IL-2021-040

This grant to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will utilize American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) funding. IDOT will allocate 100% of its $15,375,667.00 ARP apportionment for reimbursements to its eligible sub-recipients for eligible operating expenses incurred while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and to meet its intercity bus set aside requirement as well as RTAC assistance.

Projects under this grant include rural sub-recipient operating and ICB operating costs for the performance period of 3/1/2021 through 11/30/2024. To encourage rural sub-recipients to fully use ARP Act funds for their congressional intent, IDOT will be allowing operators to bill for COVID-related expenses back to 3/1/2021. The decision to make funds under this grant available solely for operating expenses will further prioritize utilization for COVID-19 related response and hopefully make tracking and reporting more expedient.

The grant is organized by general activities/ALI and split into three projects. Project one covers general public transportation operating assistance, project two is for intercity bus operating assistance, project three is RTAP assistance, and project four is rural formula dollars set-aside specifically for intercity bus operating assistance.

Pre-award authority is being used for this grant. As outlined by FTA guidance for ARP Act funds, a match is not required, and IDOT does not intend to make sub-awards where ARP Act monies are further leveraged with local match.

*The recipient agrees that if it receives federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or through a pass-through entity through the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, a different federal agency, or insurance proceeds for any portion of a project activity approved for FTA funding under this grant agreement, it will provide written notification to FTA and reimburse FTA for any federal share that duplicates funding provided by FEMA, another federal agency, or an insurance company.

IDOT's Office of Intermodal Project Implementation (OIPI) is the governor's designated recipient of the Federal Transit Administration's Section 5311 formula funds for public transportation services in rural and small urban areas in Illinois. Historically, grant recipients submit annual applications for funding to the department, but in the interest of providing funding stability, it is not a competitive process. Instead, the department funds its approved eligible sub-recipients each year based upon the state's available Section 5311 allocation. The same allocation process will be followed for the ARP Act Section 5311 funding. IDOT intends to fold the ARP Act funding into its CARES state contracts with the sub-recipients, in part to reduce administrative burden.

*As indicated by the emergency nature of these response activities, ARP Act projects are not included in Illinois STIP. The department has set aside 15% of its ARP Act Section 5311 allocation apportionments for intercity bus. The performance period for this grant overlaps with IDOT's other emergency funding under IL-2020-034-00 (CARES) and 1177-2021-4 (CRRSA). The reason for this overlap is to sufficiently cover expenses the individual grants would be unable to achieve on their own.

Illinois Department Of Transportation

20.509 - Formula Grants for Rural Areas and Tribal Transit Program

FTA Region 5 [DOT - FTA]

FTA Office of Budget and Policy [DOT - FTA]

Illinois United States

State-Wide

None