DOT 112-09
Monday, July 30, 2009
Tel.: (202) 366-4570
Email: Sasha.Johnson@dot.gov

U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood to Announce TIGER Discretionary Grant Awards Early in Effort to Accelerate Recovery Spending

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today said he will accelerate stimulus spending and announce $1.5 billion in TIGER Discretionary Grants as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act one month early. The TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grant program will award Recovery funds on a competitive basis to projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or metropolitan area and can create jobs and benefit economically distressed areas.

“Our top priority with the Recovery Act is to get money out the door quickly in order to put people to work and get the economy back on track,” said Secretary LaHood.

As part of the ongoing effort to accelerate spending, Secretary LaHood created a review team to expedite the application process for the $1.5 billion TIGER Discretionary Grant program. That will enable the Department to announce the grants in January 2010 – one full month ahead of the statutory deadline.

“By awarding these Recovery dollars ahead of schedule, we’ll be able to jump start major-impact projects and boost local economies across America even more quickly,” Secretary LaHood said.

The Recovery Act was designed to ramp up over time with peak activity taking place in the second half of 2009 and first half of 2010.  After laying the groundwork in the first 100 days of the Recovery Act, President Obama and Vice President Biden last month announced the Roadmap to Recovery, ten major projects taking place nationwide this summer that are a first step in achieving that accelerated pace.  Since then, the Administration has continued to pursue additional ways to speed implementation.

Further information on the $1.5 billion TIGER Discretionary Grant program can be found here.

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The Obama Administration is committed to injecting American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) dollars into the economy as quickly as possible to help get the economy back on track.  A group of senior officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), known as the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) team, is managing the Department’s Recovery program to make sure its money is rapidly made available and the spending is closely monitored and transparent to the public.

  • The U.S. Department of Transportation has made $48.1 billion available for highway, road, transit, bridge and airport construction and repairs nationwide.  Of that, $22.7 billion already has been obligated to fund more than 6,800 approved projects in 53 U.S. States and Territories.

  • Currently, more than 3,300 transportation projects are underway across the country.

  • Many transportation projects funded by the Recovery Act are coming in under budget and ahead of schedule.  State DOTs are routinely receiving low bids for highway and airport construction projects that are below initial estimates by 10 to 20 percent and, in some cases, 30 percent. These lower-than-expected bids are allowing states to stretch taxpayer dollars, complete additional projects, and create even more American jobs.

  • The DOT has made more ARRA money available to states more quickly than any of its routine programs. The highway portion of the stimulus package is flowing at the rate of nearly $4 billion a month.

  • The Federal Aviation Administration has allocated nearly all of its $1.1 billion in ARRA funding to airports throughout the country.  A total of 359 airport projects have been approved.

  • The Federal Highway Administration has obligated $17 billion to date for nearly 6,000 projects.
     
  • The DOT is accepting applications until September 15 for $1.5 billion in the TIGER Discretionary Grants Program. The DOT will award TIGER Grants on a competitive basis to projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or metropolitan area, in particular, those located in economically-distressed areas and with strong job-creation potential.

  • The Federal Transit Administration has awarded 322 grants to transit agencies for a total obligation to date of $3.9 billion in ARRA funds.

  • As of July 15, the Federal Railroad Administration has approved $1.1 billion worth of Amtrak projects under the ARRA capital grant program.

  • On July 10 the DOT received preliminary applications from those interested in the $8 billion in competitive grants for High Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail. Initial awards will be made by mid-September.

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