The recently launched Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies (FASTLANE) grant program has received approximately 212 applications seeking nearly $9.8 billion, the Department of Transportation (DOT) said.
The program was created late last year to fund priority freight-transportation and highway-infrastructure projects nationwide, with most applications coming from urban areas.
State governments and local jurisdictions have requested more than 13 times the amount of funds that's available under the program, suggesting a nationwide need for funding to implement these projects.
“Transportation creates jobs and makes jobs of the future possible," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. "We know there is pent-up demand for projects that will speed up the delivery of goods and make America even more competitive. Today, we have even more evidence. We're going to do our best to support high-impact transportation projects that will lay a new foundation for job creation and exporting American-made goods throughout the world."