USDOT Announces First Round of 2025 RAISE Grants

The agency awarded $1.32 billion in funds to transportation infrastructure projects aimed at road safety and mobility.

1 minute read

January 16, 2025, 7:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Low angle of pedestrians and a bicycle crossing the street at an urban crosswalk.

VTT Studio / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded $1.32 billion in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants, reports Liz Carey for Transportation Today.

The grants were awarded to 109 projects aimed at repairing and rebuilding “critical infrastructure in areas of local or regional significance.”

According to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the projects will “make roads safer, help mitigate the impact of climate change, and ensure that people in communities of all sizes can get where they need to go safely and efficiently.” Recipient projects include multimodal improvements and rail line repairs.

According to USDOT, “Funding is split equally between urban and rural areas, and a large percentage of grants, selected in this first round of FY 2025, support urban and rural regions defined as historically disadvantaged or areas of persistent poverty.”

The department also announced $635 million in grants for electric vehicle charging infrastructure around the country that will expand community charging networks and fast-charging projects along key corridors.

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 in Transportation Today News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

1 hour ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

2 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

3 hours ago - Bloomberg