DOT 84-14 Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx was in Richmond today to announce a $24.9 million TIGER grant for the Greater Richmond Transit Company toward the construction of the Broad Street Bus Rapid Transit line in Henrico County. The project is one of 72 transportation projects selected to receive a total of nearly $600 million in 46 states and the District of Columbia from the Department of Transportation’s 2014 TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Program, which Secretary Foxx announced on September 12.

“As uncertainty about the future of long-term federal funding continues, this round of TIGER will be a shot in the arm for these innovative, job-creating and quality of life-enhancing projects,” said Secretary Foxx.  “For example, Richmond is one of the few remaining metro regions in the country that has more than a million residents, yet lacks a local travel option that’s competitive with driving – something like commuter or light rail, or bus rapid-transit. Today, we’re solving that issue by increasing access to jobs and quality of life.  For every project we select, however, we must turn dozens more away – projects that could be getting done if Congress passed the GROW AMERICA Act, which would double the funding available for TIGER and growing the number of projects we could support.”

The TIGER funds will go toward final design and construction of 7.6 miles of new bus rapid transit service connecting Richmond to growing communities in Henrico County. The total project is expected to cost approximately $50 million. The project will include 14 stations and connect Richmond’s central business district with Amtrak, the Greater Richmond Convention Center, the state capitol, and other government offices. The project will improve transportation speed, quality, and connectivity for 33,000 people and 77,000 area jobs within one half mile of project stations. The Broad Street Bus Rapid Transit project is expected to spur development along the corridor, revitalize vacant and underutilized areas of Richmond, and improve connections to 25 existing bus lines.

“We congratulate the citizens of Richmond and Henrico County, who are the true winners in obtaining these highly competitive TIGER grant funds,” said Federal Transit Administration Acting Administrator Therese McMillan. “This project will improve access to efficient, reliable public transportation for thousands of transit-dependent area residents, while contributing to Richmond’s future as a vibrant capital city.”

The GROW AMERICA Act, the Administration’s surface transportation reauthorization proposal, would authorize $5 billion over four years for much-needed additional TIGER funding to help meet the overwhelming demand for significant infrastructure investments around the country and provide the certainty that states and local governments need to properly plan for investment.  The $302 billion, four year transportation reauthorization proposal would provide increased and stable funding for the nation’s highways, bridges, transit, and rail systems without contributing to the deficit.  The GROW AMERICA Act also includes several critical program reforms to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of federal highway, rail and transit programs. 

The Department received 797 eligible applications from 49 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, an increase from the 585 applications received in 2013.  Overall, applicants requested 15 times the $600 million available for the program, or $9.5 billion for needed transportation project. 

Since 2009, the TIGER program has provided nearly $4.1 billion to 342 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Demand for the program has been overwhelming, and during the previous five rounds, the Department of Transportation received more than 6,000 applications requesting more than $124 billion for transportation projects across the country.  Congress provided the most recent funding as part of the bipartisan Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, signed by President Obama on January 17, 2014. 

Click here for additional information on individual TIGER grants.

Click here for additional information on the Department of Transportation’s 2014 TIGER Program.

Click here for additional information on the GROW AMERICA Act.

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