The TIGER grant program provides a unique opportunity for DOT to invest in road, rail, transit, and port projects that promise to achieve critical national objectives. Now in its 4th round, the TIGER 2012 grants are attracting media attention nation wide. Read Part I of this coverage.
Great News for Port of Mobile
Senator Richard Shelby announced a $12 million TIGER grant to develop a transfer facility at the Port of Mobile, the nation’s 13th largest seaport. The project is expected to provide nearly 700 jobs for Alabama. Said Shelby:
“The Port of Mobile has unlimited potential to facilitate commerce, thereby generating economic growth and creating jobs in Alabama and across the country. Expanding and enhancing Mobile’s containerized shipping footprint is a critical step in raising the Port’s profile and importance in the global economy. Increasing the Port’s capacity remains a top priority of mine. I thank Secretary LaHood for approving this important request and will continue to work to increase the Port of Mobile’s capacity and efficiency.”
Grant to fund Virgin River Gorge bridge repairs
Newly awarded funding to fix a bridge is the latest step in the long process of repairing a busy section of I-15.
“This marks a major milestone in Arizona’s quest to secure funding to rehabilitate the series of bridges that span I-15,” Arizona Department of Transportation Director John Halikowski said. “This TIGER grant gives ADOT the opportunity to rebuild one of eight bridges along a route that serves as a major corridor for trade and commerce.”
Sacramento To Receive $15 million Funds For Railyards Project
Sacramento, California will use a $15 million TIGER grant to rehabilitate the Sacramento Valley Station at the rail yards.
The renovation of the Sacramento Valley Station is the next step of the intermodal project. This comes on the heels of the Rail Line Relocation project that utilized $37 million dollars of federal funds and will be completed this fall.
Joplin receives $12 million grant from U.S. DOT
More than a year since a tornado ravaged the area, Joplin will receive a TIGER grant to aid in the recovery effort to restore and enhance transportation in the Missouri community.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., worked to pass the grant.
“When our kids and grandkids tell the story of Joplin, they won’t just tell a story about a tornado — they’ll tell a story about a community that rallied together, about the help that came from all corners of the country and about families that never gave up,” McCaskill said in a news release. “Today’s announcement, combined with the incredible amount of federal resources already on the ground, means that we’re keeping that promise — that we’re not giving up on Joplin.”
$10 million federal grant to improve city streets in Birmingham
Federal transportation dollars will help pay for repaired streets, new sidewalks, bike lanes and paths in Birmingham, particularly in tornado-battered Pratt City.
“The coalition of communities and organizations that have come together behind this grant is incredibly impressive,” Gresham [a DOT official] said. “I think we all know we are working in an environment of finite resources, so from a federal standpoint it is always extraordinarily helpful to see a large commitment from the local community, the private and public sector and the region as a whole behind one project.”
Link Detroit Project gets $10 million to improve routes for bicyclists, pedestrians
Detroit was awarded $10 million from DOT to improve the bike and pedestrian connections and safety between downtown Detroit and the RiverWalk, Eastern Market, Midtown, and Hamtramck.
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., on Tuesday reported that the $10 million for Link Detroit was approved, calling it “a major boost to plans that will improve residents’ access to key destinations. It will help generate construction jobs immediately,” he said, “and more jobs in the future as it spurs development in and around Detroit.”
Rep. Fattah Joins Secretary LaHood, Mayor Nutter to Launch $12.8 Million Infrastructure Grant for SEPTA’s Wayne Junction Substation
The grant will go to critical infrastructure work at the 80-year-old substation to improve service and safety for half of SEPTA’s regional rail grid.
Said Fattah: “This project will bring jobs to North Philadelphia, improved service to SEPTA riders, and it will advance a neighborhood resurgence that includes last year’s dedication of dramatic improvements to the North Philadelphia/Wayne Junction Station itself.”
The TIGER grant program is part of the federal interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which encourages collaboration with the EPA and HUD to help improve access to affordable housing, create more transportation options, and lower Americans’ transportation costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide.