RIC Planning Funds

State Fiscal Year 2025 Funding Available to Fund Community Planning Directly Through RIC MPO

-RIC MPO Opens Requests to Match Federal Planning Funds-

Due to the new availability of additional federal planning funds (PL) through the United States Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) directly to the Regional Intergovernmental Council Metropolitan Planning Organization (RIC MPO), eligible entities may submit requests to fund eligible community plans, if a required 20% local match is committed and provided by the start of 2025 State Fiscal Year on July 1^st, 2024.

Eligible entities include:

• Municipal governments in Kanawha and Putnam counties.
  • A subsidiary agency of a municipality in Kanawha and Putnam counties.
• Non-profit organizations that serve a complete neighborhood, community, place, or municipal area wholly within Kanawha and Putnam counties that have been determined to have a critical planning need.

Eligible activities include the full scope of the transportation planning process is defined by Title 23 § 450.306 Scope of the metropolitan transportation planning process.

23 CFR § 450.306 – Scope of the metropolitan transportation planning process.

(a) To accomplish the objectives in § 450.300 and § 450.306(b), metropolitan planning organizations designated under § 450.310, in cooperation with the State and public transportation operators, shall develop long-range transportation plans and TIPs through a performance-driven, outcome-based approach to planning for metropolitan areas of the State.

(b) The metropolitan transportation planning process shall be continuous, cooperative, and comprehensive, and provide for consideration and implementation of projects, strategies, and services that will address the following factors:

(1) Support the economic vitality of the metropolitan area, especially by enabling global competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency;

(2) Increase the safety of the transportation system for motorized and non-motorized users;

(3) Increase the security of the transportation system for motorized and non-motorized users;

(4) Increase accessibility and mobility of people and freight;

(5) Protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, improve the quality of life, and promote consistency between transportation improvements and State and local planned growth and economic development patterns;

(6) Enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system, across and between modes, for people and freight;

(7) Promote efficient system management and operation;

(8) Emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system;

(9) Improve the resiliency and reliability of the transportation system and reduce or mitigate stormwater impacts of surface transportation; and

(10) Enhance travel and tourism.

(c) Consideration of the planning factors in paragraph (b) of this section shall be reflected, as appropriate, in the metropolitan transportation planning process. The degree of consideration and analysis of the factors should be based on the scale and complexity of many issues, including transportation system development, land use, employment, economic development, human and natural environment (including Section 4(f) properties as defined in 23 CFR 774.17), and housing and community development.

Some example activities may include, but not limited to:

• Location-specific transportation studies
  • Safety
  • Feasibility
• System-wide transportation studies
  • Safety
  • Feasibility
• Tourism analysis and enhancement studies
• Studies that develop community priorities for system preservation.
• Multimodal transportation studies
  • Freight
  • Bicycle
  • Pedestrian
  • Transit
  • Carpool
  • Trail system
• Studies that evaluate the economic relationships between land use, transportation, and municipal revenue.
• Comprehensive plans that establish zoning and strengthen the relationship between land use and transportation.
• Emergency Services Route Management and Operational Efficiency
• Housing Development Studies
• Environmental Planning
  • Developing a Pollution Reduction Strategy
  • Stormwater Management Plans

To submit a request for RIC MPO Planning Funding, please follow the application instructions by clicking here or hover over the Transportation dropdown menu,  hover over RIC Funding Opportunities, then hover over RIC Planning Funds and click Request Funds Now.

The deadline to submit requests for federal PL funds for State Fiscal Year 2025, beginning on July 1^st, 2024, is February 16th, 2024, at 12 PM ET. For pre-application consulting, contact the RIC Transportation Team at (304) 744-4258 or at mail@wvregion3.org. Hard copies or accessibility accommodations for making a submission can be made upon request.