Funding Programs

TRPC receives an annual allocation of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) transportation grant funds through Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to support the Thurston County region’s long-range metropolitan transportation priorities. TRPC has authority to program these funds to eligible priority transportation projects, services, and planning activities that serve local communities in both the urban and rural areas. 

TRPC awards and schedules the programming of projects for three grant programs that are administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA): (1) Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) – the largest share of funding; (2) STBG Set Aside, also known as Transportation Alternatives (TA); and (3) Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ). This section describes the grant programs’ eligible project types.

Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) - provides flexible funding that may be used by states and local agencies for projects to preserve and improve the conditions and performance on any federal-aid highway, bridge and tunnel projects on any public road, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and transit capital projects, including intercity bus terminals.

Eligible project types include:

  • Construction of highways, bridges, and tunnels.
  • Construction of ferry boats and terminal facilities.
  • Transit capital projects.
  • Infrastructure-based intelligent transportation systems capital improvements including vehicle-to-infrastructure communication equipment.
  • Truck parking facilities.
  • Wildlife crossing structures.
  • Operational improvements and capital and operating costs for traffic monitoring, management, and control facilities and programs.
  • Highway and transit safety infrastructure improvements and programs.
  • Fringe and corridor parking facilities.
  • Recreational trails projects.
  • Planning, design, or construction of boulevards and other roadways.
  • Protection for bridges and tunnels.
  • Surface transportation planning programs, highway and transit research and development, and workforce training.
  • Surface transportation infrastructure modifications to facilitate direct intermodal interchange, transfer, and access into and out of a port terminal.
  • Projects and strategies designed to support congestion pricing.
  • Projects and strategies designed to reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions.
  • The installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and vehicle-to-grid infrastructure.
  • The installation and deployment of current and emerging intelligent transportation technologies, including the ability of vehicles to communicate with infrastructure, buildings, and other road users.
  • Planning and construction of projects that facilitate intermodal connections between emerging transportation technologies.
  • Protective features, including natural infrastructure, to enhance the resilience of a transportation facility otherwise eligible for assistance under STBG.
  • Measures to protect a transportation facility otherwise eligible for assistance under STBG from cybersecurity threats.

For details on Implementation Guidance for the STBG Program as revised by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, visit: www.fhwa.dot.gov/specialfunding/stp/. 

Transportation Alternatives STBG Set-Aside – provides funding for a variety of generally smaller-scale transportation projects such as pedestrian and bicycle facilities; construction of turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas; community improvements such as historic preservation and vegetation management; environmental mitigation related to stormwater and habitat connectivity; recreational trails; safe routes to school projects; and vulnerable road user safety assessments.

Eligible project types include:

  • Construction, planning, and design of on-road and off-road trail facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other nonmotorized forms of transportation, including sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian and bicycle signals, traffic calming techniques, lighting and other safety-related infrastructure, and transportation projects to achieve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Construction, planning, and design of infrastructure-related projects and systems that will provide safe routes for non-drivers, including children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities to access daily needs.
  • Conversion and use of abandoned railroad corridors for trails for pedestrians, bicyclists, or other nonmotorized transportation users.
  • Construction of turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas.
  • Community improvement activities, including: 
    1. inventory, control, or removal of outdoor advertising;
    2. historic preservation and rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities; 
    3. vegetation management practices in transportation rights-of-way to improve roadway safety, prevent against invasive species, and provide erosion control; and
    4. archaeological activities relating to impacts from implementation of a transportation project
  • Any environmental mitigation activity, including pollution prevention and pollution abatement activities and mitigation to: 
    1. address stormwater management, control, and water pollution prevention or abatement related to highway construction or due to highway runoff;
    2. reduce vehicle-caused wildlife mortality or to restore and maintain connectivity among terrestrial or aquatic habitats
  • The recreational trails program
  • The safe routes to school program
  • Planning, designing, or constructing boulevards and other roadways largely in the right-of-way of former Interstate System routes or other divided highways.

For details on Implementation Guidance for the TA STBG Set-Aside Program as revised by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, visit: www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/transportation_alternatives/guidance/.

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) – funding is available to reduce congestion and improve air quality for areas that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, or particulate matter (PM) (nonattainment areas) and for former nonattainment areas that are now in compliance (maintenance areas). A nonattainment area is an area considered to have air quality worse than the National Area Air Quality Standards as defined in the federal Clean Air Act Amendments. TRPC is currently in compliance with air quality standards.

Due to the uncertainty of TRPC’s future allocation of CMAQ grant funds, TRPC has no plans to award and program funds from this grant program following the completion of the 2020 Call for Projects. TRPC may award CMAQ funds in future funding cycles depending on the region’s grant program allocations.