This week, the Biden Administration announced the availability of $120M in grant funding for innovative transportation projects through the next round of the Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation Program (ATTAIN), the successor to the Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment Program (ATCMTD) launched by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The $120M in this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) includes funding for both the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years.
States, municipalities, transit agencies, MPOs, and other political subdivisions — as well as groupings of the above — may apply for up to $12M in funding over two to four years to deploy, install, and operate advanced technologies to improve safety, mobility, efficiency, system performance, intermodal connectivity, and infrastructure return on investment. ATTAIN projects are intended as model deployments to demonstrate effective use and deployment of emerging technologies. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) anticipates awarding between 5 and 10 grants this cycle, with 20% of funding reserved for rural areas. A local match of at least 20% is required.
A wide variety of technologies are eligible for ATTAIN funding, including but not limited to advanced mobility and on-demand transportation service technologies, payment service integration, transportation management technologies, and advanced traveler information systems. For a full list of eligible technologies, please consult the ATTAIN NOFO. Last year, awarded projects included a “mobility wallet” project in southern California, an autonomous vehicle (AV) microtransit service expansion in Grand Rapids, and a connected vehicle project in Colorado.
Proposals should provide benefits in the form of reduced traffic-related fatalities and injuries, reduced congestion, reduced emissions, optimized system performance, improved access to transportation, integration of payment systems, cost savings, and/or public access to real-time traffic and transportation information.
Like in the last program cycle, FHWA is particularly interested in applications which address the following: state of good repair, integration of intelligent transportation systems with smart grid or other energy systems, advanced public transportation systems, efficient freight movement systems, rural transportation projects, and programs supporting the Complete Trip Program. For more information on these focus areas, please consult the NOFO.
Via’s mission is to harness the power of technological innovation to improve transit for all. Given the broad reach of the ATTAIN grant, we believe this is a unique opportunity to be creative and groundbreaking in the next phase of your region’s transportation system. We’d love to partner with you on potential projects for ATTAIN including, but not limited to:
- Launching an innovative on-demand service;
- Implementing road or congestion pricing;
- Deploying shared autonomous vehicles;
- Designing and deploying trip planning and mobility management systems.
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If you're interested in applying for ATTAIN, please schedule a meeting with our team for more insight on the process and how Via can help. Applications are due February 2, 2024.
Rachel DiSalvo is a Grants and Funding Principal at Via, specializing in helping Via's public sector partners identify and apply for transit funding opportunities.
