South Dakota Railroad Board: $58.8MM Allocated Through STC Grant Program
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
“The STC grant funds are dedicated to provide the financial resources to improve South Dakota’s freight railroad infrastructure, which is vital to the continued growth and development of our economy,” said Joel Jundt, Secretary South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT).
South Dakota Railroad Board members on Oct. 18 approved grant request applications for several projects for use of the FY2022 and FY2023 allocation of Special Transportation Circumstances (STC) grant funds. The STC grant program is offered through the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Consolidated and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program to three states—South Dakota, Wyoming and Alaska—who do not have passenger rail.
“The STC grant funds are dedicated to provide the financial resources to improve South Dakota’s freight railroad infrastructure, which is vital to the continued growth and development of our economy,” said South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) Secretary Joel Jundt.
In this grant application cycle, $58.8 million was available for allocation. Approved STC grant applications and federal funding amounts include:
- Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad: $14,062,328
- Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western Railroad: $17,600,360
- Belle Fourche Economic Development Corporation: $837,440
- Dakota & Iowa Railroad: $9,957,245
- Ringneck and Western Railroad: $8,310,932
- Sisseton Milbank Railroad: $3,241,040
The Railroad Board also approved an amendment to the 2020 STC Meet and Pass grant for Ringneck and Western Railroad in the amount of $797,353 in STC funds.
Though the STC funds are non-competitive grants, projects must still meet eligibility requirements. The federal funding share for STC grants is not to exceed 80% of the project’s total cost. The SDDOT will file an STC grant request on behalf of the approved requests. Applicants selected for submittal of a STC grant application to FRA must provide a fully completed grant application to SDDOT by Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. Upon grant approval by FRA, SDDOT will administer the approved grants.
Additional information about this round of STC Grant applications can be found here.
