The U.S. DOT has announced the projects awarded funding under the TIGER grant program created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The grant totals $1.5 billion in discretionary funding for surface transportation projects. Over 50 projects nationwide have been funded, ranging from bicycle/pedestrian facilities in the greater Philadelphia area to light rail in Detroit to barge freight transportation in the ports of Oakland, Stockton & West Sacramento.
The TIGER grant was set up as a discretionary fund for large scale transportation projects. In transportation funding there are two types of funds: formula and discretionary. Formula funding is divided up according to metropolitan population according to (as the name implies) a pre-determined formula. Discretionary funding (as the name implies) awarded at the discretion of the DOT. Sometimes the Secretary's office gets final say in where discretionary funding goes, sometimes there is a grant program developed and projects compete directly for the funding. Discretionary funding is set up for large capital investment that isn't needed every year, and that couldn't be afforded through the regular program.
TIGER funding was set up as a grant application, with eligible projects "including, but not limited to":
- Highway projects such as:
interstate rehabilitation,
improvements to the rural collector road system,
reconstruction of overpasses and interchanges,
bridge replacements,
seismic retrofit projects for bridges, and
road realignments;
- Public Transportation capital investment
- Passenger and freight rail transportation projects
- Port infrastructure investments, including projects that connect ports to other modes of transportation and improve the efficiency of freight movement.
Funding was awarded based on:
their contribution to economic competitiveness of the nation, improving safety and the condition of the existing transportation system, increasing quality of life, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrating strong collaboration among a broad range of participants, including the private sector.
Like every other part of the ARRA, this fund was vastly oversubscribed. US DOT received $60 billion in applications for the $1.5 billion available. One lesson the ARRA has taught is that there is no limit to the transportation needs in the United States.
Here is the link to all the projects funded:
http://www.dot.gov/...
It is in a .pdf. Check it out and see what kind of stuff is being done with ARRA money. There are too many projects to discuss in a diary, but if your area is getting funding, list it in the comments. I'd like to hear what people think about local projects.