IIJA Resources

Overview

How is the IIJA different from its predecessor the FAST Act? What are the new provisions in the IIJA?

The United States Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in November 2021, allocating $1.2 trillion in formula and discretionary grants for all federal transportation policy and funding through 2026. This transformational investment is significantly larger than its predecessor the FAST Act, with funding increases of 90% in highway programs, 79% in public transportation, and 750% in railroad infrastructure funding. The IIJA creates almost $200 billion in USDOT grant programs alone. For a deep dive, Transportation for America (https://t4america.org/iija/) can help you understand the IIJA and its differences compared to the FAST Act. This page provides both broad-level and detailed information on core issue areas included in the bill such as safety, micromobility, passenger rail, and workforce development.

How can the IIJA help Tennessee’s local officials access the resources they need to serve and grow their communities?

As federal agencies award competitive grants from the IIJA, ThinkTennessee highlights useful tools to help city and county officials monitor and access the available federal grants.

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Provides lists of anticipated dates for upcoming Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for key programs within the US Department of Transportation.

Click on the logo to visit the calendar.

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Includes a search menu of available grant opportunities across all federal agencies, as well as workshops, bootcamps, seminars, and technical assistance sessions for local staff.

Click on the logo to visit the calendar.

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Offers an interactive dashboard of current and upcoming grant opportunities from both state and federal agencies related to the IIJA and IRA. Login required for use.

Click on the logo to visit the calendar.

Looking for information on which grants are available and right for you? Need assistance in applying for or implementing available grants?

  • Local Infrastructure Hub (https://localinfrastructure.org/), supported by the US Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, Results for America, and other private partners, provides tracking information and technical assistance.
    • Local leaders can track notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) across almost every federal department and agency, keeping you up to date on recently announced application timelines, grant eligibility and requirements, and contact information specific to each grant.
    • Cities and counties also get access to exclusive presentations, seminars, events, technical assistance and support, providing information on how best to secure competitive funding.
  • The DOT Navigator (https://www.transportation.gov/dot-navigator), a new US Department of Transportation resource, provides general information to support the grant application process, USDOT regional and field office contact information to address questions directly, and a searchable menu of technical assistance resources available to help grantees realize their communities’ vision.
  • The White House’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Guidebook (https://www.whitehouse.gov/build/guidebook) offers detailed and comprehensive explanations of funding formulas and grant programs in the IIJA, to understand the scope and variety of opportunities available for local governments. It also includes a program search function that can help point the way towards useful resources and funding opportunities.
  • Grants.Gov (https://www.grants.gov/web/grants) is another central tool to watch for available grant opportunities. It offers video tutorials and educational resources to understand important requirements and steps in the grant application process.
  • Smart Growth America (https://smartgrowthamerica.org/) offers workshops to support grant planning and project development. They also provide technical assistance and in-house research services on topics such as zoning reform, economic and fiscal modeling, complete street designs, and downtown or rural development to help local officials make informed decisions directly tailored to their communities. Smart Growth America helps lead other organizations such as the National Brownfields Coalition, the Form-Based Codes Institute, the National Complete Streets Coalition, and the State Smart Transportation Initiative, which can facilitate regional networking and problem-solving in your communities.

Looking for examples of successful projects? Curious where the money is going?

  • The Climate Program Portal (https://climateprogramportal.org/) provides information on investments from both the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. It offers an interactive dashboard that tracks deadlines and grant recipient information to see where and when funding is dedicated. It also provides data — by agency and program — on the current active number of RFPs, public comment periods, and notice of intents and ROIs.The portal also includes case studies for success and a contact network of fellow users, allowing industry specific leaders and staff to connect and build partnerships to share important practices. A login is required to access the portal.
Tennessee has received $767 million in competitive grants from the IIJA as of March 2023.

How can the IIJA help Tennesseans? 

  • The city of Morristown, TN received $23.4 million in capital funds for Complete Streets development on SR343 and for ITS Traffic Signal Coordination projects through the Local and Regional Project Assistance (RAISE) grant program.
  • The city of Harriman, TN received $67,200 for the development of a new comprehensive safety action plan through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program.
  • The city of Dunlap, TN received $14.6 million in capital funds for an overhaul of the US Highway 127 corridor through the Local and Regional Project Assistance (RAISE) grant program.
  • The Memphis Area Transit Authority received $54.0 million in capital funds to build a new operations and maintenance facility that can accommodate more than 300 vehicles through the FTA Bus and Low/No-Emission Grant program.
Click here to view an interactive map of IIJA formula and discretionary funding.
Agency Phone Email
Build America Bureau 202-366-2300 BuildAmerica@dot.gov
FTA Region 4 Office 404-865-5600
FHWA Tennessee Division Office 615-781-5770
FAA Southern Region Office 404-305-5002
TDOT Local Programs Office 615-741-5314 Kimery.Grant@tn.gov
TDOT Region 1 Office (Knoxville) 865-594-2400 Steve.Borden@tn.gov
TDOT Region 2 Office (Chattanooga) 423-510-1205 Joe.Deering@tn.gov
TDOT Region 3 Office (Nashville) 615-350-4300 Jay.Norris@tn.gov
TDOT Region 4 Office (Jackson) 731-935-0193 Jason.Baker@tn.gov