Office of Public Affairs
DOT 39-09
Friday, March 27, 2009
Contact: Jill Zuckman
Tel.: (202) 366-4570
U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces $229 Million in Economic
Recovery Funds for Aviation
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood today
announced more than $229 million for aviation infrastructure under the
recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
"This Administration is committed to getting the U.S. economy going again
and these grants are a part of making that happen,” said Secretary LaHood.
"This grant represents a critical investment in our nation's airport
infrastructure that will boost the local economy by providing jobs for the
area.”
The following states and territories will receive ARRA aviation grants:
Alaska, Alabama, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky,
Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Northern Mariania Islands,
Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, Nevada, South
Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.
About 3,400 airports designated as part of the national airport system are
eligible to receive ARRA funds. The FAA is moving swiftly to work with
airport sponsors to ensure eligible projects have completed or nearly
completed, design and planning requirements.
Under ARRA, the FAA received $1.1 billion to allocate to qualified
airports on a discretionary basis. That funding will be distributed based
on a project priority system that addresses airport safety and security,
infrastructure, runway safety, increased capacity, and mitigation of
environmental impacts.
Secretary LaHood said the Obama Administration is committed to getting
ARRA money into the economy as quickly as possible. He noted that
President Obama signed the ARRA into law on February 17, less than one
month after taking the oath of office. Less than two weeks later, on March
3, LaHood joined President Obama and Vice President Biden at an historic
announcement at the U.S. Department of Transportation to mark the release
of $26.6 billion to the states and localities for highways, roads and
bridges. The release of funds came eight days earlier than required by
law.
On March 5, Secretary LaHood joined Vice President Biden and Miami Mayor
Manny Diaz to announce the availability of $8.4 billion for transit
infrastructure. On March 12, Secretary LaHood announced that Pittsburgh
International and Allegheny County Airports had received the first funding
allocations for airport infrastructure projects, and on March 13, Vice
President Biden announced that DOT made $1.3 billion available to Amtrak
for capital and security improvements.
Secretary LaHood noted that in early February, prior to the passage of the
ARRA, he had established a team within the Department of Transportation to
ensure that economic recovery funding is rapidly made available for
transportation infrastructure projects and that project spending is
monitored and transparent.
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DOT Briefing Room
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