TIGER grant decisions due Feb. 17
According to media reports nationwide, the US Department of Transportation will announce TIGER grant awards by Feb. 17.
Kansas City submitted a regional application that includes $6 million in design and engineering work for a downtown streetcar that would run between River Market and Crown Center. No local match is required for the $1.5 billion TIGER program.
Total capital cost of the 2-mile streetcar is $68.3 million, while operational costs of $2.1 million would need to come from a new revenue source (likely a TDD for the service area).
Other elements of the Kansas City application are funding for the Green Impact Zone, implementation of the Bike KC plan, improved bus facilities along SmartMoves corridors, West Bottoms freight rail capacity improvements, and a new highway interchange at I-35 and Front Street.
TIGER is a competitive grant program introduced in the Recovery Act. Previously, most transportation funding was disbursed using formulas that were not merit-based.
Keep an eye on our Twitter feed for the initial announcement.
An second, $280 million grant program specifically for Urban Circulators (buses or streetcars that serve users in a confined area, versus longer-distance commuters) was announced last month, but KCATA does not have the 20% local match required to apply in this tough budget year. The deadline for that $25 million grant is Feb. 8, with awards announced in "early 2010″. Many of Kansas City's peers will be applying, such as Charlotte, Tuscon, Omaha, San Antonio, and Fort Worth.
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I wonder what kind of groundwork we need to lay to jump on opportunities like the urban circulator grant.
1. a local match from any entity, public or private.
2. completed environmental study (does not need to be a full DEIS).
3. the political will to make the above items happen in the current budget climate.