News Release
FOR RELEASE - September 5, 2013
Contact: Aaron Ellis, aellis@aapa-ports.org
703-684-5700
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
After evaluating 585 applications for FY 2013 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced that 52 transportation projects have been selected to receive approximately $474 million for the fifth round of this multimodal, discretionary grant program. Of those, 12 awards totaling $103,709,745, or about 21.9 percent of total funding, are going to projects that aid the movement of goods through America’s seaports.
On the U.S. DOT’s TIGER Grants web page, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said, “These transformational TIGER projects are the best argument for investment in our transportation infrastructure.” He also said that the combined grants support President Obama’s call to “ensure a stronger transportation system for future generations by repairing existing infrastructure, connecting people to new jobs and opportunities, and contributing to our nation’s economic growth.”
Applauding the announcement, American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) President and CEO Kurt Nagle lauded DOT’s recognition of the critical role America’s ports play and the federal support provided in TIGER V grants for seaports. He also noted that the 21.9 percent funding for port-related infrastructure projects in this round of TIGER is the closest yet to reaching AAPA’s stated goal of 25 percent.
“While funding for port-related infrastructure received a higher priority this time than in the four previous TIGER rounds, AAPA continues to advocate for a permanent authorization of a TIGER program and urges that 25 percent of future TIGER grants be provided for seaport-related infrastructure, since ports are one of the four eligible areas (along with highways/bridges, transit, and freight/passenger rail) for the program.”
Since its inception as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, AAPA has been a strong supporter of the TIGER grant program. In the first round of TIGER, port-related infrastructure projects received only 7 percent of the original $1.5 billion allocated. In the subsequent rounds, port-related infrastructure did better, garnering approximately 17 percent (of the total $556.6 million) of the second round, 12 percent (of the total $511 million) of the third round and 16 percent (of the total $485.3 million) of the fourth round.
Projects directly related to seaports included in TIGER V awards are:
Other seaport-related infrastructure projects receiving TIGER V grants include:
For a complete list and description of TIGER V grant projects, click here.