FHWA has opened the next round of Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) grant funding.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently opened the next round of Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) discretionary grant applications. The PROTECT Discretionary program provides funding that seeks to strengthen surface transportation to be more resilient to natural hazards, including climate change, sea level rise, heat waves, flooding, extreme weather, and other natural disasters through support of planning activities, resilience improvements, evacuation route, and at-risk coastal infrastructure. Applications are due on 2/24/2025.

There are four general categories of grant awards from the PROTECT program with funding amounts below. There is a $100k minimum for planning grants. There is a $500k minimum for construction grants. Last round, planning awards ranged from $142k-$5.3m and $750k-$60 million for construction. At least 25% of the funding must be used for projects in rural areas, at least 2% of the funding must go to Tribal area projects, and no more than 25% of total funding may be used for Intercity Rail projects.

1. Planning ($86m available): may be used to develop a resilience improvement plan (23 USC 176(e)(2)) for states and MPOs; technical capacity building to allow applicant to access vulnerabilities of its surface transportation system and develop response strategies; evacuation planning and preparation and; resilience planning, predesign or design and development of data tools to simulate transportation disruptions.

1. 1. Projects that receive planning funds may receive preference for construction grants in future rounds.

2. Resilience Improvement ($618m available): used to improve the ability of an existing surface transportation asset to withstand one or more elements of a weather even tor natural disasters or to improve resilience of infrastructure due to changing conditions such as sea level rise, flooding, extreme weather and other natural disasters. Projects that improve natural infrastructure (marshes, highway right-of-way, tide gates, flood gates) resiliency are also eligible.
3. Community Resilience and Evacuation Route ($86m available): used for activities that strengthen and protect evacuation routes; supports capacity expansion for routes that inadequately facilitate evacuations and; ensuring access or service to critical destinations such as hospitals, major employers, manufacturing centers, utilities, ports and federal facilities.

4. 1. No more than 40% of funding for this category may be used for new facility construction or new capacity.
   2. No more than 10% of funding for this category may fund project development.
5. At-risk Coastal Infrastructure ($86m available): may be used for activities to strengthen, stabilize, harden, elevate, relocate or enhance resilience of highway and non-rail infrastructure (active facilities, bridges, culverts, tide gates) in response to rising sea levels, storm surges, wave actions, flooding, erosion and; to improve transportation and public safety and to reduce costs by avoiding future lager maintenance of rebuilding costs. At-risk grants must also incorporate data or qualitative/quantitative measurements to determine outcomes and demonstrate that project will reduce cost burden in the long-term (build/no-build).

Eligible Facilities: Planning and resiliency grants may be awarded to support the following facilities:

1. A highway project eligible for assistance in title 23;
2. A public transportation facility or service eligible for assistance under chapter 53 of title 49;
3. A facility or service for intercity rail passenger transportation and;
4. A port facility that connects to other modes, improve the efficiency or evacuations or disaster relief or aids transportation.

Eligible applicants:

• States
• Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO)
• Political subdivision of a State or territory (town, city, county)
• Federally recognized Tribal government
• A multijurisdictional combination of any above applicant.
• Federal land agency in partnership with a state.

Cost sharing: Federal share of planning grants is 100%. 80% for implementation/construction grants. Applicants may use other federal sources of funding to meet local match in certain circumstances (see NOFO page 17). Additionally, for projects listed on a Resilience Improvement Plan, a higher federal share may be achieved.

For this round of funding, FHWA has developed template application applicants are highly encouraged to use. Additionally, certain merit criteria scoring has changed (see NOFO page 11).

For FY 24-25 funding, the submission deadline is Feb 24, 2025. FY 2026 funding will close on Feb 24, 2026.

Read more about the PROTECT program. 

This topic will also be covered at length during the 2024 MACo Winter Conference session, “Moving Maryland: Updates and Strategies in County Transportation.” MACo’s Winter Conference, “Anticipate, Adapt, Achieve: Thriving Through Turbulent Times” is scheduled for December 11-13, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Cambridge, MD. More information can be found on our conference website.