Preparing Your Active Transportation Program Grant Application
The Active Transportation Program (ATP) was created to encourage increased use of active modes of transportation, such as biking and walking. The Cycle 4 Call for Projects for the ATP is tentatively scheduled for late May 16, 2018, with a deadline set for July 31, 2018. Please note that this may change. Alta is following the draft guidelines closely and will provide updated information as soon as it’s available.
ATP Cycle 4 includes 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 state funding years.
There will be five different applications available for applicants to complete depending on the project type and size:
- Large Project (total project cost of greater than $7 million)
- Medium Project (total project cost between $1.5 million to $ 7 million)
- Small Project (total project cost less than $1.5 million)
- Non-infrastructure Only (Programs)
- Active Transportation Plans
Additionally, Caltrans has released the FY 2018-19 Grant Application Guides for the Transportation Planning Grants Program. Seven million dollars were allocated for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017-18 grant cycle, seven million dollars are available in 2018-19, and six million dollars will be available in 2019-20. The application deadline is February 23, 2018.
Grant Writing Services
Alta has extensive knowledge and familiarity with a breadth of capital project funding sources, from state and federal grants to dozens of regional, local, and private sources. Alta has successfully helped communities around the country apply for and receive over $330 million in grant funding. Our efforts with the California Active Transportation Program alone have secured $76 million for our clients for a range of projects including Complete Streets, Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridges, Multi-Use Trails, and Safe Routes to School. Our in-house grant-writing experts excel at identifying funding opportunities and matching projects with the right grant. Alta also prepares grant applications for the Caltrans Transportation Planning Grant Program.
Alta assisted the City of Sunnyvale in preparing an application for the FY 2017-2018 Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program. The City was recommended for funding by Caltrans for $338,000 through a Sustainable Communities grant to fund a combined Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Safe Routes to School Plan.
Alta staff can complete a range of tasks, from full-fledged preparation of the grant application to assisting with document review and preliminary design. We analyze current conditions, assess needed improvements, identify funding resources and strategies, design and engineer facilities, coordinate public and agency involvement, and anticipate details such as connectivity, ADA compliance, landscaping and future expansion.
Our team includes dozens of experts at preparing Caltrans ATP grant applications. Our funding assistance services include:
- Data collection and evaluation
- Confirming project details and costs
- Modeling and benefits analysis
- Technical writing and narrative development
- GIS and mapping expertise
- Preparing preliminary project design
- Document review and quality control
Our knowledge base and efficiencies gained over the course of preparing more than 50 ATP applications in Cycles 1, 2, and 3 help grant applications get funded. We use analytics to build the project narrative and compelling graphics to sell the project. By carefully tracking changes in these program guidelines, our analytics team is continuously improving upon customized models and tools, which allows us to guide clients through the grant application process and produce the most competitive application possible.
One of the funded applications Alta wrote was for the City of Los Angeles Pedestrian & Bicycle Neighborhood Intersection Enhancements. This application provided $1.5 million for construction funding for 4 mini-circles along the Neighborhood Enhanced Network.
Alta staff are experts in grant writing and in helping communities successfully pursue project funding for plans, infrastructure, and programming. A strong application is supported by the expertise of a large and multidisciplinary team that can scale up or down as appropriate to your project/application needs, with individuals specially trained in each required ATP component. Get in touch with us about your ATP and Sustainable Transportation Planning Grants Program application needs.