The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) applied for federal funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Discretionary Grant program. The CRTPO’s application titled Making Our Roads SAFER: A Cross-Jurisdictional Study, was awarded. This grant will allow the CRTPO to conduct detailed comprehensive mobility audits in historically underserved and transportation disadvantaged communities throughout Iredell, Mecklenburg, and western Union counties.
CRTPO Awarded $5 Million in USDOT Federal Funding through the RAISE Grant Program
On June 26, 2024, the CRTPO was awarded $5 million for its application, Making Our Roads SAFER: A Cross-Jurisdictional Study.
The CRTPO is one of three recipients in North Carolina and one of 148 projects awarded RAISE funds from across the country.
WHY IS CRTPO APPLYING?
As the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Charlotte Urban Area, the CRTPO is responsible for coordinating transportation planning efforts with the member jurisdictions within its planning area boundary. MPOs are involved in regional planning, funding, and policy development for all modes of transportation, so the CRTPO is uniquely positioned to lead cross-jurisdictional studies that require complex coordination. CRTPO staff possesses extensive experience with project management, grant reporting, and public engagement.
As directed by Congress in the BIL, projects located in the areas identified in the map below are eligible for up to 100 percent federal cost share. The CRTPO will be selecting targeted geographies within these areas to study based on data-driven safety analysis.
WHAT IS RAISE?
- Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Discretionary Grant program
- Administered by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT)
- Authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)
- $1.5 billion in funding available in 2024
- Focus on addressing climate change, ensuring racial equity, and removing barriers to opportunity
RAISE identifies three geography types for prioritized investments:
- Areas of Persistent Poverty (APP) are defined by BIL and are based on historic Census Tract or County level poverty data from the United States Census Bureau.
- Historically Disadvantaged Communities (HDC) are defined by USDOT in alignment with the Justice40 Initiative using Census Tract indicators for environmental, climate, and associated socio-economic burdens.
- Rural Areas (RA) are based on the Urban Area definitions decided by the United States Census Bureau.
By targeting study efforts in these three areas as identified by RAISE, the CRTPO can apply for funding without needing to provide any local funding match. This means that, if awarded, this study will be entirely federally funded.
Fulfilling the CRTPO’s Strategic Plan
Goal 1 | Lead on regional mobility issues.
Goal 2 | Proactively engage the public to increase awareness of regional transportation issues.
Goal 3 | Foster a culture of collaboration with partners.
Goal 6 | Expand regional transportation funding.
How is CRTPO Making Our Roads SAFER?
The safety of everyone that travels through the region – by whatever mode they choose – is a priority for the CRTPO. Solving safety issues is a complicated process, as no two intersections or segments of the transportation network will have identical problems. Unique problems require unique solutions. The CRTPO’s application identifies the following key elements for this study:
| Safety improvements | Protect non-motorized travelers Reduce fatalities and serious injuries |
| Accessible design | Increase accessibility for non-motorized travelers Restore and modernize existing infrastructure |
| Flexible trips | Increase affordable transportation choices Reduce vehicle dependence |
| Equitable planning | Engage residents and community-based organizations Reduce transportation cost burdens |
| Resilient communities | Incorporate nature-based solutions into recommendations Include considerations for stormwater mitigation and other environmental burdens related to transportation |
The CRTPO plans to conduct a series of comprehensive audits to identify localized issues and prioritize implementable solutions based on these tenants and best practices identified in the National Roadway Safety Strategy and USDOT’s Safe System Approach.
How is the CRTPO Engaging Stakeholders?
The CRTPO’s data collection and analysis will be grounded with extensive public engagement guided by the CRTPO’s Public Involvement Plan and USDOT’s Promising Practices for Meaningful Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making Guide. The safety of people will be this study’s priority – and the people’s input will be critical to guiding the study’s development.
Pre-Application Public Outreach Webinar
In February 2024, CRTPO staff hosted two virtual webinars to inform transportation planning staff and local community groups about our application.
Presentation materials from the February 7 Pre-Application Public Outreach Webinar are now available in the “Relevant Materials” section below.
The CRTPO is seeking partners to collaborate with on public engagement for this study. CRTPO staff does not expect or want your organization to do the work for us. We are looking for opportunities to speak to community members at your events, provide polling materials through your distribution networks, and create channels for residents to provide their input through the connections that only you can foster.
We ask that agencies and organizations interested in supporting the CRTPO’s application submit a letter of support committing to work with us if funding is awarded for this study. CRTPO staff has created a toolkit for your use with detailed instructions (see the public engagement toolkit posted below). This letter is not a legally binding agreement between the CRTPO and the entity you represent. It demonstrates to the USDOT that our study will engage residents and community-based organizations.
Relevant Materials
Please use the links below to download materials that the CRTPO has published to support this RAISE grant application.
Next Steps
The CRTPO was notified on June 26, 2024 of its successful award of $5 million in planning funds from USDOT. The CRTPO staff will reach back out to each organization that provided a letter of support to provide additional information regarding next steps. Contacted organizations will remain on a project contact list to ensure they are kept informed of the study’s development. While the CRTPO’s initial application lays out a proposed budget, project schedule, and key deliverables, the specifics of these activities will be finalized with a third-party consultant.
FY 2024 RAISE Application Tracker
Staff anticipates grant administration to be completed in Spring 2025, and work on the study to begin by Fall 2025.
Questions
RAISE is an extensive application process, and we welcome further questions about the work we are doing to secure these Federal funds. Please contact Brian Elgort, Project Implementation Coordinator, at brian.elgort@charlottenc.gov with any questions.