The Transportation Council allocates transportation funding from a variety of federal highway and transit programs that support our regional, county, and local transportation needs. These federal programs provide funding for a variety of transportation projects such as replacing a bridge, reconstructing a road, building a new sidewalk, or purchasing a new transit vehicle. Our ability to use these federal funds relies on the Transportation Council’s metropolitan transportation planning process.
Federal Aid Eligibility
In order to receive federal transportation funding, a road or related facility must be “federal-aid eligible.” Federal-aid eligibility is based on the functional classification of a road. Functional classification groups roads into classes according to their character and role in the road network. This hierarchy ranges from roads for long interstate trips (Interstates) to roads providing access to individual properties (local roads). In between are Arterials, which provide limited access to adjacent land, and Collectors, which collect traffic from local roads and connect it to arterials. Roads are further classified as either urban or rural based on where they are located.
All public roads not functionally classified as 'local' (rural or urban) or 'rural minor collector' are federal-aid eligible, while all publicly-owned bridges are federal-aid eligible. In Dutchess County, federal-aid highways include 98 percent of State roads, 38 percent of County roads, 21 percent of city and village roads, and only three percent of town roads. Approximately 26 percent (or 634 lane miles) of road mileage in Dutchess County is federal-aid eligible. Functional Classification maps for Dutchess County can be found on NYSDOT’s website and via NYSDOT's interactive online map. See our Fact Sheet (.pdf) for more information.
Federal Highway Programs
The current federal transportation law, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), provides funding for a wide variety of highway programs. Guidance on these programs, which can either be formula-based or discretionary, is issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
National Highway Performance Program (NHPP): Provides funding for the maintenance and performance of the National Highway System (NHS). Eligible activities include the reconstruction and rehabilitation of NHS roads and bridges, as well as safety improvements on the NHS. See FHWA's NHPP webpage for more information.
Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG): Provides funding to improve the condition and performance of a federal-aid eligible highway, bridge, or pedestrian and bicycle facility. See FHWA's STBG webpage for more information.
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program: Provides funding to projects that improve air quality and reduce congestion, such as signal improvements, intersection improvements, new turning lanes, and improved transportation operations. See FHWA's CMAQ webpage for more information.
Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP): Provides funding for projects that reduce fatalities and serious injuries on roads. The HSIP requires a data-driven, strategic approach to improving highway safety. See FHWA's HSIP webpage for more information.
Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP): Provides funding to improve non-motorized mobility, such as new pedestrian and bicycle facilities, recreational trails, and safe routes to school. See FHWA's TAP webpage for more information.
Carbon Reduction Program (CRP): Provides funding for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions to include improvements related to public transit, technology, traffic signalization, Electric Vehicle charging, and truck stop electrification.
Promoting Resilient Opportunities for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT): Provides funding to improve the resiliency of communities from the effects of climate change.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Program: Provides funding for the deployment of EV charging infrastructure.
Bridge Investment Program (BIP): Provides additional funding for the replacement and rehabilitation of bridges and culverts.
The current federal transportation law, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), provides funding for a wide variety of transit programs. Guidance on these programs, which are mostly formula-based, is issued by the Federal Transit Administration (FHWA).
FTA Section 5307 (Urbanized Area Formula Program): Provides funding for transit capital and operating assistance in Census-designated urbanized areas, such as the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh NY-NJ Urbanized Area. The funds are distributed by the Mid-Hudson Valley TMA, using a formula based on the amount of transit service provided, population, and other factors.
Eligible activities include the engineering and design of transit projects; capital investments such as replacing buses, safety, and security equipment; construction of passenger facilities; and investments in fixed guideway systems (e.g. new rail cars, track maintenance, and signal equipment). In addition, preventive maintenance, mobility management, and some Americans with Disabilities Act services are considered capital costs. See FTA's Section 5307 website for more information.
FTA Section 5310 (Enhanced Mobility): Provides funding for programs that support the transportation needs of the older adults and people with disabilities, especially where public transportation services are unavailable or not sufficient. Funds are available to non-profit organizations or public agencies to purchase and operate buses for elderly and disabled transportation. Projects in Dutchess County must be consistent with the our Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan (.pdf). See FTA's Section 5310 website for more information.
FTA Section 5337 (State of Good Repair): Provides funding to fixed guideway systems (including rail, bus rapid transit, and passenger ferries) and high intensity bus systems (e.g. buses operating in High Occupancy Vehicle lanes). Projects are limited to capital vehicle replacement/rehabilitation, or capital projects required to maintain a state of good repair. Projects must be included in a Transit Asset Management Plan to receive funding. See FTA's Section 5337 website for more information.
FTA Section 5339 (Bus & Bus Facilities Program): Provides funding to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment, and to construct bus-related facilities. See FTA's Section 5339 website for more information.
