Transit Infrastructure Fund

Fiscal Year 2023 Grant Applications Now Open!

Metro is pleased to be accepting applications for the FY 2023 Transit Infrastructure Fund (TIF) grant awards. Applications are due no later than 2 p.m. EST, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Please see below for application guidelines as well as information about the FY 2022 recipients.

Applicant Guidelines

Hamilton County and all municipalities and townships in Hamilton County are eligible to apply for grants. The Transit Infrastructure Fund Applicant Guidelines provide details on the grant program and the application process.

Click or tap to download the 2023 applicant guidelines.
Click or tap to download the 2023 application.
Click or tap here to download the 2023 application checklist.
Click or tap to download the Bus Stop Guidelines.

Timeline

Fiscal Year 2023 submissions will follow this timeline:

• Application submission window: March 1, 2023 - May 31, 2023 (by 2 p.m.)
• Project review and scoring: May 31, 2023 - July 31, 2023
• Authorizing legislation submittal deadline: June 16, 2023 (by 2 p.m.)
• Support staff priority approval: July 31, 2023
• SORTA Board confirms support staff's recommendations: Aug. 22, 2023
• Hamilton County Integrating Committee issues final approval of projects: Aug. 31, 2023
• SORTA enters into agreements with awardees: Q4 2023
• Funds released to awardees: Q1 2024

Fiscal Year 2022 Grants Awarded

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) has awarded nearly $40 million for 36 projects across 26 Hamilton County municipalities in the second round of Transit Infrastructure Fund grants. SORTA accepted applications for this round between April 1 and June 30, 2022. In September, the SORTA Board of Trustees designated the recipients and sent them to the Hamilton County Integrating Committee for final review and approval. In November, the Integrating Committee gave final approval. Funds will be dispersed in Q1 2023.

Click or tap here to see a list of the 2022 applicant projects and how much funding they will receive. Please see below for updated application and project guidelines.

Background

In May 2020, the residents of Hamilton County voted to replace Cincinnati Metro's existing funding model, which relied primarily on the city's earnings tax, with a new funding structure. Effective January 2021, a 0.8-percent sales tax will fund SORTA for the next 25 years.

Seventy-five percent of the sales tax levy (or 0.6 percent) funds Metro’s bus service operations and capital costs. The remaining 25 percent (0.2 percent) goes toward infrastructure improvements — such as road, bridge and sidewalk improvements — that fall within Metro's service area and would benefit bus service.

Purpose

The Transit Infrastructure Fund (TIF) program was established to manage the portion of the sales tax levy (the 0.2 percent) allocated to roadway infrastructure.

The goal of the program is to:

• Assist localities within Hamilton County in improving the state of their roadway infrastructure
• Improve overall mobility for Hamilton County residents by providing grant funds to roads that are within Metro’s service area

Eligible Projects

Infrastructure projects eligible for consideration must be within ¾ mile of a Metro fixed transit route – excluding stretches on limited access highways, classified as Class 1, such as I-275, I-75, I-74 and I-71. 

Contact

Any questions regarding the Transit Infrastructure Fund may be directed to Khaled Shammout, Chief Strategic Planning, Development and Innovation Officer, at kshammout@go-metro.com or by phone at (513) 632-7671.

Project Approval

The Transit Infrastructure Fund program is being administered by SORTA staff. Transit Infrastructure Fund applications will be scored by an evaluation committee designated by SORTA. Final approval of selected projects will be granted by the OPWC District 2 Integrating Committee.

District 2 Integrating Committee

District 2 Integrating Committee Alternates

Fiscal Year 2021 TIF Award Recipients

Congratulations to the 22 Hamilton County communities that were awarded grants for 30 infrastructure improvement projects during the inaugural round of transit infrastructure funding! View the communities' applications in the table below.

FY 2021 TIF Applications

See the full list of 2021 recipient projects here.
See 2021 recipient projects' score table here.