Transportation Loans & Grants
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has identified livability as a key priority for transportation. The Secretary's vision is "transportation policies that focus on people and communities who use the transportation system." A major way DOT helps communities pursue these aims is by issuing grants to eligible recipients for planning, vehicle purchases, facility construction, operations, and other purposes. DOT administers this financial assistance according to authorization, SAFETEA-LU, which was signed into law in August 2005. There are a large number of programs and grants within the Department of Transportation that support projects that enhance or relate to livability. Visit the DOT website for more information.
TIGER Grants
The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary Grant program, provides a unique opportunity for the U.S. Department of Transportation to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects that promise to achieve critical national objectives. Congress dedicated $1.5 billion for TIGER I and $600 million for TIGER II to fund projects that have a significant impact on the Nation, a region or a metropolitan area. TIGER's highly competitive process, galvanized by tremendous applicant interest, allowed DOT to fund 51 innovative capital projects in TIGER I, and an additional 42 capital projects in TIGER II. TIGER II also featured a new Planning Grant category and 33 planning projects were also funded through TIGER II. Each project is multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional or otherwise challenging to fund through existing programs.The TIGER program enables DOT to use a rigorous process to select projects with exceptional benefits, explore ways to deliver projects faster and save on construction costs, and make investments in our Nation's infrastructure that make communities more livable and sustainable. To learn more about TIGER grants,
click here.
Ohio Rail Development Commission: Loan and grant funds are available for public or private rail improvements, including engineering and design work. The amount and type of funding available for a project will depend on job creation and rail traffic volume generated by the project. More information can be found at the
Ohio Rail Development Commission website.
Ohio Department of Transportation Grants
In accordance with HB 420 (Government Accountability and Transparency, 127th General Assembly), the Ohio Department of Transportation provides Grant information coordinated through the following programs within the agency: