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REP. FUDGE ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF $100 MILLION IN TRANSIT GRANTS March 24, 2009
For Immediate Release 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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