Transportation Alternatives Program
Forecasted
Transportation Alternatives Program supports Louisiana communities with pedestrian, bicycle, historic, and environmental transportation projects to improve connectivity and advance a more balanced system.
Funder: Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development
Due Dates (Anticipated): May 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $20 million allotted for the 2025 call; 80–95% of eligible construction costs
Summary: Supports transportation alternatives, including pedestrian and bicycle facilities, trails, and transportation-related historic, scenic, archaeological, and environmental projects.
Key Information: This is a cost-reimbursable, pay-as-you-go program, not an upfront grant.
Description
The Transportation Alternatives Program (DOTDTAP) is a federally funded program administered by the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development (DOTD) with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Previously known as the Transportation Enhancement Program, it supports a more balanced transportation system that includes pedestrians and bicyclists alongside motorists.
Eligible work includes pedestrian and bicycle facilities, safe routes for non-drivers, rail-to-trail conversions, scenic overlooks, community improvements, archaeological activities, and environmental mitigation. Projects must have a direct relationship to surface transportation and provide public benefit—not simply recreation or proximity to a roadway. The program prioritizes underserved, high-need areas, including rural, distressed, low-income, and transit-dependent communities. Archaeological research is eligible only when related to impacts from a qualifying transportation construction project.
