DOT announced Sept. 5 that it was providing approximately $474 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) 2013 discretionary grants for 52 transportation projects in 37 states. This total includes $123.4 million for 25 projects in rural areas.

“These projects are truly ones that have the power to transform communities,” DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx said in announcing the grants. TIGER grants “represent the kind of work we should be doing across the country. These grants make the best argument for increased investments in transportation,” he said.

Public transportation projects receiving TIGER grants include:

• $10 million for IndyGo, Indianapolis, IN, to purchase 22 reconditioned buses that have been converted from diesel to zero-emission electric power. Introducing these buses to service is expected to yield major cost savings through increased fuel efficiency and reduced maintenance costs and mechanical wear;

• $10 million to the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) for installation of signal priority equipment on buses and at all signalized intersections on high-traffic corridors. Other MTA improvements covered by the grant include new bus shelters, pedestrian improvements, and Intelligent Transportation Systems devices throughout the system;

• $11.3 million to the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Austin, TX, for commuter and freight rail enhancements in central Texas. Passenger rail improvements will include additional sidings and double-tracking in congested areas, while freight rail enhancements will include replacement of several bridges and rail rehabilitation and realignments; and

• $13.6 million to Oklahoma City for renovation of the city’s Santa Fe Depot for current and future multimodal use. This grant will allow the resumption of Amtrak service to the depot and will provide improved connectivity among various modes including future streetcar, light rail, and commuter rail.

Applications for this most recent round of grants—the fifth since the program was established in 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act—totaled more than $9 billion, far exceeding the $474 million set aside for the program. In all, DOT received 585 applications from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

Under all five rounds combined, the TIGER program has provided more than $3.6 billion to 270 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Demand for the program outweighed available funds, and during all five rounds, DOT received more than 5,200 applications requesting more than $114.2 billion for transportation projects across the country.
The complete list of grant recipients can be found here.