DOT 64-09
Contact: Paul Griffo, Tel.: (202) 366-4064
Thursday, May 07, 2009

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces $742.5 Million in Federal Recovery Act Funds to Pay for Transit Projects in Nine States

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that transit projects around the country will receive $742.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funds.

“This money will not only put people back to work and spur the economy, it will also provide an alternative form of transportation for people around the country to get to their homes, work and school,” Secretary LaHood said.

The grants will go toward projects for which the Federal Transit Administration has already entered into multi-year federal commitments known as “full funding grant agreements,” in Arizona, California, Colorado, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington State.

The ARRA grants announced today do not increase the federal commitment to the projects, but expedite funds committed under the agreement between the federal government and the transit agencies.

The arrival of federal funds will allow the transit agencies to save on financing costs while putting additional dollars into the local economy; will supplement local resources, which have declined during the economic downturn, and allow for a quicker investment in the project.

Projects receiving funding are listed below.

Projects receiving funding are listed below.

Arizona ......................Phoenix-Central Phoenix/East Valley Light Rail ...............$36 Million
California ...................Los Angeles – Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension .........$66.7 Million
Colorado ...................Denver – West Corridor Light Rail Transit .......................$40 Million
New York .................New York – Long Island Rail Road East Side Access .....$195.4 Million
...................................New York – Second Avenue Subway Phase I ................$78.9 Million
Oregon .......................Portland – South Corridor I-205/Portland Mall LRT....... $32 Million
...................................Springfield – Pioneer Parkway EmX BRT........................ $2.9 Million
Texas .........................Dallas – Northwest/Southeast Light Rail Transit................ $78.4 Million
Utah ...........................Salt Lake City – Mid Jordan Light Rail Transit .................$90.9 Million
Virginia .......................Northern Virginia – Dulles Corridor Metrorail Extension
....................................To Wiehle Aveune .........................................................$77.3 Million
Washington .................Seattle – University Link Light Rail Transit Extension .......$44 Million