NCDOT Toll Credits:Federal-aid Projects with a Local Match

NCDOT Toll Credits:

Federal-aid Projects with a Local Match

Non-Direct Attributable (Non-DA) Funds

Background

NCDOT earns Federal toll credits when toll receipts and revenues are used to build and/or maintain highways and bridges in North Carolina. Toll credits allow State DOTs to fulfill non-federal match requirements on Federal-aid projects with Federal funds.

Please note, toll credits are not extra money. For every $1 toll credit applied to a project, there is a $1 reduction in the non-Federal matching funds, and a $1 increase in Federal funds. Toll credits do not eliminate match requirements. Toll credits allow the match requirements to be fulfilled with Federal funds.

Toll credits are also limited. Therefore, NCDOT has developed a pilot program that allows local governments and planning organizations to apply for available toll credits on certain Federal-aid projects. The pilot program targets underutilized Federal programs and aims to minimize project delays caused by local match constraints.

Application Process

This form is for replacing the non-Federal match on projects using TAP, CMAQ, and CRP funds (non-DA).

Requirements for this non-DA application:

Only municipalities, counties, and planning organizations may apply (note: if you are a municipality or county, please use your local planning organization as a resource during the application process)

For this pilot program application, only projects currently scheduled for delivery* in the Draft STIP (2026 - 2035) with TAP, CMAQ, or CRP funds (non-DA) are eligible for toll credits.

Toll credits will only be awarded if certain requirements are met (with appropriate documentation).

Submissions must be provided no later than May 31, 2025.

*Note: The "Scheduled for delivery" designation includes two different situations:

The project is scheduled to begin right-of-way (ROW), utilities (UTIL), or construction (CON) in 2026 through 2030.
The project is currently scheduled for ROW, UTIL, or CON in fiscal year 2025 (in the current 2024-2033 STIP), but it may be delayed into fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

Fund Type

Please check all fund types that are applicable for this project:

TAP

CMAQ

CRP

Application of Toll Credits by Phase of Work

Please check all phases of work that the toll credits will be applied towards:

Note: It is difficult to apply toll credits to phases of work that are already authorized. These requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Preliminary Engineering

ROW

Utilities

Construction

Scoring Criteria

Toll credits will be awarded at the discretion of an NCDOT committee. To help the committee determine how to best award credits, the following criteria will be used to score and prioritize submissions:

Economic Distress (29% weight) – Areas with greater economic distress and less match capacity receive higher priority. Each project area will receive an economic distress score on a 1-100 scale based on the following:

County distress ranking (from NC Dept of Commerce).

Average municipal household income (if applicable) (from NCOSBM LINC)

Municipal Poverty Rate (if applicable) (from NCOSBM LINC)

Project Delay (28% weight) – projects with longer periods of delay will receive higher priority (note: this only applies if funding uncertainty is driving the delay).

Cost Increase (28% weight) – projects with larger cost increase amounts will receive higher priority. 14% of the 28% will be based on cost increase amount and the other 14% will be based on cost increase percentage (note: this only applies if funding uncertainty is driving the cost increase).

Funding Uncertainty (15% weight) – Projects that have been delayed the most from their original schedule due to match constraints receive higher priority. Applicants must submit a write-up explaining why and to what extent match constraints have delayed their project.

Applicants may attach statements or letters from local officials and project partners to provide greater context and verification of circumstances causing match issues.

NCDOT reviewers will rate submitted explanations on a 1 to 100 scale with 0 indicating match is not the main cause for project delays and 100 indicating match is the sole cause for project delays.

Weights are applied to scaled score to arrive at a weighted score for each project.

Application (NON-DA Funding)

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Phone Number*

Phone

What entity do you represent?*

Note: select "other" at the bottom if your entity is not listed.

Select

If you selected, "Other", please specify:

What is the primary county that your project is located in?*

Select only one

Select

Select additional counties if the project traverses other counties:

Select as many as applicable

Select

Does your project traverse through the boundaries of a municipality?*

Yes

What is the primary municipality that your project is located in?*

Note: select "other" at the bottom if your municipality is not listed.

Select

Select additional municipalities if the project traverses others:

Select or enter value

What is the project's STIP ID?*

Note: please do one submittal for every stand-alone project. For example, another submittal would be required for sibling projects (projects with A, B, or C identifiers) if that project was a uniquely programmed project in the STIP.

Project Description*

What is the project's CURRENT programmed date for construction in the STIP?*

Select the Federal fiscal year the project is currently programmed for construction to begin. For instance, Federal fiscal year 2026 is the time period from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Select or enter value

What is the project's CURRENT, total cost?*

Total cost represents the all costs for preliminary engineering, ROW, utility, and construction activities.

When was the project FIRST programmed for construction?*

Select the Federal fiscal year the project was originally programmed for construction to begin. For instance, Federal fiscal year 2026 is the time period from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

If you do not know the answer to this question, then please coordinate with your NCDOT Division to find out.

Select or enter value

When FIRST scheduled for delivery, what was the project's total cost?*

Total cost represents the all costs for preliminary engineering, ROW, utility, and construction activities.

What delay has this project experienced because of funding match constraints?*

Applicants who best explain why and to what extent that funding match constraints have delayed their project, will be more likely to have submittals that score better.

What is the match amount that you were ORIGINALLY expected to provide?*

Note: please provide answer in dollars

What is the match amount that you are CURRENTLY expected to provide?*

Note: please provide answer in dollars

What is the dollar amount that you are requesting to have toll credits applied towards?

Note: this value should be less than/equal to the value in the above question

What coordination (to-date) have you had with your local NCDOT Division Office to move the project towards completion?*

If you are awarded toll credits, how will you coordinate with your local NCDOT Division Office to move the project towards completion in a timely manner?*

What additional information would be beneficial for NCDOT to be made aware of for this application?

Upload of Verifying Documents

Please upload any relevant statements or letters from local officials and project partners to provide greater context and verification of circumstances causing match issues.

Applicants who provide defensible documentation are more likely to have submittals that score better.

Drag and drop files here or

Thank you for your application! Please feel free to forward this application (hyperlink) to anyone else who could potentially benefit from this pilot program.

Requirements if Selected

If selected, toll credit recipients must meet additional requirements (please acknowledge that you've read the following by placing a check next to the below statement):

Recipients of toll credits must agree to meet specific project delivery milestones. Toll credits may be revoked and local match requirement reinstituted if milestones are not met. Language will be added to municipal agreements for toll credit recipients regarding additional expectations and consequences if milestones are not achieved.*

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