The Ferguson Group Blog

DOT Interim FY2011 TIGER NOFA Published

The Interim Notice of Funding Availability for the FY 2011 TIGER Discretionary Grant Program is available here. The Department will accept comments regarding this Interim NOFA until July 18, 2011 and intends to publish a Final NOFA on August 1, 2011. Like last year, the Department will require all applicants to submit a "pre-application" prior to submitting a final application.

The pre-application system will open on August 22, 2011. All pre-applications should be submitted by October 3, 2011. Final applications will be due on or before October 31, 2011.

Awards in the two previous rounds of TIGER have funded road, rail, transit, and port projects across the country.

Interested in Federal Assistance for Sustainable Development Planning?

Tomorrow, Climate Communities will host a webinar on HUD’s Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants. The webinar will feature HUD representatives who will describe the grant opportunity and be available to answer questions. Click here to register.

As a reminder HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants can be used to support the preparation of regional plans for sustainable development and to support efforts to modify existing regional plans so that they are in accordance with the Partnership for Sustainable Communities’ six Livability Principles.  Funds also may be used to prepare more detailed execution plans for an adopted regional plan for sustainable development and limited predevelopment planning activities for catalytic projects.

FTA Announces Bus Livability Grant Funding

The FTA announced the availability of at least $150 million in funding for the Bus Livability Program. The Bus Livability Program makes grants available to public transportation providers to finance capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities. In awarding funds, FTA will strongly evaluate proposed projects links to livability principles and environmental sustainability. Applications can be found here.

Senate SAFETEA-LU Time Frame

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, announced the Committee's planned time frame for the Senate’s SAFETEA-LU reauthorization bill:

• Unveiling of the bill text the week of July 11th
• EPW Committee hearings the week of July 18th
• EPW markup the week of July 25th

FTA Announces Three Public Transit Grant Opportunities

The FTA is now accepting applications from public transit agencies to fund the purchase of new and replacement buses, related equipment and facilities, for the rehabilitation of transit capital, and for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. Funding will be provided through three programs: TIGGER, Clean Fuels Grant Program, and the State of Good Repair Initiative. For more information, visit FTA.

20th Extension of FAA Programs Introduced

Funding for programs administered by the FAA will expire on June 30^th absent enactment of an extension. Since the House and Senate are unable to reach a final deal on a long term FAA authorization bill, Congress is expected to extend FAA program authority until July 22 in order to give negotiators more time to complete action on a multi-year FAA reauthorization bill. The House is expected to pass the extension bill today followed by action in the Senate.

Ask Your Representative to Sign the Lowey Letter in Support of FEMA Funding

The House version of the Fiscal Year 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations bill significantly cuts funding for first responder programs, such as the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) and Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG). Congresswoman Lowey (D-NY) is coordinating a letter to the Senate Committee on Appropriations in support of FEMA’s State and Local Programs. Call your Representative today at (202) 224-3121 to ask that they sign onto this important letter. For more information, please contact Representative Lowey at (202) 225-6506.

HUD Releases HOPE VI Main Street Grant Opportunity

HUD recently announced the availability of $500,000 through the HOPE VI Main Street Grants Program. This competitive grant program is designed to provide assistance to local governments, with a population of 50,000 or less, to aid in the rejuvenation of a historic or traditional central business district or main street area by replacing unused commercial space in buildings with affordable housing units. The objectives of the program are to: redevelop main street areas; preserve historic or traditional architecture or design features in main street areas; enhance economic development efforts in main street areas; and provide affordable housing in main street areas. 

The HOPE VI Main Street Grants Program will result in approximately 1 award. Applications are on August 22, 2011. Click here to download the HOPE VI Main Street Grant application.

Reps. Fleishmann and DesJarlais Introduce Bill To Reduce Financial Burden on Local Governments

Representatives Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) and Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) introduced a bill to rollback a requirement that state and local governments replace regulatory, warning, and ground-mounted guide signs by January 2015 and overhead guide signs and street names signs by January 2018. The Fleishmann-DesJarlais bill would allow local governments to meet the new standards when they replace signs at the end of their natural life cycle. To read more on this bill, click here.

FTA To Announce Opportunity for Communities to Improve Public Transit

This week, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will announce a competitive grant program to help urban, suburban and rural communities develop public transit options. Up to $150 million will be available to purchase or replace buses and to build bus-related facilities. Funding will also be available for communities to evaluate and select the best transit options to meet their transportation needs. Recipients will be able to use these federal dollars for a broad range of projects within these two categories. Check back for future updates or click here for more information from FTA.