A Promotion and New Hire for AASHTO’s Policy Staff
The policy division of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is promoting Susan Howard (above, right) into the role as program director for transportation finance, effective Jan. 7, 2019, and is hiring Avital Barnea (above, left) to fill Howard’s current role as program manager for freight starting on Jan. 22, 2019. Susan Howard Howard joined AASHTO on June 4 this year after a five-year stint as director of government relations and legislative affairs for the N...
U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $908 Million Loan to Finance the Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Project
WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau (the Bureau) will provide the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) System a $908 million Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF) direct loan for financing the Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Project. “This financing demonstrates the Department’s commitment to serving as a trustworthy partner to regional and local agencies, which are at the f...
EPA Awards $1.1 Million to Chesapeake Conservancy to Track Environmental Impacts of Land Use in Bay Watershed
PHILADELPHIA -The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today it has awarded $1,080,000 to the Chesapeake Conservancy so that it can update and improve land use data critical to Chesapeake Bay Restoration. “This project will give states, counties and local jurisdictions critical information on how the landscape is changing over time and how these changes impact progress towards achieving restoration of local waters and the Chesapeake Bay,” said EPA Regional Administrator...
WisDOT Announces More than $7 Million in Harbor Grants
Five harbors will receive Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) 2019 Harbor Assistance Program grants totaling $7,161,500 for harbor maintenance and improvement projects. Improvements will promote waterborne freight and assist economic development in the communities where they’re located. Fincantieri Marinette Marine (Marinette County) - $5 million for dredging of 20,000 cubic yards of soft sediment and 10,000 cubic yards of hard sediment to create the necessary depth for constru...
Federal Transit Administration Announces $16.6 Million to Improve Transit Access in Selected Communities Around the Country
WASHINGTON – The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced that it has awarded a total of $16.6 million to 20 organizations around the country to support comprehensive planning projects that improve access to public transportation. The funds are made available through FTA’s Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning, which assists communities that are developing new or expanded mass transit systems. "Convenient and safe access to public transportation can impro...
EPA Awards $1.1 Million to Chesapeake Conservancy to Track Environmental Impacts of Land Use in Bay Watershed
PHILADELPHIA -The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today it has awarded $1,080,000 to the Chesapeake Conservancy so that it can update and improve land use data critical to Chesapeake Bay Restoration. “This project will give states, counties and local jurisdictions critical information on how the landscape is changing over time and how these changes impact progress towards achieving restoration of local waters and the Chesapeake Bay,” said EPA Regional Administrator Cosmo...
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces $205 Million in Funding for Airport Infrastructure
WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao today announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $205 million in supplemental funding for infrastructure grants to small airports in 34 states. More than half of these airports serve rural communities and mostly general aviation. This funding is in addition to the $3.31 billion already awarded in regular Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding during fiscal year 2018. This $205 million in Airport Im...
Major Transportation Infrastructure Investments Announced for 2019
(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority are advancing more than $1.1 billion in construction contracts for 2019, delivering smoother trips for New Jersey’s motorists and a robust investment for the Garden State’s economy. NJDOT will issue over $500 million in construction contracts between now and March 2019 and the NJTA will issue more than $600 million, adding over $400 million in new projects currently under design. NJDOT is accelera...
USDOT Officially Awards BUILD Grant Money to 91 Projects
Nearly eight months after it announced the creation of the $1.5 billion “better utilizing investments to leverage development” or BUILD discretionary grant program, which replaced the TIGER program, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded funding to 91 projects in 49 states and the District of Columbia; monies supporting a wide variety road, rail, transit, port, and even broadband infrastructure projects. [A state-by-state list of the projects that were awarded BUILD grants can be found...
U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $281 Million Funding Allocation for Transit Projects in Arizona, California, Minnesota, and Texas
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced a total of $281 million in additional Fiscal Year 2018 federal funding allocations to five transit projects in Arizona, California, Minnesota, and Texas. Funding will be provided through FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program. "These significant investments in the public transit systems in five communities across the country will improve mobility for riders who depend upon public t...