Funding & Grants

The Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) is a nine-member Council chaired by ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks.

The TRAC is tasked with evaluating funding applications that result in ODOT’s largest transportation project investments.  ODOT transportation professionals have developed a funding application evaluation analysis to assist in the TRAC’s decision making.

Part of the application evaluation  includes input from metropolitan planning organizations like MORPC. Therefore, each TRAC funding cycle, MORPC conducts its own evaluation of the Central Ohio TRAC applications that fall within our transportation planning boundaries and prioritizes the applications based on the region’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan goals and objectives. MORPC then provides the region’s TRAC project priorities to ODOT, which are considered during the project funding selection process.

2021 TRAC Projects

MORPC is currently evaluating projects and seeking public comments on our prioritization process.

Nine projects from our transportation-planning area were submitted to TRAC during the 2021 application period, which was held from March 1-26, 2021. Known as “major new” projects, these transportation projects have a total project cost greater than $12 million and add capacity to the transportation system. The proposed projects are located in Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, and Licking counties.

To learn more about the TRAC project applications in our area, view the following one-page fact sheets:

• Alum Creek Drive Widening (Rickenbacker Area)
• Broad Street Widening in Pataskala
• Far East Freeway Phases 2 and 3
• Far East I-70 Interchange Improvements at Taylor Road & SR-256
• Hard Shoulder Running I-71 Study
• I-71 & Big Walnut Interchange
• I-270 and US-23 Interchange
• US-23 Corridor Study
• US-33 at Pickerington Road and Allen Road

The public is encouraged to provide comments or any additional information to help set MORPC’s priorities, including advantages and/or disadvantages of projects. All comments must be submitted by e-mail to info@morpc.org or in writing to Dina López, Re: TRAC Public Input, MORPC, 111 Liberty Street, Suite 100, Columbus, OH 43215. The deadline to submit feedback is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28, 2021.

The nine TRAC funding requests made in Central Ohio total $96 million. TRAC received 35 applications from across the state for development or construction of transportation projects. The final project list will be approved in August 2021.

A portion of federal transportation funding is allocated at MORPC’s discretion, following an application and selection process. We call these funds MORPC-attributable funds. We work closely with local agencies to prioritize the use of these funds to meet their needs and those of the entire region. They can be used for roads and bridges, public transit, bikeways, sidewalks, and a variety of other activities. The funds come from three federal programs: the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG), the Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) and the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP).

We manage this program under the oversight of our Attributable Funds Committee (AFC). We solicit and evaluate applications for funding from local public agencies every two years. Because of the time it takes to plan, study and design these projects, we try to keep most of the next four years’ worth of funding lined up for projects already in the pipeline.

More information can be viewed on the MORPC-attributable Funding for Transportation webpage.

Questions can be directed to Nathaniel Vogt at 614.233.4183.

The 5310 program we administer provides capital and operating grants for public transportation services in order to meet the needs of seniors and individuals with disabilities in the Columbus urbanized area. Those eligible for funding include private non-profit organizations, state and local governments, and operators of public transportation services.

This program provides federal funds for:

• 80 percent of the cost of capital projects requiring a 20 percent match
• 50 percent federal funds requiring a 50 percent match for operating projects

More information on Section 5310 funding, the coordinated plans, and the most current application cycle is available on MORPC’s Enhanced Mobility webpage.

Questions about the program can be directed to Mike Borger at 614.233.4155.

The Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) provides financing for local public infrastructure improvements through both the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP) and the Local Transportation Improvement Program (LTIP). SCIP is a grant/loan program for roads, bridges, water supply, wastewater treatment, storm water collection, and solid waste disposal. LTIP is a grant program for roads and bridges only.

Under the oversight of the Public Works Integrating Committee, we provide administrative support for Franklin County projects by processing and reviewing grant and loan requests before submitting them to the OPWC for approval.

For more information on the application process, please visit our SCIP/LTIP webpage.

The state’s Clean Ohio Fund restores, protects, and connects Ohio’s natural and urban places by preserving green space and farmland, improving outdoor recreation, and cleaning up brownfields to encourage redevelopment and revitalize communities. Each of the four programs that compose the fund has a specific funding focus, as well as different guidelines and contact information.

The Clean Ohio Conservation Fund helps communities acquire green space and protect and enhance rivers and streams. The Ohio Public Works Commission administers the program statewide. We administer the application and selection process for conservation projects in Franklin County. For more information, please visit our Clean Ohio Conservation Fund webpage.

ODOT Highway Safety Improvement Program

Ohio Traffic Safety Grant Program

County Highway Safety Improvement Program HSIP

Rail Crossing Programs

Ohio EPA Office of Environmental Education Grants

Ohio EPA Recycling and Letter Prevention Grants

SWACO Waste Reduction Grants

For more information, contact Brandi Whetstone at 614.233.4174.

U.S. EPA Brownfields Program – Central Ohio has been awarded $600,000 to distribute to eligible Brownfield sites within the 15-county region. The grant funding can be used to assess sites contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants, and/or petroleum. More information about the program and applications are available at morpc.org/brownfields.  

Insight2050 Technical Assistance Program (TA Program) – This program provides MORPC staff assistance to Central Ohio communities within the boundary of the metropolitan planning organization for the planning of sustainable transportation and community development efforts related to the findings of insight2050 Scenario Results report. More information about the program and competitive application process is available at getinsight2050.org/resources/technical-assistance-program.