The US Department of Transportation has awarded $3 million for American Samoa, for the port masterplan project.
The plan will guide infrastructure improvements to reduce carbon pollution, include environmentally sustainable construction methods, incorporate energy efficient vehicle infrastructure, a hazard mitigation plan, and study the feasibility of implementing nature bases solutions in an area that is experiencing high rates of sea-level rise and is vulnerable to climate change exacerbating impacts of coastal hazards.
It will also include guidance on increased affordable transportation choices and mobility through improvements to the current inter-island ferry system and expanding active transportation usage with new walking and biking facilities.
The award is part of $1.8 billion in awards from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program for 148 projects.
The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors, including state and local governments, counties, Tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities, to pursue multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to fund through other grant programs.
RAISE discretionary grants invest in critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects that would otherwise not receive the funding needed if not for President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
