WASHINGTON, DC – The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act appropriated $100 million in new discretionary grants  for public transportation projects reducing transit  greenhouse gas emissions or decreasing transit energy use. 

            Today, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released the details of that program known as Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER).

            Projects compete for TIGGER funds based on a percentage formula. Each project must demonstrate that its proposed capital investment will reduce energy consumption and/or greenhouse gases. The maximum amount of funding proposed  is $25 million. The  minimum is $2 million. The FTA permits  multiple transit agencies to consolidation projects  and allows consolidation of submittals by larger agencies like the State Department of Transportation, in an effort to  reach  minimum levels. Project grants will be distributed  directly to public transportation agencies. In addition to judging the  anticipated reduction in energy or greenhouse gasses, FTA will rate each projects’ level of innovation, readiness of implementation, are  ready to implement, have  capacity to perform, and the national applicability of the  project.

On its website, the FTA has posted application instructions,  answers to common questions, and made a calculator available to assist in formulating considerations  on energy consumption and  greenhouse gas emission reduction. The website is  at www.fta.dot.gov. Complete proposals for the TIGGER Grant Program must be submitted by May 22, 2009.

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