News Release
FOR RELEASE - October 29, 2015
Contact: Aaron Ellis, Public Affairs Director, aellis@aapa-ports.org
(703) 684-5700
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
After evaluating 627 applications, 50 of which were from ports, for the FY 2015 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced 39 awards for $500 million in funding to be made in the seventh round of this multimodal, discretionary grant program. Of those, five awards totaling $44.3 million, or about 9 percent of total funding, are going to commercial seaports or to projects that directly aid the efficient movement of goods to and from America’s ports.
Another $87 million, comprising six awards equal to about 17.4 percent of the total funding, is going to freight-focused projects around the country which aid in the movement of goods, by rail and/or truck.
In a written statement today, Sec. Foxx said, “Transportation is always about the future. If we’re just fixing today’s problems, we’ll fall further and further behind.” He noted that as the nation’s population continues to grow, there’s increasing demand for goods that require the transportation system to do more. “In this round of TIGER, we selected projects that focus on where the country’s transportation infrastructure needs to be in the future; ever safer, ever more innovative, and ever more targeted to open the floodgates of opportunity across America.”
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 VII grants for seaports. He also noted that the direct funding for maritime infrastructure projects in this round of TIGER, along with the additional grants for freight rail and truck projects, will help improve freight mobility, including connections to ports.
“AAPA urges that 25 percent of TIGER grants be provided for port-related and connector infrastructure, since ports are one of the four eligible areas (along with highways/bridges, transit, and freight/passenger rail) for the TIGER program,” said Mr. Nagle. “Furthermore, AAPA strongly advocates for a dedicated funding program for freight in the next surface transportation bill that prioritizes goods-movement projects which optimize and integrate the nation’s freight transportation system.”
Since its inception as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, AAPA has been a strong supporter of the TIGER grant program. In TIGER’s first round in fiscal 2009, port-related infrastructure projects received about 8.6 percent of the original $1.5 billion allocated. In subsequent rounds, port-related infrastructure did better, garnering 14.6 percent (of the total $600 million) in the second, 12.8% (of the total $527 million) in the third, 13.6% (of the total $500 million) in the fourth,13.3% (of the total $474 million) in the fifth, and 12.4% (of the total $600 million) in the sixth.
The five projects receiving awards in TIGER VII that directly aid the movement of goods through U.S. commercial ports are:
The six non-port, freight-focused infrastructure projects that will aid in the efficient movement of goods are:
For a complete list and description of TIGER VII grant projects, click here.