USDOT

Wikipedia/Oran Viriyincy

USDOT: $327MM for Sound Transit Improvements

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on May 5 announced that its Build America Bureau has provided low-interest loans totaling $327 million to the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) for improvements to the transit system.

USDOT: An Additional $24MM for RIA Program Projects

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on April 27 announced that its Build America Bureau will add $24 million in grants to the Regional Infrastructure Accelerators (RIA) program, bringing the total investment to $34 million to “expedite delivery of transportation infrastructure projects at the local and regional levels.”

PROTECT-funded projects will help “ensure our infrastructure is built to withstand more frequent and unpredictable extreme weather is critical for communities counting on a road or bridge to be open for first responders, and it is critical for a business that must get its essential goods to shelves,” FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt said.

USDOT: Applications Open for $848MM PROTECT Grant Program

Up to $848 million in funding is now available to help make intercity passenger rail, public transportation, ports, pedestrian facilities and highways more resilient to climate change impacts, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) reported April 21.

Federal lawmakers and environmental groups are urging the DOT to reject the use of tax-exempt "private equity bonds" to fund the Uinta Basin Railway.

Lawmakers, Environmental Groups Urge DOT to Reject Use of Bonds to Fund Uinta Basin Railway

U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), along with more than 150 environmental groups, some from as far away as New Jersey, have sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to reject the use of tax-exempt “private activity bonds” for the Uinta Basin Railway, stating that the project would “undermine President Biden’s priority of addressing the climate crisis, and harm communities through which these oil trains will travel and where this oil will be refined.”

Sound Transit’s proposed 7.1-mile extension from downtown Seattle to Ballard includes nine new stations between the Chinatown-International District and Market Street and a new rail-only tunnel through downtown Seattle.

Transit Briefs: Sound Transit, WMATA

Seattle’s Sound Transit identifies the preferred alternative for the Ballard Link light rail extension and will conduct Rainier Valley safety improvements in partnership with the city’s transportation department using a $2 million Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Also, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) police department launches a Body-Worn Camera Program.

"These grants will help bring riders faster, safer, more reliable service on America’s rails," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

PHMSA: More Than $25MM to Improve Hazmat and Pipeline Safety

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced March 20 more than $25 million available in grant funding through its pipeline and hazardous materials (hazmat) safety programs for projects that will “train first responders, strengthen safety programs, improve safety, reduce environmental impacts, and educate the public on local safety initiatives.”

"These grants will help bring riders faster, safer, more reliable service on America’s rails," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

FTA: $4.45B for Major Transit Projects

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on March 9 announced that 18 large transit projects in 11 states across the U.S. were recommended to receive $4.45 billion for construction by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.