This month the Mobile MPO met on June 17th to review the FY 2016 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) which is essentially the Transportation Planning budget for next fiscal year. Also, the 2016-2019 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) was reviewed, which lays out all of federal capital transportation projects for the next four years. The TCC/CAC met the first week of June and developed a balanced Mobile MPO STP Attributable Schedule for the 2016-2019 TIP. 

There are several options for funding available through SARPC. The FTA 5310 Rural funds were due to the SARPC offices by June 17th, 2015. Also, ALDOT has an application period open for leftover SAFETEA-LU funding for Rural JARC (FTA 5316) and Rural New Freedom (FTA 5317); those applications are due to the SARPC offices on July 1st, 2015.  Finally, SARPC is the Designated Recipient for FTA 5310 Urban funds (MAP-21) for Mobile, AL, and those applications are due to the SARPC offices by July 23rd, 2015.  

The Transportation Department is updating the Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan (CHSTP), and they are starting to schedule public meetings pertaining to that plan. ANY AGENCY APPLYING FOR TRANSIT FUNDS MUST BE PART OF THIS PLANNING PROCESS. The first meeting is scheduled July 8th, 2015 at 2:00PM at the SARPC Offices.   

Presentations were held this last week at the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) headquarters in Montgomery to evaluate prospective design teams for the proposed I-10 Mobile River Bridge Project.

In April, ALDOT released a Request for Proposals for the project design. Based on the proposals, six design teams from around the country were chosen to give presentations to a panel of ALDOT and Federal Highway Administration representatives. Southwest Region Engineer Vince Calametti was also in attendance at the presentations.

The final three candidates will give presentations to a Mobile-based selection committee in Mobile at the end of July.

Once the consultant is selected, ALDOT will begin work on the design plans needed to complete the Final Environmental Impact Statement and construction plans.

The proposed I-10 Mobile River Bridge Project includes construction of a new bridge over the Mobile River, which would tie into the existing I-10 Bayway, in order relieve traffic congestion from the current I-10 Wallace Tunnel. The Bayway, the 7.5-mile interstate bridge which connects Baldwin and Mobile counties, would also be widened from four lanes to eight lanes.

For more information on the project please visit MOBILE RIVER BRIDGE

The Governmental Planning Department continues to assist the City of Bayou La Batre with their Comprehensive Plan and the City of Chickasaw with their Zoning Ordinance.  Both of these projects were funded through the State Lands Division, Coastal Zone Management Program. We are also assisting the Utilities Board of the City of Bayou La Batre with their CIAP grant and the City of Brewton with their gas line project which was partially funded with a Delta Regional Authority Grant. 

 SARPC recently attended a Leadership Exchange that was hosted by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce in the City of New Orleans. This trip provided an opportunity to exchange ideas and hear success stories regarding new business innovations and building entrepreneurs.  We also heard about Charter Schools, the new BioDistrict, MidCity redevelopment and Green Entrepreneurialism. 

There have been two recent announcements of funding opportunities from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce

Listed below is a brief description of each. 

1.        Funding Opportunity Title: Coastal Ecosystem Resiliency Grants Program

           Announcement Type: Initial

           Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2015-2004410

           Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.463, Habitat 

           Conservation

    Dates: Applications must be postmarked, provided to a delivery service, or received

    by www.Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on July 2, 2015.

Funding Opportunity Description: The principal objective of the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) Coastal Ecosystem Resiliency Grants solicitation is to implement projects that use a proactive approach to improve or restore coastal habitat to: 1) strengthen the resilience of our marine and coastal ecosystems to decrease the vulnerability of communities to extreme weather and 2) support sustainable fisheries and contribute to the recovery of protected resources. Successful applications will 1) identify an issue limiting the resiliency of marine and coastal ecosystems to extreme weather events or changing environmental conditions at the proposed project site; 2) identify the proposed project's outcome goal(s) and describe in detail the actions and on-the-ground restoration to be undertaken to enhance resiliency and reduce risk and; 3) describe the measurable impact on the ecosystem, target species, and surrounding coastal communities to benefit from the proposed habitat restoration project.

NOAA will not accept applications requesting less than $200,000 or more than $2 million in federal funds from NOAA under this solicitation. Federal funds awarded under this program must be matched with non federal funds (cash or in-kind cost share) at a 2:1 ratio of federal-to-non-federal contributions. The Regional 

Coastal Resilience Grants FFO was expected to be posted in May 2015 and may be found on www.grants.gov at FFO number NOAA-NOS-OCM-2015-2004324.

2.         Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2015 Regional Coastal Resilience Grants Program

            Announcement Type: Initial

            Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-OCM-2015-2004324

            Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.473, Coastal Services    

            Center

            Dates: Applications must be postmarked, provided to a delivery service, or

            received by www.Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 24, 2015.

Funding Opportunity Description: The purpose of this notice is to solicit proposals from eligible entities to develop or implement activities that build resilience of coastal regions, communities, and economic sectors to the negative impacts from extreme weather events, climate hazards, and changing ocean conditions. Successful applicants will develop proposals that plan or implement actions that mitigate the impacts of these environmental drivers on overall resilience, including economic and environmental resilience.