Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Grants
(RAISE Grants)
Department of TransportationCommunities applying for competitive infrastructure grants; California HSR project
Summary
The RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) Grants program gives competitive federal money to states, cities, counties, tribes, and transit and port agencies for local road, bridge, rail, and transit projects that don't fit neatly into other federal funding streams. The FY2027 budget eliminates the program entirely, cutting its full $145 million (a 100% reduction), and separately cancels roughly $4 billion in federal support tied to the California High-Speed Rail project.
Who Is Affected
RAISE money is split evenly between urban and rural communities, with at least 5% set aside for planning grants, so small towns and rural counties that often can't compete for other infrastructure funds are especially reliant on it. In FY2022 alone, DOT awarded about $2.25 billion to 166 local road, rail, and transit projects nationwide, and since 2009 the program (originally called TIGER, later RAISE/BUILD) has distributed more than $14 billion to communities in all 50 states.
What this cut would actually mean
With RAISE eliminated, cities, counties, and tribal governments will lose a key funding source for locally designed projects like bridge replacements, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, port upgrades, and transit stations that often can't get funded through standard formula programs; many planned or in-progress projects would stall, be scaled back, or be paid for entirely through local taxes and borrowing instead. Because the cut also ends roughly $4 billion tied to California's High-Speed Rail project, that project would lose a major funding source, likely delaying or forcing cutbacks to already-underway construction and further raising costs from schedule delays.
Sources
- Discretionary Transportation Grants: DOT Should Better Align Its Application Evaluation Process with Federal Guidance — GAO report noting that in FY2022 DOT awarded about $2.25 billion to 166 projects through RAISE, and that since 2009 DOT has awarded over $14 billion through the program (formerly TIGER/BUILD).
- USDOT announces 2024 RAISE Grant Program — National Association of Counties summary noting RAISE funding is split evenly between urban and rural project areas, with a minimum share set aside for planning grants.
- FY27 President's Budget Request Signals Major Shifts in Higher Education, Infrastructure and Domestic Programs — Law firm analysis confirming the FY2027 budget request proposes eliminating RAISE/BUILD/TIGER grants and other discretionary transportation grant programs.
- Department of Transportation FY2027 Funding Request — Congressional Research Service report on the FY2027 DOT budget request, detailing cuts and eliminations across DOT discretionary grant programs.
- The FY2027 Budget Proposes Eliminating $13 Billion in Grants That Cities and Counties Depend On — Analysis describing how RAISE/BUILD elimination would end competitive funding for locally designed transportation projects like bike infrastructure, transit stations, bridge replacements, and port improvements.
Administration's Stated Rationale
“Competitive infrastructure grants eliminated; California High Speed Rail project ($4B) cancelled.”