Lots of Competition for TIGER grants

Over the summer, local transportation planners submitted a $10M proposal for TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) funds for a 1600-bike, regional bike-sharing system. The stimulus act appropriated $1.5 billion of discretionary grant funds to be awarded by the DOT for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure. The proposal was approved by the TPB and then submitted to the FTA.

All proposals were due by September 15th and so, now, they're all in. Nationally, there are $57 billion worth of requests for that $1.5B of money. Yikes. Those are tough odds. The DOT will start announcing "winners" as soon as possible and all money will be allocated by Feb. 17, 2010.

In all, DOT said it received 1,381 requests for money from the $1.5 billion grant fund. They include 125 rail applications for $5.6 billion; transit systems turned in 220 requests for nearly $11 billion; and states poured in 770 applications for $32 billion in highway infrastructure grants.

Comments

[JTS]

Inside the beltway talk by way of lobbyist friend: K Street Transitway is a lock; bike sharing is out.