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Grant News
Currently, three or four grant opportunities are available to the membership through CPRPO. Staff has provided a summary of these three programs, including eligible projects, entities, and match requirements. Please reach out to Karyl Fuller, kfuller@centralpinesnc.gov, for more information.
CMAQ
CPRPO can submit projects for funding each year through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program. This program provides funding for projects that will have a positive impact on air quality in areas that are designated as non-attainment for national air quality standards or areas that were previously in non-attainment. In the CPRPO area, the eligibility extends to Orange County and the four northeastern townships (Baldwin, Center, New Hope, and Williams) of Chatham County, including the Town of Pittsboro.
The call for CMAQ projects is ongoing, and FY 2025 funding should be available, approximately $150,000. This is Federal funding and requires a 20% match by the implementing local government or local agency. There are a number of eligible project types, but typically, in our area, the funding has been used for sidewalks and transit projects.
CPRPO will need to vote to approve which project (or projects) to submit, so please plan to submit the application by December 2 for the December meeting or February 3 for the February meeting. If a project requires multiple years of funding (due to higher cost), this may also be an option we can discuss with NCDOT—communicate with CPRPO staff if this may be of interest.
SPR
Each year for the last several years, NCDOT's TPD has made SPR funds available to the RPOs on a competitive basis. These funds can be used for planning but not for surveying or engineering. The Second Avenue project was funded using SPR funds.
For FY 2025, the call should open sometime between now and the end of January. If you would like to apply, here are some things to keep in mind:
• Potential project ideas include Highway Corridor Studies, Economic surveys and investigations, Freight planning, and Planning for multi-modal infrastructure.
• Potential projects would be due to staff by February 2, 2025, so they can be added to the February 2025 CPRPO agenda
• SPR funds are Federal funds and would require a 10% local match
• A scope of work and a cost estimate is required for the application
Please reach out to Karyl with possible ideas and questions, as she will help develop and then submit the application to NCDOT on your behalf.
Carbon Reduction Program
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act established a new funding opportunity for projects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from on-road highway sources. The program includes $6.4 billion in formula funding for Fiscal Years 2022-2026. There may still be some funds to be allocated here.
If you have an idea for a project, please let Karyl know and she will check in with NCDOT to see if they are still accepting applications.
Multimodal Planning Grant Program (MMPG)
Finally, NCDOT's Integrated Mobility Division (IMD) and the Transportation Planning Division created an annual matching grant program – the Multimodal Planning Grant Program (MMPG) – to encourage municipalities to develop comprehensive bicycle plans and pedestrian plans. This program was initiated in January 2004 and is currently administered through NCDOT-IMD.
The Multimodal Planning Program has been successful in its 21 grant cycles - since 2004, 266 planning grants have been awarded. To date, a total of approximately $8.6 million has been allocated to 260 municipalities and 6 counties through this grant program. The deadline is MARCH 25, 2024. There is a local match that varies by the jurisdiction's population size.
Staff is willing to help the membership apply, but IMD requires the jurisdiction to apply using the EBS. For more information, see here.
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