Minnesota Department of Transportation

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Transportation Alternatives

Greater Minnesota Transportation Alternatives Solicitation

The Transportation Alternatives Solicitation replaces the funding from historical programs including Transportation Enhancements, Scenic BywaysSafe Routes to School, and several other discretionary programs with a competitive program to be developed by states.

The structure and development of the Transportation Alternatives Solicitation is based on the outreach feedback MnDOT heard from our stakeholder process in 2013. View a full description of Minnesota’s principles and the outcome objectives for Transportation Alternatives that came out of that process below:

Grant solicitation

Greater Minnesota

The Transportation Alternatives Solicitation is a competitive grant opportunity for local communities and regional agencies to fund projects for pedestrian and bicycle facilities, historic preservation, Safe Routes to School and more. Minnesota will be soliciting projects for approximately $12.5 million in available grant funding across the state where the total is sub-targeted to the seven area transportation partnerships.

ATP sub-targeted funds
Year Northeast Minnesota ATP Northwest Minnesota ATP Central Minnesota ATP West Central Minnesota ATP Southeast Minnesota ATP South Central Minnesota ATP Southwest Minnesota ATP Total
FY 2028 $1,980,000 $1,120,000 $2,780,000 $1,410,000 $ 2,300,000 $1,600,000 $1,260,000 $12,450,000

Greater Minnesota applicants must submit a letter of intent describing the key components of their project. A regional representative will contact applicants to help review the project proposal and the steps necessary for delivering a federally funded project prior to local communities and regional agencies submitting a full grant application. Full grant applications are available through the regional representatives (PDF).

Solicitation materials
2023-2024 solicitation timeline
  • Monday Oct. 2, 2023 – Announce TA solicitation. Open letter of intent period.
  • Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 – Deadline for applicants to submit letters of intent.
  • Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 – Deadline for RDO/MPO/district review of letters of intent. Recommendation to proceed forward with full application given to applicants.
  • Friday, Nov. 24, 2023 – Official start of full application period.
  • Friday, Jan. 12, 2024– Deadline for applicants to submit full applications.
  • Friday, April 12, 2024 – Deadline for ATPs to select TA projects.
  • Monday, April 15, 2024 – Grant recipients announced

Metro area

The Transportation Alternatives solicitation for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, Washington counties) is conducted by the Metropolitan Council and its Transportation Advisory Board. For more information about the Twin Cities solicitation, visit the Met Council website.

In other MPO areas, check with the MPO for specific timeline information.