Applications for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 is now open.
Program Update
The TAP program solicitation will continue the changes implemented in the last solicitation cycle. Please make sure to review the Transportation Alternatives Program Summary.
DDOT is moving to a two-year solicitation cycle for the TAP program. This means projects for both FY25 and FY26 will be selected through the application cycle. Awarded projects will be funded in either FY25 or FY26 based on project readiness and availability of funds, so Applicants should be prepared that they might not receive funding until 2026. Applicants may apply for multiple phases of the same project in one application, such as design in FY25 and construction in FY26.
Applicants are encouraged to participate in the optional pre-application process, which will provide initial feedback on the proposed concept in preparation for the formal application submittal. The pre-application should include a 1-3 paragraph abstract with appropriate graphics. Pre-Applications must be submitted October 18, 2024, to [email protected].
TAP Overview
The TAP or TA Set-Aside is a reimbursable federal aid funding program for transportation-related community projects designed to strengthen the intermodal transportation system. The program aims to expand travel choice, strengthen the local economy, improve the quality of life, and protect the environment by supporting non-traditional projects linked to the transportation system.
Projects will be reviewed through a competitive process and selected based upon a number of criteria, including the project’s expected benefits to the community, feasibility and project readiness, consistency with agency plans and missions, and the sponsor’s demonstrated ability to manage a federal-aid project.
The Transportation Planning Board (TPB) encourages TAP projects that support the following:
- Multimodal Transportation Options (with emphasis on non-auto modes)
- Activity Centers
- Access to Transit
- Safe Routes to School
- Disadvantaged Communities
- Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act
Click here to view the Transportation Alternatives Program Projects interactive map
FY 25-26 Funding
DDOT will be accepting projects on a 2-year cycle. Projects for both FY25 and FY26 will be selected and approved through this application cycle. A total of approximately $2,269,378 million in funding will be available through a citywide competitive process for qualifying, non-traditional projects. Awarded projects will be funded in either FY25 or FY26 based on project readiness and availability of funds, so Applicants should be prepared that they might not receive funding until 2026. The Transportation Planning Board (TPB) will work with DDOT to conduct the competitive selection process for funds.
The Transportation Alternatives program is a part of the Federal-aid Highway Program. Although the program is a “grant” program under Federal regulation, it is not an “up-front” grant program and funds are available only on a reimbursement basis. Only after a project has been approved by the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) division office can costs become eligible for reimbursement. This means project sponsors must incur the cost of the project prior to being repaid. Costs incurred prior to FHWA division office project approval are not eligible for reimbursement.
Eligible Activities
Each TAP project must fall under one of the eligible activities listed below:
- Facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized forms of transportation
- Safe routes for non-drivers
- Conversion and use of abandoned railroad corridors for trails
- Community improvement activities include, but are not limited to the following:
- Inventory, control, or removal of outdoor advertising
- Historic preservation and rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities
- Vegetation management practices in transportation rights of way
- Archaeological activities relating to impacts from transportation projects
- Construction of turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas
- Streetscape improvements, which are project components of another TAP eligible category
- Environmental mitigation or pollution prevention
- Safe Routes to School
- Recreational Trails
Each project will be reviewed through a competitive process and selected based upon a number of criteria, including the project's expected benefits to the community, feasibility and project readiness, consistency with agency plans and missions, and the sponsor’s demonstrated ability to manage a federal-aid project.
Eligible Sponsors
The entities listed below are eligible to apply for TAP funding. Nonprofit 501 (c) organizations are also eligible to apply to be Project Advocates, if there is a partnership with an eligible government agency that is willing to act as the official Project Sponsor. Nonprofits that apply using this arrangement should clearly articulate the role and responsibilities of the respective parties in the application.
- Local governments
- Regional transportation authorities
- Transit agencies
- Natural resource or public land agencies
- School districts, local education agencies, or schools
- Tribal governments
- Any other local or regional governmental entity with responsibility for oversight of transportation or recreational trails (other than a metropolitan planning organization or a State agency) that the State determines to be eligible, consistent with the goals of subsection (c) of section 213 of title 23. Beginning with this application cycle, Business Improvement Districts (BIDS) will no longer qualify as Project Sponsors.
State DOTs are typically considered ineligible to apply for TAP funding. However, as DC government is the only local government within the District of Columbia, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) qualifies as a local government entity. DDOT project managers are able to submit applications for projects which will be subject to the same competitive process for selection.
If awarded funding, sponsors will be responsible for providing a project manager who will manage the implementation process. This includes project development, day-to-day management, supervising contractors, and ensuring that the project is completed on time and in accordance with all federal requirements. The project sponsor also assumes the maintenance and legal liability for the duration of the project’s useful life.
To Apply
Project sponsors should familiarize themselves with the TA Program Summary prior to completing their applications. Applicants may then fill out the official application form and submit it to [email protected] before the deadline.
Tentative Timeline
- September 30th, 2024 – Release call for projects.
- October 23rd, 2024 – Deadline to submit project applications to DDOT’s Transportation Alternatives administrator.
- November 2024 – December 2024 – Selection Panel Review
- December 2024 – Official announcement of selected projects. Notifications are sent out to both award recipients and applicants for projects not selected for funding.
External Resources
