RICHMOND – Localities and regional entities such as metropolitan planning organizations and transit agencies can submit project applications under the SMART SCALE program (formerly House Bill 2) from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30 this year. This marks the second round of applications as projects will compete for funding available in the outer years of the six-year program.
SMART SCALE stands for System for the Management and Allocation of Resources for Transportation, and the key factors used in evaluating a project’s merits: improvements to safety, congestion reduction, accessibility, land use, economic development and the environment.
Localities and regional entities are encouraged to get their applications in this round as the next round will not be held until 2018 and applications will be taken once every two years moving forward. The amount of funding available for the second round is expected to be less than what was available in the first round of SMART SCALE.
Once the application period closes, the commonwealth will validate and screen the applications to see if they qualify under the SMART SCALE program. Fall public meetings will be held across the state to get feedback on the submitted projects and spring public hearings will be held after scores are released.
Eligible projects will be scored and the results presented to the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) in January 2017. The CTB will make the final decision on which projects to advance and include in the six-year-program. Once projects are in the program, they will be fully funded through construction.
To submit an application visit www.smartscale.org.
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