HOUSTON, Texas -- The U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $15 million TIGER grant for Houston's Regional Multimodal Connections project, one of 47 transportation projects in 34 states and the District of Columbia selected to receive funding under the U.S. Department of Transportation's highly competitive $500 million TIGER 2012 program.
"This investment means good construction jobs for people in Houston today and greater mobility to get to jobs in the future," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "President Obama's support for an America built to last is putting people back to work across the country building roads, bridges and other projects that will mean better, safer transportation for generations to come."
The Houston Regional Multimodal Connections project, with significant support from the business community, will eliminate major gaps in Houston's bike grid and provide extensive connections to bus and rail transportation, employment centers and residences. It will create bikeways that run parallel to some of the most congested roads in Houston, providing an attractive alternative to sitting in traffic. The bikeways will connect three of Houston's most disadvantaged neighborhoods, the Northside Village, Fifth Ward and Third Ward, and to downtown, Midtown, Medical Center and other employment centers. The project includes building 7.5 miles of off-street shared-use paths, 2.8 miles of sidewalks, and 7.9 miles of on-street bikeways.
Victor Mendez of the Federal Highway Administration joined Houston Mayor Annise Parker and other officials in Houston for the announcement.
"Providing more transportation options helps support economic growth by putting people to work and making jobs and businesses more accessible," said Administrator Mendez. "This project will connect communities and create more opportunities in the Houston area."
The TIGER program is a highly competitive grant program that is able to fund innovative projects difficult or impossible to fund through other federal programs. In many cases, these grants will serve as the final piece of funding for infrastructure investments totaling $1.7 billion in overall project costs. These federal funds are being leveraged with money from private sector partners, states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations and transit agencies.
SOURCE: Federal Highway Administration
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