Opportunity Information: Apply for 693JJ322NF00002
The Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement (CARSI) Grants Round 2 opportunity is a discretionary federal grant program run by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It makes up to $59,744,250 available for multiple awards to support construction projects that improve safety at public railway-highway crossings. The program is specifically aimed at reducing risk where trains and roadway users intersect, with an emphasis on tangible, on-the-ground improvements that eliminate known hazards and prevent future crashes.
CARSI Round 2 is focused on four main safety and performance goals: improving safety at public railway-highway crossings by eliminating hazards; reducing fatalities, serious injuries, and crashes at those crossings; reducing the number of existing public at-grade crossings by closing crossings or creating grade separations; and reducing delays or improving system performance by addressing hazards created when trains block grade crossings due to idling (for example, situations where stopped trains create unsafe or unpredictable traffic conditions). A key point in the notice is that a proposed project does not have to be located at the same site as the accident that originally triggered eligibility through an NTSB investigation. Applicants can choose project locations based on their own risk and needs, as long as the proposal fits within the eligible project types.
Eligible projects are limited to a defined set of construction activities: (1) grade separation or other forms of grade protection at crossings, (2) reconstruction of existing railroad grade crossing structures, (3) relocation of highways to eliminate grade crossings, and (4) improvements at grade crossings that address hazards caused by blocked crossings due to idling trains. In plain terms, this funding is meant for capital improvements that change the physical conditions at or near crossings, rather than planning-only activities.
Eligibility is narrow and tied to the definition of a "commuter authority" in 49 U.S.C. 24102, meaning a state, local, or regional entity established to provide (or contract for) commuter rail passenger transportation. To qualify, the commuter authority must have had at least one accident investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2018, and that investigation must have resulted in an NTSB accident report. Applications may be submitted either directly by an eligible commuter authority or by a public or nonprofit entity that is partnering with an eligible commuter authority. FHWA also encourages coordination with State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs), and explicitly notes that State DOTs may apply as the prime applicant and serve as a pass-through entity that administers funds to the commuter authority as a subawardee (consistent with 2 CFR 200.1). If the commuter authority operates on a corridor owned by another entity, the application must include a letter from the rail owner supporting the proposed project. Prior CARSI Round 1 award recipients are still eligible for Round 2 without added restrictions.
Funding for Round 2 combines two fiscal year sources with different matching requirements. The FY20 CARSI portion totals $9,744,250 and requires a 10 percent non-federal cost share. The FY21 CARSI portion totals $50,000,000 and does not require a cost share. Applicants would need to pay close attention to how FHWA applies these funding sources within awards, because match obligations may depend on which funds are used.
In terms of timing and process, the opportunity is tied to a formal Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) posted on Grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Number 693JJ322NF00002 (CFDA 20.205). The forecast originally anticipated a NOFO release on January 6, 2022, with an estimated due date of March 7, 2022 and selections around June 2022. A later schedule update delayed the estimated NOFO release to January 31, 2022 and shifted the expected application deadline to roughly 60 days after the NOFO release (with a webinar expected about two weeks after release). The listing also shows an original closing date of April 14, 2022, but the official deadlines are ultimately those published in the issued NOFO, not the forecast. FHWA planned an informational webinar to walk through requirements and answer questions; attendance was optional and not required for submission.
The main point of contact provided for questions is Sarah Tarpgaard, Contracting Officer at USDOT/FHWA (sarah.tarpgaard@dot.gov). The notice repeatedly emphasizes that applicants must meet the eligibility criteria to be considered, and organizations that do not meet those criteria should not submit under the solicitation.Apply for 693JJ322NF00002
- The DOT Federal Highway Administration in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement (CARSI) Grants Round 2" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.205.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-02-14.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-04-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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