Transportation Alternatives (TA) FY24 Grant Application Details

As part of the Federal Highway Administration Surface Transportation Program, the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) is a reimbursable federal aid funding program for transportation-related community projects that strengthen the intermodal transportation system. TAP funds projects that enhance the cultural, aesthetic, historic, and environmental aspects of the system. The program funds projects that create bicycle and pedestrian facilities, restore historic transportation buildings, convert abandoned railway corridors to pedestrian trails, and mitigate highway runoff.

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) administers TAP for all Maryland projects as a service to its customers. Under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, 50% of funds apportioned to Maryland’s Transportation Alternatives Program are sub-allocated to three Maryland Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB), National Capitol Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) and Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO) review and approve projects within their area. 

Click here to see if your project is within one of these MPO’s. 

MDOT SHA encourages the development of TAP projects for the 50% of the state-apportioned funds available to any area in the State, and provides some project support services. The TAP project sponsor is responsible for the design, management, construction, implementation and permit requests. All potential TAP projects require a sponsor for a minimum of 20% of the project costs. The project sponsor also assumes the maintenance and legal liability for the duration of the project’s useful life. Any project sponsored by a non-government agency, organization or individual must have a government agency as a co-sponsor. 

Project sponsors may include:

• Local governments
• Regional transportation authorities
• Transit agencies
• Natural resource and public land agencies
• School districts and local education agencies
• Tribal governments
• Any local and governmental entity with oversight of transportation or recreational trails.

All TAP projects must relate to surface transportation and meet one of the nine qualifying TAP categories listed in the federal legislation. For information see the TAP manual (PDF, 12mb)

TAP projects in Maryland must also:

• Benefit all potential users and allow free use by a broad segment of the public;

• Maintain a reasonable duration of the intended public use, as determined by MDOT SHA;

• Be located on publicly owned right-of-way or on right-of-way encumbered with a permanent easement

held by a state agency or the government agency sponsoring or co-sponsoring the project; and

• Comply with ADA, NEPA, and all other applicable state and federal regulations (e.g., pedestrian and

bicycle facilities must meet state and federal standards for width, grade, signing, and materials).

Questions for Baltimore Metropolitan Council BMC: smahoney@baltometro.org 

Questions for Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments MWCOG: jswanson@mwcog.org 

Questions for Wilmington Area Planning Council WILMAPCO: hdunigan@wilmapco.org