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NMDOT outlines Transportation Project Fund rules; district staff clarify utilities and match waiver process
Summary
Allison Gillette, planning liaison supervisor at NMDOT, briefed the MPO on the Transportation Project Fund, detailing eligibility, deadlines, match requirements and the state’s upfront disbursement model.
Allison Gillette, planning liaison supervisor at NMDOT, briefed the MPO on the state Transportation Project Fund (TPF), which she said originated with HB 694 in 2019 and is a state‑funded program intended to support regional transportation projects.
Gillette outlined key TPF points: the program typically covers 95% of eligible project costs with a 5% local match (applicants may request a match waiver); TPF funds cannot be mixed with federal funds except in limited cases tied to 2019 awards; the call for projects closed to MPOs in January and applications must be submitted to MPOs for ranking ahead of a May 31 deadline; and the award timeline routes recommended projects through NMDOT for Secretary Serna and then the State Transportation Commission in August with award notifications expected in early September. She emphasized that TPF is “a disbursement program, so not a reimbursement program,” meaning successful applicants are presented funds up front and should not begin spending until the final executed agreement is in place.
Gillette also listed application components: a cover letter explaining project scope and timeframe, verification that the requested funds will complete the submitted phase, a project feasibility form signed by a district engineer or designee, a governing‑body resolution or certified letter confirming match availability (or intent to apply for a match waiver), project maps including mileposts, and letters of approval or authorization from the NMDOT district if the project affects state right‑of‑way. She noted applicants should indicate in the cover letter if a project already appears in the TIP or STIP and that an awarded TPF project should be pulled from the TIP if funded by TPF.
MPO members asked about utility work and match waivers. NMDOT district staff clarified that utility relocation tied directly to a transportation project may be eligible in limited circumstances but that standalone utility upgrades are generally not eligible for TPF. As Andreas Linn explained, if the intent of a relocation is to “put in a new utility infrastructure, it would fall into interpretation of the reviewing team.” He suggested mixing state capital outlay funds with TPF for projects that require utility upgrades while reserving TPF for the transportation elements. Gillette added that match‑waiver requests are reviewed by the Department of Finance and Administration, Budget and Finance Bureau, and that sample resolutions and waiver templates are available from NMDOT project oversight staff.
Why it matters: The TPF guidance sets practical rules and deadlines for jurisdictions that plan to seek state funding for planning, design, right‑of‑way, construction and related work. The distinction that TPF is a disbursement (not reimbursement) program and the guidance on utilities and match waivers affect how local governments budget and package projects for submission.
Next steps: MPO applicants must submit ranked applications to MPO staff by the May 31 deadline and coordinate with NMDOT district coordinators on letters of approval/authorization and any match waiver materials.
