Readers of this blog know ADOT is the agency that often allocates federal grant funds to different entities from across the state (schools, communities, etc.) for transportation-related projects…

But, did you know there’s a program sponsored by ADOT that provides federal funds for the purpose of conducting transportation planning studies?

The program is known as PARA (Planning Assistance for Rural Areas) and it provides these funds to non-metropolitan communities.

More on PARA
PARA funds can’t be used for the design or construction of transportation projects, but the money can be used to plan for and address a range of issues related to roadway and non-motorized transportation modes. Public transportation services can be studied with PARA funds, too.

Some examples of what issues may be addressed by PARA program funding:

• Roadway and transit operations/facilities planning
• Development or update of a municipality’s circulation element in its general plan
• Bicycle and pedestrian planning
• Trails planning

Sierra Vista study 
ADOT administered PARA program funding to Sierra Vista so the city can develop a Travel Reduction Plan that will ultimately identify options to improve traffic flow by reducing the number of motorists who drive alone to work or school.

So far, the city has completed an efficiency study that surveyed workers at Sierra Vista’s largest workplaces to better understand how people commute and what types of programs would encourage them to make fewer single-occupancy vehicle trips. The study found that more than 90 percent of workers in Sierra Vista currently drive to and from work and school alone.

Most recently, ADOT and the city launched an online survey to lean about the travel habits of Sierra Vista residents and to understand what alternative options might reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips.

Findings from the studies and surveys will be used by Sierra Vista to develop the final Travel Reduction Plan.

In a land-locked state like Arizona, you wouldn’t think anyone around here needs to rely on a boat for transportation. But in an area near the far western portion of our state, there actually are many people who depend on a ferry to get to jobs, school and recreation…

The ferry boat we’re referring to belongs to the Chemehuevi Tribe and it makes several trips per day between the docks in Lake Havasu City and the Chemehuevi community, which sits just across the lake.

So, what does all this have to do with ADOT?

ADOT recently oversaw the allocation of federal grant funds from the Federal Highway Administration to the Chemehuevi Tribe. The money, which comes from the FHWA Ferry Boat Discretionary Program, was used to build a new terminal building and parking lot and for the purchase of a brand new ferry boat, according to Chemehuevi Tribal Planner Bill Cox.

Cox explains the partnership with ADOT has been a good one…

“It was a learning curve for us,” he said of the federal grant submittal process. “ADOT helped us get through the process of purchasing land … they were there to help us out … it was a great working relationship and it still is.”

Misty Klann, an ADOT planner and tribal liaison, explains the experience was a learning curve for ADOT, too – this was the first time ADOT administered a grant from the Ferry Boat Discretionary Program.

“In administering those funds, we had to embark on some understanding … trying to figure out the details around the funding,” she said.

According to the FHWA website, there are several guidelines determining which projects are awarded funding, including a requirement that says the grants are available only when it is not feasible to build a bridge, tunnel or other normal highway structure (read more about the program’s guidelines).

The Tecopa
A boat ride across the lake amounts a roughly 18-minute trip, says Cox, where the drive would take you over 90 minutes. The faster trip is more convenient and helps people in each community get across the lake for jobs, school, shopping and recreation.

The Chemehuevi Tribe has been providing a ferry service since the early 1990s, according to Cox.

They started out with smaller boats before obtaining the Dreamcatcher – a ferry boat that was in use from 1996 until just this month.

The Dreamcatcher held 97 passengers and two crew members and she was “a very good boat,” according to Cox, but age, wear, size and a few other factors meant it was time for a new one that would be able to provide the type of service the Chemehuevi Tribe wanted to offer.

That’s where the grant funding comes in…

It was used to help the tribe purchase the Tecopa, a new boat that can carry 150 people, plus three crew members. The inaugural sailing of the Tecopa, which, by the way, means “wildcat” in the Chemehuevi language, took place on Dec. 3.

The grant funds also went to construct a terminal building and parking lot in Lake Havasu City. Before now, there wasn’t a terminal or space to park, Cox said.

And, in case you were wondering … the Dreamcatcher’s days in service are not over! Cox says she will be completely refurbished (stronger hull fittings, etc.) and will serve as a backup to the Tecopa and will also be available for special events when a second boat is necessary to adequately serve the public.

For more on the Ferry Boat Discretionary Program, visit the FHWA website. More information on Arizona Tribal Transportation is available on their website.

We’ve got some great news to share …

Arizona has been awarded $3.4 million in federal discretionary grants for projects that will improve roadways and add infrastructure in seven communities around the state!

The local projects, all designed to enhance mobility and safety, are aimed at creating jobs and spurring economic growth, while enhancing Arizona’s transportation system.

Want to know where they are and what the work will entail?

The state’s seven projects are:

• Reconstruction, along with multimodal and safety improvements, to two roads on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation ($608,616) 
• Construction of a bike and pedestrian trail on the Kaibab Paiute Indian Reservation ($286,480) 
• Flood mitigation and roadway reconstruction project on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation ($1,500,000) 
• Project to repair an area vulnerable to erosion in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area ($310,000) 
• Pedestrian crossing improvements along historic Route 66 in Kingman ($267,038) 
• Project to install signs with educational information to visitors of the Swift Trail corridor ($241,840)
• Construction of the Yuma Multimodal Transportation Center, which will support several regional transit systems in Yuma ($144,000) 

ADOT oversees the federal funding and the grant process for these local projects – the grants are administered through a reimbursement process.

But, Arizona’s not the only state that received these grants. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently announced that more than $363 million in grants were awarded to fund highway and transportation infrastructure improvement projects nationwide. All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico received grants.

Grants and ADOT
You might remember that back in January, ADOT applied for four federal discretionary grants for state projects, which included an I-15 bridge rehabilitation project, which was funded through a TIGER grant in June, and a new rest area along I-40. ADOT also submitted other grant applications on behalf of local cities, towns and counties.

For more information about transportation grants, you can check out a state-by-state list of the Fiscal Year 2012 grants at fhwa.dot.gov.

Transportation funding is an extensive topic and even though we’ve covered it in the past (remember this explanatory video?), there’s still more to blog about.

So, today we’re focusing on a particular funding source available for really big transportation projects – ones that, when completed, will have a significant national or regional impact.

TIGER Program
The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program allows the U.S. Department of Transportation to appropriate funds for transportation projects around the nation.

But, this money is not just given away – there’s a lot of competition for these funds and agencies must submit an application to even be considered for a TIGER discretionary grant.

For an idea of how sought after these grants are: the U.S. Department of Transportation received 703 applications totaling $10.2 billion in requests during the most recent application round – that far exceeded the nearly $500 million in grant funding available.

Wondering what types of projects win these grants?

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, it’s definitely not your run-of-the-mill road projects...

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.

Some good news!
Just today it was announced that Arizona was awarded a $21.6 million TIGER grant to rehabilitate one of the eight bridges on Interstate 15 in the Virgin River Gorge in the northwest corner of the state. It was the largest of the 47 grants awarded today and will be used to improve Virgin River Bridge No. 6 (milepost 16) on this heavily traveled corridor that connects southern California and the Rocky Mountain region.

A new school year is in full swing and now is the time for Arizona educators to take advantage of the $5 million in grants available from Safe Routes to School!

Safe Routes to School is a federally funded program that’s administered in Arizona by ADOT. Grant money is annually distributed to schools, districts, tribal communities, municipalities and nonprofit agencies that successfully outline projects designed to help remove the barriers preventing students from safely and conveniently walking or biking to school (You can read more about the program in our June blog post).

Grants are awarded for things like bike racks, crossing signals and even traffic circles and speed humps. Non-infrastructure projects are eligible, too. Just take a look at the video above for some inspiration!

“The goals of the Arizona Safe Routes to School program are to get the funding in the hands of people who want to do good things like this, who care about their kids’ health, who want to get their kids out and give them extra opportunities for physical activity. Because nationwide health statistics are showing that children are obese,” said ADOT’s Safe Routes to School program coordinator Brian Fellows in the video above.

ADOT is currently accepting applications for its latest cycle of federal grants to implement Safe Routes to School programs in schools and communities around the state. The applications for this cycle must be submitted by Dec. 30.

In addition to the $5 million in federal grants that are available through ADOT’s Safe Routes to School program, the National Center for Safe Routes to School is now accepting applications for 25 mini-grants of $1,000 each. Mini-grants fund activities that range from the nuts and bolts that help start or sustain a Safe Routes to School program to new ideas that enable and encourage children to safely walk and bike to school. Applications for the mini-grants are due Oct. 19.

Between homework, heavy backpacks and pop quizzes, kids face enough challenges … walking to school should be the simplest part of the day.

But that’s not always the case, which is a reason why Safe Routes to School was created. The program takes aim at the growing epidemic of childhood obesity by making it a little easier and a bit safer for kids to ride a bike or walk to school!

ADOT administers the federally funded program in Arizona and annually distributes grant money to schools, districts, tribal communities, municipalities and nonprofit agencies who successfully outline projects that help remove the barriers preventing students from safely and conveniently walking or biking to school.

Something to think about …

According to the Federal Highways Administration’s Safe Routes to School website, in 1969 just about half of all students walked or biked to school. But today, fewer than 15 percent of all school trips are made by walking or bicycling.

That shift has led to more traffic congestion around schools and might be partly to blame for health issues like childhood obesity. According to a CDC report cited on the FHWA website, safety issues are the big concern for parents … traffic danger is often cited as a reason why their kids don’t bike or walk to school.

How SRTS works …

The program provides reimbursement funds for projects that remove obstacles like traffic danger and that encourage children to walk and bike to school.

Those projects can include things like the installation of bike racks, crossing signals, cross walks, sidewalks and bike paths. And, as long as the location is appropriate, traffic calming measures (think traffic circles and speed humps) can be funded, too.

Grants also are awarded for non-infrastructure projects – bike rodeos, “walk to school” days and other events are eligible for funds. Even incentives for students, like bicycle helmets or other prizes, are regularly funded by Safe Routes to School … anything to get students more interested in walking and biking!

This radar speed alert sign is an example of a smaller-scale SRTS project that can play a big role in helping to keep pedestrians safe.

Since the first grant cycle in 2007, ADOT has awarded approximately $10 million in SRTS funding. In just the 2011 cycle alone, funding was awarded for 21 projects!

According to ADOT’s SRTS Coordinator Brian Fellows, this year the SRTS Advisory Committee received grant requests for about three times the amount available.

But, Safe Routes to School doesn’t just fund projects. It also offers guidance to schools through a planning assistance program and a tribal planning assistance program. Fellows explained that schools can apply to get some no-cost assistance from SRTS consultants who will spend time at the school and will work with administrators to figure out what barriers are in place that prevent more students from walking or biking to school.  There are also several grant-writing assistance program workshops offered through ADOT that are designed to help schools and organizations apply for Safe Routes to School grants. 

“One of Safe Routes to School’s big successes and the reason why it has worked in Arizona and all the other states is because there are enough items on the menu, so to speak, and it is flexible enough that it offers options that work in every scenario,” said Fellows, adding whether it is a low-cost option or a project that entails a pretty big construction overhaul, it can be successful if the principles behind SRTS are followed.

The next SRTS $4-million grant cycle begins in September. Applications are due by Dec. 30 and individual grant requests can be made up to $400,000. For more information on the program and the numerous workshops offered, visit the Safe Routes to School website.