Area governments and organizations are planning to submit at least a dozen transportation projects in the CSPDC region for VDOT’s Smart Scale Round 5 transportation grant funding program.
Localities, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) including the Harrisonburg-Rockingham (HRMPO) and Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro (SAWMPO), BRITE, and the CSPDC can each submit a maximum of four applications for the program, which is available every two years.
The region has been successful in receiving Smart Scale funding through the previous four rounds. In Smart Scale Round 4, the State funded 17 of the 22 submitted projects totaling over $60 million in the region. The CSPDC and two MPOs submitted nine of the funded projects.
Submitted projects are evaluated by a benefit score based on safety, congestion mitigation, accessibility, land-use, economic development and environmental quality criteria, and also estimated cost.
The pre-application period opened on March 1 and closes on April 1 at 5:00 p.m. Final applications are due August 1. Funded projects are included in the state’s Six-Year Improvement Program.