Call for projects open for three federal funding programs

• Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) — funds for transportation projects that improve air quality.
• Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG) — funds for roadway projects on the federal highway system, capital improvements for public transportation and other multimodal projects.
• STBG Set-aside (formerly Transportation Alternatives or TAP) — funds a variety of smaller-scale transportation projects such as pedestrian and bicycle facilities, recreational trails, safe routes to school projects, community improvements such as historic preservation and vegetation management, and environmental mitigation related to stormwater and habitat connectivity.

Some of the funds for these programs will come through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Biden on Nov. 15, 2021. Since funding amounts are not finalized, MARC will look at past amounts to provide reasonable estimates of how much funding might be available. Although some uncertainties remain, many transportation projects require long lead times to design and develop through the federal-aid process, so MARC is proceeding with this call for projects to provide time to complete that work.

MARC’s vision is to be a region of opportunity where the robust economy, healthy environment and social capacity support the creativity, diversity and resilience of its people, places and communities.

Connected KC 2050, the region’s long‐range transportation plan supports the regional vision by establishing goals for a safe, balanced, regional multimodal transportation system that is coordinated with land‐use planning, supports equitable access to opportunities, and protects the environment. Project proposals submitted for consideration will be evaluated based on how closely they align with the policy goals of the plan.

Connected KC 2050 also includes a Programming Policy Statement that further supports the vision and is designed to aid the region as it makes progress in implementing the goals identified in the transportation plan and other regional policies. Project proposals will be evaluated for adherence with these policies.

State and local government and transportation agencies located within MARC’s MPO boundary — Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties in Kansas, and Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties in Missouri — may submit transportation projects for consideration for STBG and STBG set-aside funds. CMAQ funds are only eligible for use in the region’s air quality planning boundary — Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas, and Clay, Jackson and Platte counties in Missouri. Interested nonprofit entities, school districts and other nongovernmental agencies should contact MARC regarding their eligibility under these programs.

Each of the three programs is eligible to fund a wide but specific range of surface transportation projects. Eligible transportation project types for this call for projects include, but are not limited to:

• Active transportation, including bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
• Alternative fuel and diesel retrofit strategies to improve regional air quality.
• Installation of electric vehicle charging and vehicle-to-grid infrastructure.
• Installation and deployment of intelligent transportation technologies.
• Use of natural infrastructure to enhance resilience.
• Public transportation.
• Outreach strategies to improve regional air quality.
• Roadway and bridge capacity, management, operations, preservation and traffic flow.
• Transportation safety.