TIGER Program: Popular Funding Mechanism at Risk
An important bill has been introduced to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Senate Bill 1748 is a bill to continue the “Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery” (TIGER) program.
TIGER’s purpose is the funding of multi-modal transportation projects, and are particularly useful for projects that cross multiple jurisdictions. Over the last seven years, TIGER has made it possible for states and local governments to build innovative and much needed infrastructure solutions that are difficult to build using normal formula funds. S.1748 will ensure the TIGER program remains open to all local priorities and the people who understand local transportation needs most intimately.
In Ohio, TIGER funded the following projects –
- University Cedar Rapid Transit Station Improvements (2010) – $10,500,000 – Cleveland
- Cincinnati Streetcar Loop (2011) – $10,920,000 – Cincinnati
- Mayfield Transit Station (2011) – $12,503,000 – Cleveland
- Pickaway East West Connector Rd (2012) – $16,082,000 – Columbus
- East 105th/East 93rd Transportation Corridor Plan (2014) – $400,000 – Cleveland
We want to make sure that the current TIGER program remains strong, and encourage you to contact Senator Rob Portman and Senator Sherrod Brown to ask for their co-sponsorship and support. If you want to track the progress of the bill yourself, here is the raw link – https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1748