Graves commends new DOT toolkit to help applicants find rural project grants

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) this week praised the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) newly released toolkit to help America’s rural communities maneuver and access available federal grants.

“I applaud Secretary Chao’s action to provide rural communities throughout North Missouri and the rest of the country with these critical resources,” said Rep. Graves, ranking member on the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “Smaller communities often face many challenges when it comes to maneuvering through the complex federal grant process.”

DOT Secretary Elaine Chao earlier this week released the applicant toolkit as part of the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) Initiative, which she first announced in October 2019 to help potential applicants identify and navigate DOT discretionary grant funding opportunities for rural transportation projects.

“The ROUTES Initiative is a great step forward in ensuring that communities of all sizes have an opportunity to successfully compete for available infrastructure funding,” Rep. Graves said.

The United States has roughly 89,000 local governments, many of which are grappling with infrastructure needs that are profoundly important to their communities, according to Secretary Chao.

“The federal grant system can be difficult to navigate, especially for newcomers,” she writes in the toolkit. “The U.S. Department of Transportation is your partner in helping people and goods safely reach their destinations. Project-by-project, mile-by-mile, modernizing and maintaining America’s transportation infrastructure is laying the groundwork for a better future, for all Americans.”