7/8/2010

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Thank you Congressman Himes.

I am here as President Obama’s Transit Administrator to announce that Stamford will be receiving $16 million in FTA funds for the second phase of the Stamford Urban Transitway.

On behalf of the President and on behalf of Secretary Ray LaHood I want to congratulate everyone who’s been involved with this project.

You’ve heard from many of them here this morning.

There are many people spread around the crowd who have been working on Phase I of this project, and I can tell you that there is a reason that this project is getting 10% of America’s money.

We only gave away $160 million through this particular competition, for this particular type of program.

And Stamford is getting 10% of it.

First and foremost, it’s been the steady advocacy of people like Jim Hines and Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman who have been reminding us of what a success the first phase of Stamford’s Urban Transitway appears to be.

The other reality is that we are still very focused on the need to create desperately needed jobs to advance our recovery.

As folks were just telling me here on the street corner, the first phase of the Stamford Urban Transitway is almost complete and our principle goal among many is to keep these people on the job to keep them working to improve Stamford, to improve the economy of Stamford and the economy of Connecticut.

Now, this project is really emblematic; it really embodies so much of what President Obama means when he talks about economic recovery.

This is a project that is going to create hundreds of jobs right now, but is going to improve the lives of millions of people for generations to come.

These are the kind of investments that insure that folks from all parts of the spectrum of this community have a better quality of life.

There are elements about the redevelopment plans of this project that ensure the availability of affordable housing.

There are also aspects that are just about making sure that we are doing these things in an environmentally friendly way and there’s aspects about this about this of improving the punishing congestion that we sometimes experience on these streets mirrored by the congestion that we see on I-95.

None of these problems are going to get solved tomorrow, certainly the congestion that we see on I-95 is not going to be solved tomorrow, but we need to continue to take steps forward to address those problems even in tough economic times.

That’s what this grant program is about and because this project so embodies those goals in such a comprehensive way, that’s why its getting 10% of America’s money right here in Stamford.

One of the things I want to emphasize is that this project was not the Obama Administration’s idea.

This project was the idea of the fathers and mothers of the City of Stamford.

It was not done not only by the elected officials sitting behind me now, but their predecessors.

What the Obama Administration did was listen.

Listen to people like Jim Himes, who has been talking to us about this project since he took office.

So I really, more than anything else, want to congratulate the people of Stamford for doing it right on Phase I.

It’s doing it right on Phase I that has gotten you this money for Phase II.

The Obama Administration stands behind you in these efforts.

It’s a great day for Stamford, it’s a great day for Fairfield County and I just want to say congratulations to everyone.

Thank You.