SOUTHERN CITY QUARTER 1 2022 38 continued from page 37 continue bringing new mobility options to their cities. In addition to renewing existing programs, USDOT will have more than $124 billion in competitive funding to distribute to applicants for roads, bridges, trails, rail, transit, and more. Now is the time to begin to consider how existing federal transportation programs and new BIL programs match up to support your community’s rebuilding. Many of the new and expanded programs relate directly to our communities’ most pressing needs. An extensive new bridge program will allow states to pass through up to 100% federal funding for poor bridges that are off the highway system and locally owned. The new “Safe Streets and Roads for All” program will support $5 billion in local projects to reduce traffic fatalities, which sadly are getting worse with 20,000 lives lost in just the first half of 2021. A new $2.5 billion in competitive grants are available to strategically deploy publicly accessible charging and fueling infrastructure. Transit’s Capital Investment Grant program jumps up with $3 billion authorized per year, and a new $1.75 billion “All Stations Accessibility Program” and $250 million under the “Enhanced Mobility for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities” program will help more seniors stay in their homes for longer. A $1 billion “Reconnecting Communities” program provides seed capital to begin to remove barriers to community connectivity and rectify harms caused by past highway investments. Rail sees a $66 billion investment with $12 billion dedicated to partnership grants for intercity rail service and a new $3 billion “Grade Crossing Elimination” grant program that cities championed will help to fix rail and road crossing congestion and safety issues in communities. Water Infrastructure The BIL provides financing and funding for wastewater and drinking water projects through four main buckets under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In total, North Carolina will receive $199,211,000 in FY22 for water infrastructure, representing the allocation for the first year of funding. The funding is broken down as follows: •Clean Water State Revolving Fund (traditional): $32,386,000 •Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (traditional): $55,139,000 •Lead pipe replacement through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: $86,831,000 •Emerging Contaminants through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: $23,155,000 •Emerging Contaminants through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund: $1,700,000 With all of these funds flowing through the state revolving funds, local governments will be required to submit applications to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. It is important to note that for both of the traditional State Revolving Funds and the lead pipe replacement funds, the states are required to award the money as 49% principal forgiveness/grants and 51% loans. With both of the funding allocations to address emerging contaminants, the states are required to award the funds as 100% principal forgiveness/grants. NLC put together two helpful fact sheets on the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds that provide an overview of the eligible uses and give examples of how communities have used these programs in the past. The clean water fact sheet explains how the program can be used for climate resilience projects, like green infrastructure and managing stormwater. The drinking water fact sheet explores uses pertaining to lead pipe replacement and protecting source water from other contaminants, such as PFAS. We know these are all critical issues for North Carolina communities. While the fact sheets were developed specifically as a guide for communities around the American Rescue Plan Act, they serve as a general overview of eligible project categories as local leaders are thinking about whether to apply for an opportunity under the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant The bipartisan infrastructure bill provides funding for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) for the first time in over a decade. These flexible funds will help communities invest in energy-efficient retrofits, update building codes, adopt renewable energy technologies, provide incentives for residents to use transportation alternatives, implement energy-saving campaigns, and more. Based on the 2020 census, there are 27 cities in North Carolina with a population over 35,000 that will receive these grants directly from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Smaller communities will have the opportunity to apply for grants through the North Carolina Energy Office. Regional collaboration and projects are also encouraged with the EECBG, with a small portion set aside for competitive grants from DOE for a consortium of local governments. With EECBG funding the City of Winston-Salem received in 2009, the city created a streetcar system to complement other mass transit proposals in the city and region, and the City of Gastonia also undertook transportation projects, among others, to purchase electric vehicles for park and recreation and police use and convert pedestrian signal heads to LED lighting. The City of Raleigh created a Green Building Training Program, which empowers technicians and small business owners with the knowledge and skills to market themselves in the growing green economy. The Infrastructure Bill
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