Grant Insights: Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program

RCP Community Planning Grants: 20% 
RCP Capital Construction Grants: 50% (Other Federal funds may be used to bring the total Federal share up to a maximum of 80% of the total project costs) 
NAE Regional Partnerships Challenge Grants: 20% (Projects in a disadvantaged or underserved community do not require a local match) 

If eligible, applications may receive funding from RCP and/or NAE programs:

• RCP Community Planning Grants: for planning activities for future construction projects and allow for innovative community planning to address localized transportation challenges. 
  
• RCP Capital Construction Grants: a project to remove, retrofit, mitigate, or replace an existing eligible dividing transportation facility with a new facility that reconnects communities; mitigates a burdening transportation facility that is a source of air pollution, noise, stormwater, heat, or other burdens; or implements a strategy to reduce environmental harm and/or improve access through transportation improvements. 
  
• NAE Regional Partnerships Challenge Grants: a project led by two or more eligible applicants to address a persistent regional challenge related to equitable access and mobility. Eligible activities are the same as those listed under Capital Construction and Community Planning Grants but must have a regional focus, and clearly demonstrate regional coordination and leveraging of local, State, and Federal resources and policies. 

RCP Community Planning Grants: 

• State; Unit of Local Government; Tribal Government; Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO); or Non-Profit Organization 

RCP Capital Construction Grants: 

1. Owner(s) of the eligible facility proposed in the project for which adequate planning activities such as public involvement, user data evaluation, and conceptual design have been complete; or 
   
2. A partnership between a facility owner (#1 above) and any eligible RCP Community Planning Grant applicant. 

NAE Regional Partnerships Challenge Grants: 

• State or Territory of the United States; Unit of Local Government; Political Subdivision of a State; Tribal Government; Special Purpose District or Public Authority with a transportation function; Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO); or 
  
• Non-profit Organization or Institution of Higher Education that has entered a partnership with an eligible entity above and is applying for a grant for planning and capacity-building activities in disadvantaged or underserved communities. 

• Applicants are encouraged to submit applications meeting statutory requirements for both programs to maximize their potential for receiving Federal support. 
  
• DOT encourages joint applications from place-based partnerships headed by a lead applicant. A lead applicant may submit no more than three applications for RCP Community Planning Grants, two for RCP Capital Construction Grants, and one for NAE Regional Partnerships Challenge Grants. 

RCP-Eligible Facilities – Community Planning and Capital Construction Grants 

• The proposed project must address an “eligible facility,” which is defined as a highway or other transportation facility that creates a barrier to community connectivity, including barriers to mobility, access, or economic development, due to high speeds, grade separations, or other design factors. Eligible facilities may include limited access highways, viaducts, any other principal arterial facilities, and other facilities such as transit lines, rail lines, gas pipelines, and airports. 

NAE-Eligible Facilities – Community Planning, Capital Construction, and Regional Partnerships Challenge Grants 
The proposed project may address one of two “eligible facilities”: 

1. A Dividing Facility: a surface transportation facility that creates an obstacle to community connectivity by high speeds, grade separation, or other design factors; or 
   
2. A Burdening Facility: a surface transportation facility that is a source of air pollution, noise, stormwater, heat, or other burden to a disadvantaged or underserved community. 

Name/Email: RCN Program Staff - ReconnectingCommunities@dot.gov 
Name/Email: Andrew Emanuele - andrew.emanuele@dot.gov 
Name/Email: Tameka Macon-Ryan - tameka.maconryan@dot.gov