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MCDOT Grant Submissions

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation applies for multiple competitive grants each year to assist in funding projects involving infrastructure, transportation and safety.
 
Even with the second-largest County budget, next to schools, MCDOT has many unfunded projects that compete for funding. Transportation and infrastructure projects are complicated in that they require a process that includes a study to determine needs, a planning period, a community input and engagement period, a plan development period and approvals before they can begin. Additionally, projects are often approved through the County’s annual financial approval process in pieces and rely on the priorities of elected officials, which are sometimes subject to change. With multiple projects at different stages and with different funding levels allocated, grant funds can assist in moving projects forward. These applications work to serve public benefit and reduce the amount of County dollars spent.
 
Recently, grant funding has helped pay for free transit fares during the pandemic, bridge rehabilitation projects and purchasing zero-emission buses. 
 
Select grant submissions are posted below.

2023-4 Grant Awards Received

Maryland Board of Public Works 2022 Bond Bill Funding 

Additional funding from the 2021 bond bill will support:  

 Learn more here. 

2022 Grant Awards Received

Zero Emission Buses 

MCDOT won a competitive grant award of nearly $15 million from the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the purchase of 13 new hydrogen fuel cell buses and the construction of a green hydrogen fueling site at the David F. Bone Equipment Maintenance Transit Operations Center in Gaithersburg. The project will be the first public transit application of green hydrogen on the East Coast. 
The award, from FTA’s Low or No Emission Vehicle Program, makes the County a leading adopter of this clean technology. Learn more here. 

Trees in Urban Communities to reduce Heat Island Effect 

The Chesapeake Bay Trust awarded MCDOT a $362,740 grant to plant 1200 trees in underserved, low canopy neighborhoods. Urban trees have significant benefits to human health, climate, the economy, and the environment. Learn more here.  

Bus Driving Simulators and Training 

MCDOT was awarded a $263,000 Transit Innovation Grant from the Maryland Department of Transportation to purchase bus driving simulators and develop a five-week bus operator training program that prepares bus operators to better handle challenging traffic and road conditions to improve safety. Learn more here. 

Bethesda Trolley Trail Connection to Twinbrook 

MCDOT was awarded $52,000 from the Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program for advancing the design of the Bethesda Trolley Trail connection to the Twinbrook Metrorail station. Learn more here.  

Montgomery County Streetlight Standards 

A $50,000 grant will help provide an upgrade to Montgomery County’s existing Streetlight Standards to advance the County’s Vision Zero Initiative and its Complete Streets Design Guidelines principles. The County needs the upgrades to effectively convert existing lighting infrastructure to create safer, properly illuminated walking and cycling areas in line with a Safe Streets context. This is one of five grants the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) awarded to Montgomery County jurisdictions through its Transportation Land-use Connections (TLC) program. Learn more here. 

2021 Grant Awards Received 

Walter Johnson Road Shared-Use Path in Germantown 

MCDOT was granted $85,000 in funding from the Transportation Planning Board for the design of the Walter Johnson Road shared-use path connection to the Germantown MARC station as part of the Transportation Planning Board’s Transit Within Reach Technical Assistance program. Learn more here.  

Real-Time Ride On Crowd Sourcing App   

MCDOT was awarded a $450,000 grant by the Federal Transit Administration to create a crowd-sourcing system application that provides real-time bus status and passenger counts for Ride On routes to the public and MCDOT’s central dispatch. The new technology is the first to coordinate with strategically placed buses to assist routes nearing capacity and offer “How Full Is My Bus?” trip planning services. Additional local public transportation modes will be incorporated for trip planning. Learn more here.  

New Hampshire Avenue Safety Study 

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) awarded MCDOT a grant for a safety study along New Hampshire Avenue (MD 650) from Oakview Drive to Southampton Drive. The grant, totaling $60,000, was a joint submittal with the Prince George’s Department of Public Works and Transportation. A portion of New Hampshire Avenue, from Northampton Drive to Southampton Drive, is within Prince George’s County. Learn more here.  

River Falls Drainage Assessment  

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources awarded MCDOT a $85,000 grant to study drainage issues in the River Falls neighborhood and identify solutions to address current flood hazards as well as future hazards exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. Learn more here.