2023 Obligated Projects

This listing shows all money obligated for highway, bridge, transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects within Lehigh and Northampton counties Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2023. The use of federal transportation funding is authorized by the current multi-year transportation bill approved by Congress and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). It allows the US Secretary of Transportation to authorize funding to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) across the US, through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Federal funding is then allocated to states based primarily on population data from the US Census Bureau. State allocations are then distributed to individual MPOs and Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs) based on formulas developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and representatives of MPOs and RPOs. These formulas take into account population, vehicle miles traveled, truck vehicle miles traveled, roadway surface conditions, lane miles, structurally deficient bridges, all bridges and the region’s air quality classification.

Distribution of federal and state transportation funds are limited to specific funding categories. Each category has access to different restricted pots, or buckets, of money. Those buckets of money include:

• Special Federal Funds — They’re earmarked by members of Congress for specific projects that were allocated under previous transportation funding bills.
• Surface Transportation Program — This is flexible funding that may be used by states and localities for projects to preserve and improve the conditions and performance on any Federal-aid highway, bridge and tunnel projects on any public road, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and transit capital projects, including intercity bus terminals. This program includes Surface Transportation Program - Urban funds for use in urbanized areas.
• Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Urban/Transportation Alternatives Program/Surface Transportation Enhancements/Safe Routes to Schools funding — These classes of funding funnel money to “transportation enhancement” projects that improve the network for bicycles, pedestrians and other non-motorized forms of transportation, including off-road trails and bicycle education programs.
• Highway Safety Improvement Program — These funds go to features that promote safety and reduce crashes, such as guiderails, traffic signals, signage, rumble strips, etc.
• Bridge On Network Funds — This money is used for the rehabilitation, replacement or preservation of bridges that are greater than 20 feet in length and located on roads eligible for federal financial aid.
• Bridge Off Network — This money is for bridges greater than 20 feet in length and located on roads not eligible for federal funds.
• Congestion Mitigation Air Quality — This money is for projects that reduce emissions and improve air quality in areas designated as not meeting air quality standards, including the Lehigh Valley.
• National Highway Performance Program — Funds for federally eligible highway and bridge projects on roads on the National Highway System, excluding Interstate System roads.
• Federal Flood Funds — Special federal funds used to mitigate storm impacts to infrastructure.
• 5339 Funds — Federal grants to replace, rehabilitate and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities, including technological changes or innovations to modify low or no emission vehicles or facilities.
• 5307/5340 Funds — Goes to urbanized areas for transit capital and operating assistance in urbanized areas and for transportation-related planning.
• 35B0 Funds — Donor State Bonus Urbanized Funds (DON) currently utilized as Surface Transportation Program - Urban Funds.
• Equity Bonus — Provides funding to states based on equity considerations.
• Bridge Investment Program — Provides funding for the replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, protection or construction of highway bridges over 20 feet in length.
• Carbon Reduction Program (CRP), Carbon Reduction Program - Urban (CRPU)  — The purpose of these programs is to provide funds to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from transportation sources. The CRPU provides five years of funding. Additionally, the CRPU funds are 65% of funds distributed to the urbanized area by population.
• PROTECT Resiliency Program  — The purpose of this program is to provide funds for resilience improvements through formula funding distributed to states and through future competitive grants to local, regional or state agencies via the PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program.

The following tables indicate where federal money was spent on the transportation projects in 2023.
It also includes future financial programming that reflect changes to anticipated project funding.