Millions of dollars’ worth of government contracts and increased opportunities for an infusion of private capital through public-private partnerships (P3s) in the United States will result from the announcement today of the recipients of $500 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants. Forty communities in 32 states and two U.S. territories were awarded the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) grant funding for transportation projects that generate economic development and improve access to reliable, safe and affordable transportation for both urban and rural communities. This additional funding will also help leverage private investment that will strengthen the investment in transportation projects in those communities.
Photo by Micah Sheldon licensed under CC BY 2.0
As in years past, the breadth and depth of the funding gap between available local funding for mobility projects and the longstanding need for innovative projects to address those needs is indicated by the increasing interest in TIGER grants. USDOT officials report that the agency received 585 applications seeking more than $9 billion – when only $500 million was being made available. USDOT officials said the interest in the grant funding shows the “enormous unmet demand” for infrastructure investment nationwide.
The projects are widely varied, addressing every mode of transportation – among them highways, bridges, roads, transit, airports and waterways.
The largest grant, $25 million, was awarded to the Chicago Transit Authority toward a $50.4 million project to improve and rehabilitate the Garfield Station on the Green Line of the Chicago “L.” A pair of $20 million grants were also approved, one to the city of Flint, Mich., and the other to the Utah Transit Authority. Flint will use its grant toward a $40.4 million project that includes projects such as reconstruction of roads and replacement of out-of-date traffic signals with new technology. Utah’s transit agency will use its grant funds to improve connectivity and access to its system, including crosswalks, trail connections, sidewalks and bike lanes.
Grant funding was also awarded to rural area projects, including a $10.5 million award to the Maine Department of Transportation for replacement of the Beals Island Bridge at a cost of $22.4 million. The city of Natchez, Miss., the site of another rural project, was funded with a $10 million TIGER grant to help fund a $14.3 million project for rehabilitation and upgrades to five structurally deficient railroad truss bridges along the Natchez Railway.
Since the TIGER grant program began eight years ago, it has provided funding of $5.1 billion for more than 400 projects, opening up contracts for private-sector firms and increasing opportunities for public-private collaboration. The TIGER grants have also been successful in increasing local and private investment in the nation’s transportation infrastructure, creating jobs and stimulating the economy.