$105B DOT TAP Grants

What Happened?

Camden, Maine, recently received $491,314 from the Maine Department of Transportation to implement its 2013 Downtown Master Plan. The award is one of a growing number of grants distributed to local governments to help boost economic development across the state and country.

The Goal

The Maine Department of Transportation is able to provide federal transportation enhancement funding through its quality community program. These federally supported efforts are focused on improving access to transportation, residential safety and local economic growth. Cities are leveraging the federal funding to launch sidewalk programs, crossing improvements and downtown enhancements. Camden intends to use the federal funds to build new sidewalks, improve pedestrian access, extend curbs, add new lighting and other improvements downtown.

As the federal funds are granted through the Maine Department of Transportation, the grant calls for the town to put down $122,829 toward the improvements. Camden has a Downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program to ensure there is room in the budget for such projects.

Creating the Plan

In an interview with Gov1, Brian Hodges, Economic Development Director for Camden, explained how the 2012 Camden Downtown Master Plan was derived over a six-month period, and lays out expected growth strategies for the next five to 10 years. After generating support from individuals and local businesses, Hodges researched funding opportunities through the Maine Department of Transportation’s Quality Community Program to assist with infrastructure improvements. The DOT’s program requires a 20 percent local match to receive an 80 percent grant.

“Between Camden’s TIF, the Downtown Master Plan, and the grant, the opportunity was there,” Hodges said. “I invited the Maine DOT to visit Camden so they could see the areas our plan focused on and then showed them how the plan envisioned the improvements.”

The Maine Department of Transportation can choose to fund certain phases of a local strategy or an entire plan. In the case of Camden, the entire downtown master plan was approved by Maine DOT.

Transportation Enhancements

The federal Department of Transportation established the Transportation Alternatives Program through the Federal Highway Administration as part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act. The act made $105 billion available in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 for surface transportation programs impacting highways, bike trails, pedestrian walkways and public transit.

The federal government outlined 12 eligible initiatives that fall under transportation enhancement activities:

1. Facilities for pedestrians and bicycles
2. Safety education programs for pedestrians and bicyclists
3. Preservation of scenic easements or historic sites
4. Development of scenic or historic highways
5. Landscaping or beautification
6. Historic preservation
7. Rehabilitation of historic sites
8. Preservation of abandoned areas
9. Management of outdoor advertising
10. Archeological projects
11. Environmental mitigation such as reducing water pollution or animal deaths from vehicles
12. Creation of transportation museums

As Camden’s downtown master plan included more than one eligible enhancement activity, the entire initiative received funding.

Downtown Planning

Gov1 has reported on other downtown strategies that include urban agriculture and unique street designs.