The Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program combines two major grant programs, the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) and the Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) Program into one NOFO. These programs share common goals of reconnecting communities impacted by transportation infrastructure, prioritizing disadvantaged communities, improving accessibility, fostering equitable development and restoration.
The Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhood Program houses two new grants administered by the Department of Transportation: the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program (NAE) and the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program (RCP). In the first cycle of funding, DOT combined the two programs into a single Notice of Funding Opportunity to create a more efficient process.
Notably, the two programs will remain as separate grants and have two main differences. First, the NAE has a 40 percent set-aside for disadvantaged or underserved communities while the RCP does not have any specific set-asides. Second, the NAE does not have any award minimums or maximums for any of its awards while the RCP has an award maximum of $2 million for planning grants and an award minimum of $5 million for construction grants.
Neighborhood Access and Equity Program (NAEP). The Neighborhood Access and Equity Program funds technical assistance, planning, and construction activities under three categories: Community Planning Grants, Capital Construction Grants, and Regional Partnership Challenge Grants.
Eligible Applicants. Eligible applicants for all three categories include a State or territory, unit of local government, political subdivision of a State, a federally recognized Tribal government, special purpose districts, or a metropolitan planning organization. Nonprofit organizations can apply in partnership with an eligible entity to support projects that entail planning and capacity building activities in disadvantaged communities. DOT recommends that either the owner of the facility proposed in the project serve as the lead applicant or if the lead applicant is another eligible entity demonstrate a partnership with the owner of the facility.
This Program funds activities for two types of existing transportation facilities.
A dividing facility: A surface transportation facility that creates an obstacle to community connectivity by design factors such as high speaks or grade separation.
A burdening facility: A surface transportation facility that is a source of burdens to a disadvantaged or underserved community, such as air pollution, noise, and stormwater.
Some examples of eligible projects include removing, remediating, or replacing a facility to improve walkability, safety, and affordable transportation access, building noise barriers to reduce noise impacts, add natural infrastructure and other feature that reduce the urban heat island effect, reduce or manage stormwater runoff, greenhouse gas emissions, and/or air pollution.
Applications for the first round of funding were due September 28, 2023. Selected grantees for the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program can be seen here.
Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program (RCP). The Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program has both planning and construction grants. Under this Program, planning grants may be used to study the feasibility and impacts of removing, retrofitting, or mitigating an existing eligible facility. This can include assessments of current traffic patterns on the facility and surrounding street network, alternative roadway designs and other uses for the right-of-way including green infrastructure or other nature-based solutions, the project’s anticipated impact on the mobility of freight and people, and the project’s anticipated impact on safety. Construction grants can be used to remove, retrofit, mitigate an eligible dividing facility or replace an existing facility with a new facility.
Applications for the second round of funding are due September 30, 2024 at 11:59 Eastern. This NOFO will award all remaining funds authorized under BIL for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program.
Information last updated: September 23, 2024