Oregon Department of Transportation

The USDOT has awarded a $226.2 million INFRA grant and a $73.8 Mega grant to the Port of New Orleans to construct a new 1,200-acre container terminal on the Gulf Coast. (Port of New Orleans Image)

USDOT Awards $4.9B for Mega, INFRA Projects

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is distributing $4.9 billion to 37 nationwide projects through the FY 2023-24 Mega (National Infrastructure Project Assistance) and INFRA (Infrastructure for Rebuilding America) grant programs. Twelve rail-related projects will receive a total of $1.6 billion; the Pier B project at the Port of Long Beach and the Louisiana International Terminal project at the Port of New Orleans are among the winners.

LACMTA’s Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 project would extend the L Line nine miles from East Los Angeles (at Pomona and Atlantic boulevards) to Whittier, serving the cities of Commerce, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, and Whittier, and the unincorporated communities of East Los Angeles and West Whittier-Los Nietos. (Rendering Courtesy of LACMTA)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, LACMTA

Amtrak Cascades service to all cities north of Seattle, Wash., including Vancouver, British Columbia, will resume in September. Also, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) has released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the extension of the L Line (Gold), known as the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 project.

HSR in the PNW?

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is envisioning a 250-mph “ultra-high speed ground transportation system” connecting Vancouver, B.C.; Seattle, Wash. and Portland, Ore., with Seattle-Vancouver and Seattle-Portland travel times reduced to one hour each. Engineering and professional services consultancy WSP will be preparing a business case analysis for what WSDOT describes as “an international, public-private partnership of WSDOT; the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT); the British Columbia Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology; and Microsoft Corp.”