The Minnesota Department of Transportation is making more than $6.2 million worth of federal funds available via its Transportation Alternatives or TA program in Greater Minnesota to help communities, schools, and regional agencies pay for pedestrian and bicycle facilities, historic preservation, and Safe-Routes-to-School projects, among other endeavors.

[Above photo via the Minnesota DOT.]

The agency added in a statement that the Metropolitan Council conducts a biennial solicitation for TA projects in the seven-county Twin Cities Metro Area and that the program grants are distributed

For the 2020-2021 solicitation period, the Minnesota DOT said letters of intent are due by October 31, will full grant applications due by January 5, 2021. The agency will then announce 2020-2021 TA grant recipients on April 15, 2021.

Several state DOTs use federal funds issued via such grant programs to make broad improvements in transportation safety while also promoting healthier lifestyles.

For example, in July, the North Dakota Department of Transportation issued more than $2 million worth of TA grants to help fund a variety of urban and rural for transportation improvement projects across the state; a move mirrored by its neighbor, the South Dakota Department of Transportation, in late April. Meanwhile, in June, the Kansas Department of Transportation began accepting applications for roughly $14 million in 2022 and 2023 TA grants.