High-Speed Rail Features in FY23 RAISE Grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced more than $2.2 billion in grants from the RAISE program to fund 162 infrastructure projects across the U.S. The Fiscal Year 2023 awards include two grants for high-speed rail station projects—$25 million for Brightline West and $20 million for the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program allows the USDOT to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects that promise to achieve national objectives through a discretionary grant process. Like its predecessors—previously BUILD, and before that TIGER—the RAISE program is designed to allow State-level entities to work with other organizations—including with the private sector—to advance multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional projects that are difficult to fund through traditional DOT programs.

The Brightline West award is a perfect example of this kind of project. The grants will go to San Bernadino County Transportation Authority for the construction of two multimodal stations to provide access to local transit connections—eventually—an interstate high-speed rail service connecting Southern California and Nevada that will be operated by a private sector railroad.

The Fresno Historic Depot Renovation, meanwhile, will renovate, modernize, and preserve the historic downtown Fresno passenger depot building. In addition to housing future high-speed rail service, the depot will serve as a hub for transit service and look to increase economic activity in the underutilized area next to Fresno’s city core.

Below, we’ve highlighted a few of the key intercity and transit rail projects included as part of the FY23 RAISE awards:

--Brightline West High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail System - High Desert Stations Project

San Bernadino County Transportation Authority

San Bernardino County, CA: California

Capital | Rural

Area of Persistent Poverty: No

Historically Disadvantaged Community: No

RAISE Grant Funding: $25,000,000

Estimated Total Project Cost: $66,082,500

Funds for this project will complete final design and construction of two intercity passenger rail stations and associated facilities in Hesperia and Victor Valley on the Brightline West high- speed rail corridor. Once completed, this project will improve system-wide connectivity with access to transit, micro-mobility, and mobility-on-demand. Each of the stations will be designed and built as a multimodal hub allowing travelers to transfer to other non-rail modes of transportation easily. Project sponsors will construct stations that will be fully accessible, ADA compliant, and include surface parking lots, bus pick-up/drop-off areas, and kiss and ride areas. The stations are also key parts of local mobility plans which were derived from community input.

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--Double Tracking for Commuter Rail Optimization

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority

City of Austin, TX: Texas

Capital | Urban

Area of Persistent Poverty: No

Historically Disadvantaged Community: No

RAISE Grant Funding: $18,000,000

Estimated Total Project Cost: $44,000,000

Funds for this project will the design, engineering, and construction of double tracks along the existing Red Line from Onion Street in the west to E. Timbes in the east. The project also includes a second station platform at Plaza Saltillo, signalization, positive train control (PTC) modifications, safer railroad crossings at five locations, construction of new active transportation infrastructure between Chicon and Pedernales, and the reconfiguration of 5th Street.

The project will promote greater public and private investments in land-use productivity through locally driven density decisions that support equitable commercial and mixed-income residential development. This is especially evident at the project terminus, which includes a housing development of which 18 percent is reserved for residents that earn on average 50 percent of Austin’s median family income. The project will also promote long-term economic growth and other economic investments by improving travel time reliability along the red line to downtown and University of Texas - Austin, as well as many small businesses within half a mile of the new stations. The project also demonstrates partnership with significant stakeholders and organizations, in particular the Transit Empowerment Fund, which helps ensure that low-income and transit-dependent residents have access to transportation.

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--Fresno High-Speed Rail Station Historic Depot Renovation and Plaza Activation

California High-Speed Rail Authority

City of Fresno, CA: California

Capital | Urban

Area of Persistent Poverty: Yes

Historically Disadvantaged Community: Yes

RAISE Grant Funding: $20,000,000

Estimated Total Project Cost: $33,200,000

The project will renovate, modernize, and preserve the Fresno High-Speed Rail Station, a historic passenger depot building. The project will also provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure and space for future transit charging in anticipation of the future California high- speed rail multimodal station. The project will improve and draw increased economic activity to an underutilized area next to Fresno’s city core by better connecting Chinatown and Downtown Fresno. The project will provide environmental benefits by providing more options for people to use transit and active transportation modes, as well as provide electric infrastructure for electric vehicles and electric buses.

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--New Orleans Downtown Transit Center and Connecting Corridors

New Orleans Regional Transit Authority

City of New Orleans, LA: Louisiana

Capital | Urban

Area of Persistent Poverty: Yes

Historically Disadvantaged Community: No

RAISE Grant Funding: $24,826,905

Estimated Total Project Cost: $33,033,631

This project will construct a Downtown Transit Center (DTC) for the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA)'s bus and streetcar network, including multimodal improvements to the corridor that connects to the DTC. The new facility will provide enhanced connections for transit riders while making data-driven safety improvements at targeted intersections with a history of pedestrian-involved crashes. Those improvements include high visibility sidewalks, security cameras, call boxes, lights, protected bike lanes, and shorter crossing distances. The project will improve bus service in underserved communities and focus on connecting communities to jobs, healthcare, schools, and grocery stores.

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--Southwest Philadelphia Trolley Modernization and Complete Streets Project

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority

City of Philadelphia, PA: Pennsylvania

Capital | Urban

Area of Persistent Poverty: Yes

Historically Disadvantaged Community: Yes

RAISE Grant Funding: $25,000,000

Estimated Total Project Cost: $125,000,000

Funds for this project will implement trolley modernization and complete streets improvements on approximately 4 miles of streets. The complete streets portion of the proposed project will be implemented over a 1.5-mile corridor from the intersection of South 49th Street and Woodland Avenue along South 49th Street to the intersection of South 61st Street and Lindbergh Boulevard, as well as South 51st and 56th Streets from Grays Avenue and Lindbergh Boulevard eastward. The trolley modernization portion will be implemented on an approximately 2.75-mile corridor from South 49th Street and Woodland Avenue along South 49th Street, Grays Avenue, Lindbergh Boulevard, and Elmwood Avenue until the intersection of Elmwood and Island Avenues as well as a portion of South 51st Street east of Grays Avenue.

The project focuses on safety by seeking to reduce crashes where roadways and trolleys meet, in addition to installing lighting. Significant partnership and collaboration efforts are demonstrated in this project, as it is a collaboration between the SEPTA, the City of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation. The project is also partnering with the Lower Schuylkill Biotechnology Campus to enhance connections for travelers and allow access to medical and economic institutions. Engagement within the community is evident as planning was based on synthesized input from the community to prioritize designs.

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The USDOT also announced it has opened the application process for up to $5.575 billion in funding for infrastructure projects of regional or national significance. The funding was passed as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and will flow out of three separate programs:

--$1.8 billion for the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) program: The Mega program supports large, complex transportation projects that are difficult to fund by other means and are likely to generate national or regional economic, mobility, or safety benefits. In 2022, Amtrak received $292 million to build the final section of the concrete casing which will preserve the right of way for the future Hudson River Tunnel.

--$3.1 billion for the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program: The INFRA program awards competitive grants to multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, accessibility, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of freight and people in and across rural and urban areas. In 2022, INFRA awarded grants to upgrade the BNSF Southern Transcontinental Corridor in Flagstaff, AZ, which carries the Southwest Chief; rehabilitate the Western Avenue Rail corridor in Chicago, IL, a CREATE project that benefits passenger trains; and rehabilitate the Salmon Bay bridge, which carries freight, passenger, and commuter trains on the north side of Seattle, WA.

--$675 million for the Rural Surface Transportation Grant (Rural) program: The Rural program supports projects that improve and expand our nation’s surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas in order to increase connectivity, improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generate regional economic growth and improve quality of life. Passenger rail isn't eligible.

USDOT is combining the application process for these three programs to streamline the distribution of funds, with the deadline for submitting applications on August 21, 2023. You can find the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), Frequently Asked Questions, and other resources here.