TIGER II grants: “Rail does very well”

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Oct. 20 announced the recipients of $600 million in TIGER II Discretionary Grants, of which rail-related projects received $289 million. “This is excellent news for the rail construction industry,” said National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association President Chuck Baker. “As the NRC has consistently stated, when rail projects are considered against other modes in a truly merit-based competition, rail does very well.”

TIGER II was not constrained by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s focus on “shovel ready” projects and immediate job creation. Instead, TIGER II sought long-term outcomes, though these outcomes fall in the same general areas as TIGER I: safety, economic competitiveness, livability, sustainability, and state of good repair (the extent to which a project improves the condition of existing infrastructure and minimize life-cycle costs).

The $289 million in rail projects breaks down as follows:

Freight Rail (Class I): $34 million.
• BNSF/UP Tower 55 Rail Intersection expansion in Texas.
Freight Rail (regional/short line): $15 million.
• Watco South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad and Stillwater Central Railroad projects in Kansas and Oklahoma, $10.2 million.
• Nebraska Northwestern Railroad upgrade in Nebraska , $4.9 million
Freight Rail (State Owned): $36 million.
• Rebuild state-owned branch line from Mitchell to Chamberlain in South Dakota, $16 million.
• Repair the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway in Maine, $10.5 million.
• Improve SEDA-Council of Governments Joint Rail Authority freight track in Pennsylvania , $10 million.
Freight Rail (Port Access): $62 million.
• Port of Miami/Florida East Coast Railway project in Florida, $22.8 million.
• Port of Los Angeles West Basin Railyard project in California, $16 million.
• Port of Coos Bay Rail Link project in Oregon, $13.5 million.
• Port of Vancouver USA rail access project in Washington State, $10 million.
Commuter Rail: $800, 000.
• Planning study for NICTD South Shore Commuter Rail realignment in Indiana.
Light Rail Transit: $20 million (supporting a $546 million TIFIA loan).
• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Crenshaw/LAX light rail project in California.
Streetcars: $73 million.
• Atlanta Streetcar project in Georgia, $47.7 million.
• Sugar House Streetcar project in Salt Lake City, Utah, $26 million.
Transit/passenger rail stations/intermodal hubs: $47 million.
• Niagara Falls Rail Station in New York – $16.5 million.
• Dilworth Plaza improvements in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $15 million.
• Moline Multimodal Station in Moline, Illinois – $10 million.
• Design and planning for enhanced Newark train station – $2.2 million.
• Amtrak Waterloo station upgrades in Waterloo, Indiana – $1.8m
• Planning and design for downtown intermodal terminal in Madison, Wisc. – $950,000.
• Planning for a multi-modal transit station in Lexington, N.C., $700,000

“Looking forward to the FY2011 appropriations process, the House version of the bill contemplates $400 million for a TIGER III program, while the Senate contemplates $800 million,” said Baker. “The NRC will work with other transportation infrastructure advocacy organizations and rally our members to persuade Congress to fund this deserving program at the highest feasible level. In an era of constrained resources, we believe that the TIGER program has shown its worthiness and proven its merit.”

Commented Jim Hertwig, President and CEO, Florida East Coast Railway, on the Port of Miami grant: “We are excited that U.S. DOT recognizes the strong public-private partnership that has been created to move this project forward. The Florida Congressional delegation, Florida DOT, Miami-Dade County, City of Miami, Miami Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Miami Downtown Development Authority came together to develop a unique project that will have significant long-term benefits for the region. The FEC looks forward to continuing to work with the local community as this project is constructed in a manner that will enhance the livability and sustainability of South Florida.” 

In total, the $600 million in TIGER II funding included 42 capital construction projects and 33 planning projects in 40 states. The program was funded through the FY2010 transportation appropriations process. It was heavily oversubscribed, with the DOT receiving more than 1,000 applications seeking more than $19 billion in grant support.

For the full list of capital grant project awards, click here.

For the planning grant awards, click here.