Wilson & Company has assisted the City of Albuquerque with improvements at the Albuquerque Rail Yards for over 30 years. Recently, the firm provided civil engineering services for parking lot improvements, streetscapes, trails, and the plaza’s design. Although several improvements at the Rail Yards are underway, the City needed additional funding to complete the final phases of the Albuquerque Rail Trail project. The USDOT RAISE program was identified as a potential funding source for the project. The RAISE grant program assists urban and rural communities to move forward on projects that modernize roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, and intermodal transportation and make transportation systems more accessible, affordable, and sustainable.

The City recognized Wilson & Company’s knowledge of the Rail Yards infrastructure, and understanding of the vision for the facility, and our ability to provide grantsmanship services. As a result, in March 2022, Wilson & Company was contracted to assist with the RAISE grant application submittal. Under a tight timeframe to meet the April 14, 2022, deadline, the funding and grants administration team met with the City’s project manager to provide guidance on the RAISE grant program requirements and identify the information required for a competitive submittal. The team provided information for the technical and engineering aspects of the project, permitting information, cost estimate, and schedule. Wilson & Company partnered with New Mexico State University (NMSU) to complete the BCA. Working together, the City, Wilson & Company, and NMSU met the submittal deadline and produced a high-quality grant application.

On August 11, 2022, the USDOT announced the 2022 RAISE grant awards. The Albuquerque Rail Trail project was awarded the total funding request amount of $11,466,938. Today, Wilson & Company is assisting with grant administration services for this contract by helping with navigating and adhering to the FHWA grant process. Wilson & Company’s services include assisting in developing the grant agreement, attending City/stakeholder monthly meetings, and assisting with various reporting duties, including Federal financial reports (SF-425), system performance, Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPISS) reporting, performance reporting, and progress and financial reports.