The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program, previously known as the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program, provides critical funding for public transportation infrastructure investments. Since 2009, the RAISE Grant Program has provided $12.1 billion for critical surface transportation projects, including public transit and passenger rail investments. It has funded new public transit stations, streetcar lines, bus rapid transit projects, vehicle purchases, station renovations, transit signal priority systems, grade separations, and automated vehicle pilot projects. These projects not only help enhance mobility but also result in positive safety, environmental, equity, and economic benefits.
- In Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) increased funding for public transit and passenger rail projects under the RAISE Grant Program.
- However, the percentage of RAISE grant funds awarded for these projects in FY 2021 and FY 2022 remains significantly less than the historical average.
- Although DOT has partially reoriented the RAISE Grant Program to multimodal priorities in the last two years, APTA strongly urges the Secretary of Transportation to direct a significantly greater percentage of RAISE grant funds to vital public transit and passenger rail projects.
