On Monday, November 15, President Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure package, H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) into law. The legislation provides $973 billion over five years from FY 2022 through FY 2026, including $550 billion in new investments for all modes of transportation, water, power and energy, environmental remediation, public lands, broadband and resilience.

On Wednesday, December 15, the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) and League of Oregon Cities (LOC) hosted an ODOT webinar on the IIJA for Local Government, receiving information about the new programs and weighing in with ODOT on how additional flexible federal dollars should be spent. You can find a recording of the webinar HERE and ODOT presentation slides HERE.

Passage of the IIJA is a huge accomplishment for Oregon county road departments that includes a five-year reauthorization of existing federal highway programs, increased funding, and one-time dollars. In total, Oregon will receive at least $4.5 billion over the next five years including $1 billion in additional federal funding from 2022-26 (38% increase).

Counties can access the legislation’s transportation funds, which account for over half of its new investments, through two general ways:

  1. Competitive Programs, such as federal grants like Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE), and other competitive processes run by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations, like Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding.
  2. Formula Programs, suballocations based on population such as the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) Program.

Oregon county road departments stand to benefit from increased formula funding and new grant programs, including:

  • Extension of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Act Program at FY 2017 level ($35 m annual to Oregon County Roads)
  • Establishes a new, five-year surface transportation reauthorization
      • $175 million in additional federal aid funding for Oregon local programs over five-years:
        • Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) / State Fund Exchange via AOC/LOC – $36 million (approximately 29% increase in FY 2023) – STBG increase estimates provided by ODOT are available HERE.
        • Local Bridge – $39.5 million
        • Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) – $11.5 million
        • MPO Planning – $7.4 million
        • STBG to Transportation Management Areas (TMA) – $37.7 million
        • Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), TMA – $14 million
        • NEW: Carbon Reduction Program, TMA – $28.5 million
      • Over $500 million in other and new Oregon federal-aid programs:
        • NEW: Special Bridge Program – $268 million
        • NEW: Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program – $100 million
        • NEW: Electric Vehicle Charging – $52.2 million
        • NEW: Carbon Reduction Program, ODOT – $56.6 million
        • All Roads Transportation Safety (ARTS) – $67 million
        • TAP increase non-TMA – $25 million
  • $100 billion in USDOT discretionary grant opportunities:
  • Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE formerly BUILD/TIGER) Program – $7.5 billion
  • Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) Program – $8 billion
  • NEW: Bridge Investment Program (BIP) – $12.5 billion
  • NEW: Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program – $2 billion
    • NEW: At-Grade Rail-Highway Crossings Program – $3 billion
    • NEW: Safe Streets and Roads for All Program – $5 billion
    • NEW: Culvert Removal, Replacement and Restoration Program – $1 billion
    • NEW: Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program – $2.5 billion
    • NEW: Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Program – $500 million
    • FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program – $1 billion
  • Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP): An overall 15% funding increase to FLAP, and a new 100% federal share no-local-match option, but also included an increase to the Federal Lands Planning Program (FLPP) set-aside from 5-20% that will likely offset Oregon FLAP program increase
  • NEW: Permitting Reform codifying One-Federal Decision and a two year timeline on NEPA Process
  • NEW: National Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Pilot Program – $50 million to support state and local pilots

ODOT will continue to provide information and opportunities to provide feedback through the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) meetings January-March, or through submitted comments and letters, at www.oregon.gov/odot/Get-Involved/Pages/OTC-Comments.aspx.


The AOC County Road Program will keep you updated with additional implementation information from federal agencies and ODOT as it becomes available. Please contact Brian Worley, County Road Program Director, if you have any questions.

More analysis and resources below:

     AOC: