Guidance For The New And Improved Transportation Alternatives

A few weeks ago, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released its guidance on implementing the Transportation Alternatives program under the new improvements made in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). What the guidance shows is an FHWA interested in actively promoting and encouraging states to use the program to its fullest potential.

The BIL included multiple changes to the Transportation Alternatives program, so they had a lot to work with — and it resulted in their 30-page memo. Here’s my rundown of the highlights!

Please note: there’s still more to come — especially around the flexibility with matching funds. I didn’t cover that here because there’s not a lot new. 

If you’re into that sort of thing, the whole FHWA memo is worth reading over, but below I’ll cover some of the biggest changes to the Transportation Alternatives program, including:

• Funding
• Transferability
• Technical Assistance
• Prioritizing High-Need Communities
• 100% Suballocation Allowed
• New Rec Trails Provision

And list the changes to: 

• Eligible Entities
• Eligible Projects