Florida International University (FIU) will soon move forward on transit-oriented development projects thanks in part to an $11.4 million Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the US Department of Transportation. The grant will help fund a series of campus-area projects aiming to enhance the economic growth of FIU and the surrounding city of Sweetwater, Florida.
The University City Prosperity Project will increase transit ridership to and from campus, improve all modes of public transportation, improve pedestrian access and provide incentives to attract local businesses to the surrounding communities.
The TIGER grant will fund infrastructure improvements including a pedestrian bridge, streetscape enhancements, access improvements, a smart garage with its own transit hub and a smart parking software system that is being developed in partnership with IBM that will contain real-time transportation information.
“UniversityCity will be one of the most tangible, meaningful solutions we help provide for South Floridians because it involves improved transportation, jobs and economic development,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg.
Miami-Dade County is ranked as one of the worst metropolitan regions for annual pedestrian fatalities and traffic congestion. These projects will help provide safer conditions on campus-area streets and provide alternative transportation options for residents to get around.
The TIGER Discretionary Grant program is part of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities which provides a unique opportunity for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Environmental Protection Agency to to invest in projects that make investments in our nation’s infrastructure and make communities more livable and sustainable. The 2013 round of TIGER grants include 52 transportation projects in 37 states receiving approximately $474 million.
Click here to see a video about the project.