Initially, the corridor management team will need to determine:
- Project stakeholders
- Types of funding available
- Funding details
Project stakeholders
Project stakeholders are key to identifying, applying for, supporting, and monitoring funding applications. Consequently, the stakeholder outreach and communication process must be well underway before the funding application process starts. The stakeholders are important partners in identifying local funding, understanding and recommending possible state or regional funding sources that may provide pass-throughs to the local jurisdictions, and participating in multi-agency regional funding applications.
Types of funding available
Initial research will need to be conducted to determine whether federal, state, regional, and/or local funds are available for Integrated Corridor Management projects in the corridor area. General approaches include:
Approach |
Description |
| Identify and monitor state and federal funding fources | For the I-210 Pilot, for example, the Connected Corridors team conducted initial internet research to identify state and federal funding through grants and awards, and through both public and private sector sources. An Excel spreadsheet was prepared to track the research that was done on funding possibilities, awards, and grants and updated twice/year. |
| Identify and monitor regional and local funding | The team followed the same process as above, except at the regional and local level, including local transportation sales tax measures and pass-throughs from state and/or regional agencies. |
| Identify and monitor sources of Caltrans funds | Caltrans Headquarters has the ability to pay for some items in the budget while the local Caltrans District has the ability to pay for other items. Additionally, the Districts can apply for funding through programs such as the State Highway Operations and Protection Program (SHOPP). |
| Investigate grants | Other grants may be available from the Federal Highway Administration (or agencies under the FWHA), United States Department of Transportation (DOT), through postings in the Federal Register (https://www.federalregister.gov/), and/or through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/home.html) and by searching the internet with the following keywords: “ICM grants,” “AASHTO,” “California Office of Traffic Safety,” “Caltrans,” and “NHTSA.” |
| Consider awards |
There are various awards in specific categories for transportation projects. While these awards do not necessarily provide funding, they can be advantageous for the project by raising its visibility and recognizing its value. Awards include, but are not limited to:
|
| Research transportation sales tax measures | In California, 20 counties have transportation sales tax measures. In the case of the I-210 Pilot, for example, LA Metro has three measures (the most current is Measure R; prior measures include Proposition A and Proposition C), and is considering a ballot measure in 2016 to either extend and/or pass a new measure. The regional Councils of Governments throughout Los Angeles are leading the process to identify projects for the transportation sales tax measure (for the I-210 it’s the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments). The projects will also be considered for Metro’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). Future phases of Connected Corridors in the San Gabriel Valley are identified as part of a project currently on the Measure R renewal project list. A Caltrans representative was a member of the Project Development Team for the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, and participated in the meetings to develop the project list. |