Innovation in Surface Transportation Act of 2015
Directs the Secretary of Transportation, in coordination with state transportation departments, to establish an innovation in surface transportation program.
Requires states to make competitive grants for innovative surface transportation projects to eligible entities, including local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, tribal governments, private providers of public transportation, nonprofit transportation organizations, port authorities, joint power authorities, freight rail providers, and local rail authorities.
Requires each state (including the governor and state department of transportation) to establish an innovation in surface transportation selection panel to formulate criteria for selecting projects.
Requires a state to reserve certain percentages of federal funds apportioned for the national highway performance, the highway safety improvement, the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement, surface transportation, and transportation alternatives programs in order to fund related projects under state innovative surface transportation grants.
Authorizes states to reserve a certain percentage of such funds for a fiscal year to meet specific requests for project application support from eligible rural local governments.