Section 38 - Transportation Alternatives Grant Program(c) The Transportation Alternatives Grant Program is created. The Grant Program shall be administered by the Agency and shall be funded in the amount provided for in 23 U.S.C. § 133(h), less the funds set aside for the Recreational Trails Program. Awards shall be made to eligible entities as defined under 23 U.S.C. § 133(h), and awards under the Grant Program shall be limited to the activities authorized under federal law and shall not exceed $300,000.00 per grant allocation.(d) Eligible entities awarded a grant must provide all funds required to match federal funds awarded for a Transportation Alternatives project. All grant awards shall be decided and awarded by the Agency.(e) Transportation Alternatives grant awards shall be announced annually by the Agency not earlier than December and not later than the following March.(f)(1) In fiscal year 2024 and thereafter, 50 percent of Grant Program funds, or such lesser sum if all eligible applications amount to less than 50 percent of Grant Program funds, shall be reserved for municipalities for environmental mitigation projects relating to stormwater and highways, including eligible salt and sand shed projects, and the balance of Grant Program funds shall be awarded for any eligible activity and in accordance with the priorities established in subdivision (2) of this subsection.(2) In evaluating applications for Transportation Alternatives grants, the Agency shall give preferential weighting to projects involving as a primary feature a bicycle or pedestrian facility. The degree of preferential weighting and the circumstantial factors sufficient to overcome the weighting shall be in the complete discretion of the Agency.(g) The Agency shall develop an outreach and marketing effort designed to provide information to communities with respect to the benefits of participating in the Transportation Alternatives Grant Program. The outreach and marketing activities shall include apprising municipalities of the availability of grants for salt and sand sheds. The outreach effort should be directed to areas of the State historically underserved by this Program.Amended by 2022 , No. 184, § 20, eff. 7/1/2022.Added 2003, No. 56, § 74, eff. 6/4/2003; amended 2003, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.) , § 29, eff. 6/9/2004; 2005, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), §63; 2013 , No. 12 , § 12; 2015 , No. 40 , § 20; 2017 , No. 38 , § 7; 2019 , No. 59 , § 43.