing vanpool qualifies for the subsidy.
Learn how vanpool groups can apply for subsidies.

Carl Moyer Program

Application Period: Continuous

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has up to $10 million available for the Carl Moyer Program. This program funds equipment or vehicle replacement, engine replacement, power system conversion, and battery charging or fueling infrastructure. It aims to reduce emissions in the communities most impacted by air pollution. Eligible equipment includes:

• Trucks and Buses
• Public School Buses
• Off-road Equipment
• Agricultural Equipment
• Marine Vessels and Equipment
• Locomotives

Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Maximum funding amounts depend on the type of project. Projects required by law or contract are ineligible. Public or private entities that will operate the equipment within the Bay Area may apply. New project types and increased grant amounts are available for the purchase of hybrid, zero- and near-zero-emissions equipment, and for fueling and charging infrastructure as part of alternative-fuel or battery-electric project types.

Community Health Protection Grant Program

Application Period: Continuous

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has up to $40 million available for the Community Health Protection Grant Program, which follows the same guidelines as the Carl Moyer program, with a few caveats, including those projects must be in eligible areas, such as “Eastern San Francisco”. Please see the information for the Carl Moyer Program above, as well as the Air District Community Health Protection Grant Program website for additional information.

Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program

Application Period: Applications accepted on a rolling basis

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced $100 million available for the Expedited Project Delivery (EPD) Pilot Program. The program aims to streamline project delivery of new transit infrastructure and encourages innovative partnerships. State and local government authorities may apply. Eligible projects include fixed guideway capital projects, small start projects, or core capacity improvement projects that have not entered into a full funding grant agreement with FTA. Projects under this program must include public-private partnerships, be operated and maintained by employees of an existing public transportation provider, and have a federal share not exceeding 25 percent of the project cost. 

FTA intends to award up to eight grants under this announcement, subject to funding availability. Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis. Applicants will be notified whether their application was approved within 120 days of submittal.

Hybrid Voucher Incentive Program

Application Period: Continuous

The California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Hybrid Voucher Incentive Program (HVIP), provides vouchers to California purchasers and lessees of eligible zero-emission, hybrid and low NOx medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses. The program is meant to accelerate the adoption of clean vehicle technology. Voucher amounts range between $45,000 and $150,000, depending on the vehicle's weight. Increased voucher amounts are available for transit buses and vehicles that provide service in disadvantaged communities. Any purchaser of an eligible vehicle may apply for funding, with a limit of 200 vouchers per fleet. Vouchers are applied at the point of sale. A total of approximately $1.7 billion is available. The funding allocation is broken down into multiple categories:

• HVIP Standard: $265 million
• Zero-Emission Public Transit Buses: $70 million
• Zero-Emission Public School Buses: $135 million
• Zero-Emission Drayage Trucks: $157 million
• Innovative Small E-Fleets: $35 million
• Local Education Agency School Bus Replacement Grants: $1.125 billion, to be awarded in $225 million increments between FY 23/24 and FY 27/28.

Volkswagen Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust — Zero-Emission Class 8 Freight and Port Drayage Trucks Category

Application Period: Continuous

On August 18, 2020, the Volkswagen Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust released the first solicitation for freight and port drayage truck projects. $27 million is available on a first-come, first-served basis to fund the replacement of Class 8 freight trucks (including drayage trucks), waste haulers, dump trucks, and concrete mixers with zero emission technologies. Both public and private entities that own and operate eligible vehicles may apply. The program will fund up to 100% of project cost for government owned equipment and up to 75% of cost for non-government owned equipment. Per piece of equipment, maximum funding is $200,000. 

The program is currently oversubscribed. Applications will continue to be accepted in order to generate a back-up list of applications. Projects placed on the back-up list will only be considered if returned or additional funds become available.

Volkswagen Mitigation Trust — Zero-Emission Transit, School, and Shuttle Bus Program

Application Period: Continuous

The Volkswagen (VW) Mitigation Trust was established as part of a settlement with Volkswagen for using illegal emission testing defeat devices in certain VW vehicles, resulting in excess NOx emissions. $130 million in first come, first served funding is available to replace high-polluting transit and shuttle buses with new battery-electric or fuel-cell buses.  There is no longer funding available for school buses.  Government and non-government vehicle owners as well as agencies that lease or rent applicable buses to third parties are eligible to apply.  The old bus to be replaced must have a fuel type of gasoline, diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG); an internal combustion engine; and an engine model year of 2009 or older.  The maximum funding per entity is capped at $3,250,000 and the maximum funding level for each vehicle varies based on the bus and fuel types, ranging from $160,000 to $400,000 per vehicle.  Matching funds are required for all non-government owned purchases (at least 25 percent).

Additional Resources

View Caltrans' 2021 Guide to Transportation Funding in California (PDF) for an overview of transportation funding sources and apportionments.

View Caltrans' Division of Local Assistance June 2022 Transportation Funding Opportunities Guidebook (PDF) for information about state and federal funds available for local public agency projects.

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has created a list of programs that may fund active transportation projects and elements, to serve as a resource for cities, counties and agencies looking to fund valuable active transportation projects in their communities.

Contact

For more information or assistance with Prop K or other federal, state, or regional funding opportunities, contact Anna LaForte, Deputy Director for Policy & Programming

Introduction

This is a resource page for sponsor agencies who currently or potentially may use federal funds to implement their transportation projects in San Francisco, focusing on Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funds.

Funding Opportunities

• SFCTA Funding Opportunities (see "Calls for Projects: Transportation Authority & Other Funding Opportunities" above)
• MTC Funding page
• Transportation Funding in California — Caltrans' overview

Project Delivery Policies and Status Update Reports

Federal funds come with strict timely-use-of-funds requirements, especially on the obligation and reimbursement, at various levels⁠—federal, state, and regional. It is critical for sponsors to adhere to the requirements to avoid risk of losing funds.

• Caltrans Delivery Policies and Reports
  • Caltrans Local Safety Program Delivery Status Reports (for Highway Safety Improvement Program)
  • Caltrans Inactive Project Information page
  • Caltrans E-76 Status page: search by project ID or agency name to find the status of E-76s that are pending or obligated within last month or E-76s that have been obligated for the current fiscal year
  • Caltrans Local Programs Accounting Tracking page contains payment history for payments issued within the past 18 months except major construction contractors.
• MTC Project Delivery / Program Monitoring
  • Resolution of Local Support template (doc)
  • Regional Project Delivery Policy Guidance (PDF)(MTC Resolution 3606)
  • Transportation Improvement Program Funding Report page (also see under TIP below)
  • Annual Obligation Status section lists downloadable links for the "FHWA Obligated Funds — Federal Fiscal Year to Date" list and the "FHWA Projects Submitted by District 4 to Caltrans HQ — Federal Fiscal Year to Date" list — up to FY 2017/18 (for the current fiscal year, visit Caltrans E-76 Status page).
  • Project Monitoring and Delivery (MTC presentation, March 26, 2012)
  • Federal Aid Single Point of Contact Workshop (MTC Presentation and Caltrans Presentation)  (including presentations on funding programming, TIP, CMA overview, Caltrans overview (Local Assistance, environmental, and Right of Way)
  • Federal Aid Single Point of Contact Checklist
• SFCTA's Portal page for sponsors to submit quarterly reports for SFCTA-funded projects

Caltrans Programs and Procedures References

Caltrans, with its delegated authority from FHWA, develops procedures for and conducts review of a majority of FHWA-funded projects. Also see Caltrans District 4 page and the Training Resources section (below) for materials from past trainings.

• Local Assistance Program Guidelines (LAPG) provides a description of federal and state programs, including:
  • Introduction/Overview: Ch 1 Introduction/Overview (PDF); Ch 2 Financing the Federal-Aid Highway Program (PDF); Ch 3 Federal-Aid Routes & Functional Classifications
  • Most commonly used funding programs: Ch 4 Surface Transportation Program (STP); Ch 5 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ); Ch 9 Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)
• Local Assistance Procedures Manual (LAPM) describes procedures and documents required to use federal and state funds. This link gives a compilation of "packages" required by phase.
  • Introduction/Overview: Ch 1 Introduction/Overview; Ch 2 Roles/Responsibilities
  • Authorization/Agreement/Invoicing: Ch 3 Project Authorization; Ch 4 Agreements; Ch 5 Invoicing
  • Environmental: Ch 6 Environmental Procedures
  • Preliminary Engineering: Ch 7 Field Review; Ch 8 Public Hearings; Ch 9 Civil Rights and DBEs; Ch 10 Consultant Selection; Ch 11 Design Standards; Ch 12 PS&E
  • ROW/Utility Coordination: Ch 13 ROW; Ch 14 Utility Relocations
  • Construction: Ch 15 Advertise and Award; Ch 16 Administer Contracts
  • Completion (and after): Ch 17 Project Completion; Ch 18 Maintenance; Ch 19 Oversight and Process Reviews; Ch 20 Audits and Corrective Actions
  • LAPM forms in word documents
• Updates
  • Division of Local Assistance Office Bulletins (DLA-OBs) disseminate the most recent policy and procedural changes, including LAPG and LAPM chapters and forms.
  • Local Programs Procedures (LPPs) formalize LAPG and LAPM changes that have been initiated through DLA-OBs.  DLA-OBs expire upon issuance of LPPs.
  • Caltrans Oversight Information Notices (COIN) are single-topic bulletins intended to provide information and guidance to local agencies on a wide range of issues pertaining to the Federal-aid projects.
  • Local Assistance Blog (or "LAB") for federal-aid program updates 

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

Transportation projects that receive federal funds, are subject to a federally required action, or have a regionally significant air quality impact must be included in the TIP. 

2023 TIP update 

Non-exempt project [update to reflect Plan Bay Area 2050]

• MTC memo (PDF) on non-exempt projects 
• Plan Bay Area 2040 Project List with RTP ID (Excel)

Primer & latest schedule

• 2023 TIP — Overview
• MTC memo (PDF) on 2019 TIP Primer (03-08-18) 

General

• MTC TIP page, including MTC Guide to TIP and TIP revision schedule and status (2023 TIP)
• MTC Fund Management System (FMS, online database for TIP)
  • TIP Overview and How to Use FMS (powerpoint)
• FMS Funding Report page, which generates reports showing obligation status by funding program by county
• Air Quality (AQ) PM 2.5 ("fine particulate matter") Conformity Requirement: MTC, with the help of project sponsors, must conduct a project-level hot spot analysis for "projects of air quality concern."
  • MTC memo (PDF) on quantitative analysis requirement (12-12-11)
  • MTC instruction (PDF) to submit AQ PM 2.5 info (03-08-12, as part of the 2013 TIP Update)

Other Federal and State Agency Resources

• FHWA MAP-21 page, including Fact Sheets
• California Transportation Commission (CTC): meeting schedule and agenda, CTC-administered programs 
• Caltrans Division of Transportation Planning and Local Assistance
• California Safe Routes to School Active Transportation Resource Center, including a resource page for Caltrans SRTS Non-Infrastructure Projects 

Training Resources

• Caltrans District 4 Training (District 4-specific training), which includes materials from past training
  • Caltrans Risk-based invoicing presentation (11-18-14)
  • Contract administration of federal-aid projects by local agencies (06-10-14): presentation (PDF), list of helpful handouts (PDF), FHWA 1273 form (PDF)
• Caltrans Highway Bridge Program (HBP) training
• Caltrans Local Assistance Training for Local Agencies (general training info) 
• California Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP; Caltrans in partnership with Sacramento State's College of Continuing Education)
• SF Public Work's Overview of the Federal Aid Process for Transportation Projects (powerpoint)
• FHWA's Every Day Counts Exchange webinars on project development and delivery practices and tools for local agencies 
• UC Berkeley TechTransfer (click on "Click here to register for a class!")

FAQ

• Twelve Procedural Errors (doc) from TechTransfer training

Contact

Nick Smith, Senior Transportation Planner