LOC News
Transportation Grants Available for Connect Oregon 9 and Carbon Reduction
Two transportation funding opportunities have recently been announced by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the federal government.
For Connect Oregon 9, ODOT will take applications through February 1. The grant funding can go toward qualified projects related to aviation, rail, and marine projects. Previous grants have funded bicycle/pedestrian and transit projects. Since 2005, competitive grants in Connect Oregon have been awarded to 221 projects totaling $453 million in state funds, leveraging another $665 million from matching funds.
Go here to learn more about Connect Oregon and this cycle’s program. To connect directly to the grant application, go here. In May 2022, the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) awarded $46 million to 21 projects. You can go to the online mapping tool for additional details on these projects. As a result of legislation passed in 2017 – HB 2017/HB 2592, Connect Oregon has undergone the following changes:
- Transit has been removed and is now funded by the Statewide Transit Tax;
- Bicycle/pedestrian funding has shifted over to the Multimodal Statewide Investments Management Fund; and
- Funding is now determined by the Vehicle Dealer Privilege Tax.
Federal Funding for Emission-Reducing Projects Returns March 1
Transportation projects in Oregon that reduce greenhouse gas emissions will have another opportunity in 2024 to get a funding boost from the federal Carbon Reduction Program. About $12 million is available in 2024 for eligible projects in “small urban and rural” areas of Oregon with populations of fewer than 200,000. This effectively covers all cities outside of Portland.
This cycle’s application window runs from March 1 - May 31, 2024. Eligible applicants include counties, cities, Tribal governments, and local and state transportation agencies.
Learn more about the Carbon Reduction Program here. You can view a list of the previously awarded projects from the 2023 cycle.
If you want to share your application experience or learn more about the application process, contact ODOT’s Rye Baerg at 503-798-0589. A virtual listening session is scheduled for January 31 from 2-3 p.m. Register for this session here.
Contact: Jim McCauley, Legislative Director - jmccauley@orcities.org
Last Updated 1/19/24