Archives

Build America, Buy America Act

April 1st, 2025

This is a summary of the activities and involvement of the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) in the Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA) discussions over the past 2½ + years, since the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA aka BIL). The provisions of BABAA created difficult and unprecedented complications for the implementation […]

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USDOT issues over $1.3B in FY 2025 RAISE grants

February 3rd, 2025

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently issued $1.32 billion in fiscal year 2025 round one funding from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity or RAISE discretionary grant program for 109 projects nationwide; 14 of which are overseen by state departments of transportation. The USDOT noted in a statement that its RAISE program supports a […]

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USDOT issues $172M in SS4A program grant funds

December 6th, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently issued $172 million in grants via its Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program; the third and final round of 2024 awards from this project, which was created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The agency said in a statement that funding will go directly to 257 […]

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Former Congressman Duffy tapped for USDOT secretary

November 28th, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump recently nominated former Congressman Sean Duffy for secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Sean Duffy. Photo courtesy of U.S. Congressional archive. A member of the Republican Party, Duffy – a former prosecutor who served as Wisconsin’s Ashland County District Attorney from 2002 until 2010 – is the former U.S. representative for […]

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USDOT awards $4.2B to major transportation projects

October 31st, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently issued $4.2 billion to 44 major transportation projects across the country through two discretionary grant programs: the National Infrastructure Project Assistance or “Mega” grant program and the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America or “INFRA” grant program. The agency noted in a statement that three of those projects – in Phoenix, Chicago, […]

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FHWA announces $108 million in transportation investments

June 25th, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced over $108 million in grant awards for 85 projects that will improve transportation and reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries on federal and tribal lands. The grants, from FHWA’s Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects and Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund programs, are the latest in […]

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USDOT accepting SMART Grants applications

May 20th, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is accepting applications for the third year of its Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program. The SMART Grants Program was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Biden on November 15, 2021. As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, the program will fund […]

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USDOT offering $5.1B in ‘bundled’ discretionary grants

April 15th, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)  is now accepting applications for approximately $5.1 billion in funding for infrastructure projects of regional or national significance for three major discretionary grant programs. The agency noted that the project application process for those three programs has been “streamlined” into the single Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program. The available […]

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USDOT announces $57 million available for innovative finance and asset concession grants

March 14th, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a new program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Innovative Finance and Asset Concession Grant Program makes $100 million available over five years to assist public entities in facilitating and evaluating public-private partnerships and exploring innovative financing and delivery opportunities for the Transportation Infrastructure […]

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Fall Lobby Days 2023

February 1st, 2024

GMA’s Fall 2023 Lobby Days coincided with the end (November 17) of the first 2023 continuing resolution (CR) that was passed in September ’23 to prevent a shutdown of the U.S. federal government. We were anticipating an exciting week in Washington, D.C., but as we gathered for our preparation meeting the evening before our day […]

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