Rural transportation demand management set-aside

Section 173 of title 23, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (c), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking The Secretary and inserting Except as provided in subsection (p), the Secretary; (2) in subsection (e)(1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting and in subsection (p) after paragraph (2); (3) in subsection (f), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking An eligible entity and inserting Except as provided in subsection (p), an eligible entity; and (4) by adding at the end the following: (p) Rural transportation demand management set-Aside (1) In general Of the amounts made available for the program for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall use $20,000,000 to provide grants for the development and implementation of transportation demand management strategies in rural areas to improve mobility, increase access to jobs, and bring more modal options to families and communities in rural areas. (2) Eligible recipients An entity eligible to receive a grant under this subsection is— (A) a State department of transportation; (B) a metropolitan planning organization (as defined in section 134(b) of title 23, United States Code) serving 1 or more rural areas; (C) a unit of local government; (D) a Tribal government; (E) a public transit agency; (F) a regional transportation planning organization; and (G) a nonprofit organization or institution of higher education engaged in rural transportation planning and commuter service programs, including transportation management associations. (3) Eligible activities Funds from a grant under this subsection may be used for— (A) development of transportation demand management plans and policies to optimize rural transportation networks; (B) marketing and public outreach campaigns to encourage shared mobility, transit use, and alternative transportation modes; (C) data collection and analysis to evaluate rural travel patterns and assess congestion reduction strategies; (D) implementation of innovative transportation demand management strategies to encourage shared and alternative modes of transportation, including— (i) vanpooling programs; (ii) carpooling programs; (iii) employer-based or local or Tribal government commuting incentive programs; (iv) real-time traveler information systems; (v) smart rural transportation hubs; (vi) intelligent transportation system applications to enhance rural mobility; and (vii) deploying trip-planning applications, mobility-as-a-service platforms, and behavioral incentives; (E) coordination of public-private partnerships to leverage technology solutions for rural travel efficiency; and (F) costs associated with managing and operating transportation demand management strategies, including staff salaries. (4) Unutilized funds For any fiscal year, if the Secretary determines that the amount set aside under paragraph (1) will not be fully utilized for grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall use the unutilized amounts to provide grants for other projects under the program..