FUNDING SOURCES

The Gaston-Cleveland-Lincoln MPO is responsible for prioritizing the identified local transportation needs and then identifying funding sources to help meet these needs. Much of the funding that is used to pay for transportation projects and programs come from the US Department of Transportation, through the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. These agencies then pass through the majority of funds to the NCDOT, which in turn either allocates funds to the MPO to assign to projects or prioritizes projects in consultation with the MPO through the Strategic Transportation Investments (STI) program.

The State of North Carolina passed into law new transportation legislation on June 26, 2013 that created the STI program, and all project types, including public transportation, highway, bicycle, pedestrian, ferry, aviation, and rail freight projects compete for funding through this program, which is generally conducted every two years.

The NCDOT and other agencies receive much of their capital funds through the federal surface transportation program. The current version of the program is called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

DOT Discretionary Grants Dashboard

The DOT Discretionary Grants Dashboard provides communities with an overview of discretionary grant opportunities that can help meet their transportation infrastructure needs. Designed with all communities in mind, the Dashboard identifies grant programs with rural and Tribal set-asides or match waivers available. The Dashboard also includes Federal grant programs outside of DOT that may be of particular interest to rural communities. An updated Rural Grant Applicant Toolkit will soon be published to help rural communities harness the Dashboard. The Dashboard is updated weekly.

Funding Sources

The following is not an all-inclusive list of funding sources available to the GCLMPO: