The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) Statewide Transit Innovation Grant is a competitive grant program with the goal of supporting local efforts to improve transit reliability, improving access and connections to activity centers, and improving transit mobility options. The program seeks to fund cost-effective public transportation projects that reduce delays for people and improve connectivity between regional and economic population centers. Projects may incorporate bus, rail, or other transit modes.

Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants include

  • Maryland local governments, or
  • locally operated transit providers, or
  • organizations that currently receive MDOT MTA grant funds

Applicants may identify additional project partners including other Maryland county and local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, locally operated transit providers, and other non-governmental, for- and non-profit organizations.

Eligible Projects

Eligible projects may be in the planning, design, engineering, or construction phases, must meet the goals outlined above, and can include activities such as:

  • corridor studies,
  • feasibility studies,
  • bus rapid transit corridors,
  • dedicated bus lanes,
  • transit signal prioritization,
  • other transit priority treatments,
  • bus operations improvements,
  • innovative fare payment upgrades,
  • connected and autonomous vehicle pilot programs, and
  • other transit innovations in safety and mobility improvements.

Applications will be graded based on their ability to meet the goals of the program and their ability to demonstrate how the project will be innovative for the local area. If an applicant is applying for a construction phase project, they would also be required to:

  • Demonstrate project ownership, maintenance, and management commitment
  • Secure right-of-way and documentation, if acquired

An engineer’s cost estimate is highly recommended for any projects seeking construction funds. Furthermore, if a construction project is anticipated to cost over $50,000, then 30% design plans may be requested as part of the application. Please reach out to the STIG Grant manager to discuss if you think 30% design plans may be requested for your project.

If you would like to see past awards, you can view the past awards here.

How To Apply

Interested applicants are required to submit an official application package to request program funds. Please be sure your application includes all of the items identified in the Application Checklist found within the PDF and Word documents.

The grant team will begin accepting applications on May 1st, 2023. For your application to be considered, it must be complete and received by MDOT MTA no later than June 30, 2023 at 5:00 pm.

MDOT Policies & Guidelines

Interested parties should be familiar of MDOT’s policies and guidelines. Where applicable, projects should adhere to these policies and guidelines, utilizing the resources to the best extent possible. Below includes resources for applicants to use when scoping their projects:

STIG Workshop

There will be a workshop for interested applicants on Friday May 6th, 2023 at 1 pm. Call-in information is below:

  • Teams Link
  • Meeting ID: 296 182 499 802
  • Passcode: 9bhhyH

Other Grants

MDOT administers two related grant programs:

Contact Us

To learn more or sign up for updates, please fill out the form below to be added to the MDOT MTA Office of Planning and Capital Programming's Statewide Transit Innovation Grant list. For questions regarding the Statewide Transit Innovation Grant, contact Stephen Miller, MDOT MTA Office of Planning, at smiller6@mdot.maryland.gov

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The Maryland Department of Transportation/Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT/MTA) is pleased to announce the availability of funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation / Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for Section 5310-Enhanced Mobility for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities. The application period opens on September 9, 2022.

How To Receive The 5310 Grant Application Package

The application package for Section 5310 grant funding will be available on the Transportation Association of Maryland (TAM) website 5310 Grant Application (taminc.org) beginning September 9, 2022.

The Section 5310 grant application in Microsoft Word format and the 6310 Budget Form in Microsoft Excel format can be found here as well.

Grant Application Process Review Meeting

A review session for the Section 5310 Grant Program will be held in-person during the Transportation Association of Maryland (TAM) Annual Conference on Thursday, September 22, 2022. This session and the conference will be held at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in Stevensville MD. To register, please visit https://www.taminc.org/2022-conference.

Please Note: If you attend the Grant Application Process Review Meeting it is recommended that you either print out a copy of the grant application or bring a laptop with the application loaded. No hard copies of the grant application will be available on the day of the meeting.

Every effort will be made to record the session and will be located along with the grant application on the TAM website under Resources, Office of Local Transit Support, MTA 5310 Grant Application: https://www.taminc.org/5310-grant.

Deadline And Method For Submitting 5310 Grant Applications

The 5310 Human Services Grant application Parts II and Part III plus supplemental documentation will be submitted electronically via the MDOT MTA Grant Application Portal no later than January 20, 2023 at 4:00 pm. Registration on the MDOT MTA Portal is mandatory. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED VIA DELIVERY OR U.S. MAIL.

Eligible Section 5310 Applicants

Section 5310 Program grant funds are available for capital and operating expenses to support the provision of transportation services to meet the specific needs of seniors and individuals with disabilities.

At least 55% of Section 5310 funds will be utilized for public transportation "traditional" capital projects. Eligible capital expenses may include but are not limited to:

  • Bus, accessible bus, vans
  • Radios and communications equipment
  • Wheelchair lifts and restraints
  • Vehicle rehabilitation
  • Computer hardware and software
  • Preventative maintenance
  • Mobility management

Up to 45% of Section 5310 funds may be used for "non-traditional" capital and operating expenses. Eligible "non-traditional" capital and operating expenses include but are not limited to:

  • purchase vehicles to support accessible taxi, ride-sharing, and/or vanpooling programs
  • support administration and expenses related to voucher programs
  • support volunteer driver and aid programs

The Applicant's Financial Commitment

The Section 5310 grant provides 80% of the cost of capital (e.g. vehicles, preventive maintenance, mobility management) and 50% of operations. The remaining 20% for capital and 50% for operations will be provided in cash by the applicant organization as matching funds and must be from non-Federal sources, except where specific legislative language permits Federal funds to be used to match other Federal funds. Some examples are Community Development Block Grants and Appalachian Regional Commission funds.

General Guidelines For Section 5310 Funds

These funds are intended to help provide accessible transportation service for elderly individuals and individuals with disabilities, where existing service is unavailable, insufficient or inappropriate. Section 5310 supplements other Federal Transit Administration programs and must be coordinated with those programs and with transportation programs funded by other Federal and State sources.

Section 5310 funds may not be used to support services that compete with public transit or private-for-profit providers, or to provide transportation for school children. Certain standard requirements of Federal programs apply, including but not limited to: Title VI Civil Rights, Minority Business Enterprise, Equal Employment Opportunity, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and all Office of Management and Budget Requirements.