Nabilah S
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced this week a grant of $3 million for American Samoa, as part of the $1.8 billion in awards from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program.
American Samoa will allocate $3 million toward the Port Masterplan project, which aims to develop a comprehensive plan for the Port of Pago Pago. This plan will offer guidance on the port’s infrastructure capacity and limitations, potential growth and expansion, permitting requirements, renewable energy implementation, project funding, economic development opportunities, and recommended technologies and innovations.
The plan will direct infrastructure improvements to reduce carbon pollution, incorporate environmentally sustainable construction methods, include energy-efficient vehicle infrastructure, and devise a hazard mitigation plan.
Additionally, it will assess the feasibility of implementing nature-based solutions in an area facing high rates of sea-level rise and vulnerability to climate change, which exacerbates the impacts of coastal hazards. The plan will also provide guidance on increasing affordable transportation options and mobility by enhancing the current inter-island ferry system and expanding active transportation options with new walking and biking facilities.
The awards support 148 projects nationwide, bringing the total funding of Biden-Harris Administration RAISE grants to over $7.2 billion for more than 550 projects across the country.
After decades of underinvestment, the state of America’s infrastructure is finally improving rather than deteriorating – and today we proudly announce our support for 148 additional projects in communities of all sizes across the nation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The competitive and widely sought-after RAISE program, which has been allocated $1.5 billion annually in addition to already appropriated funds, supports a diverse range of communities with projects of local and regional significance. Funding is evenly divided between urban and rural areas, with a significant portion of grants benefiting regions classified as historically disadvantaged or areas of persistent poverty.
The RAISE program’s eligibility criteria allow project sponsors, including state and local governments, counties, Tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities, to pursue multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are often challenging to finance through other grant programs. RAISE discretionary grants invest in essential freight and passengers transportation infrastructure projects that would otherwise lack the necessary funding if not for President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
As in previous years, the demand for RAISE funding exceeded available resources, with the Department receiving nearly $13 billion in requests for the $1.8 billion available this year. The RAISE program is one of several competitive grant programs providing funding to communities nationwide under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
