Capitol Hill Leaders Announce DOT Grant Winners
An intricate truck parking project in Florida and massive improvements to freight corridors in the Mid-Atlantic and Southwest regions will receive federal grants meant to help state Departments of Transportation pay for those projects, senior lawmakers announced July 6.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said it will provide $10.7 million for a $23 million truck parking project at the Florida Department of Transportation. The project would deploy a real-time information system about commercial vehicle parking availability to help truckers find parking.
A shortage of parking has been a concern for the trucking industry over the years. The American Transportation Research Institute ranked parking No. 5 on its list of critical issues for 2015.
The Virginia Department of Transportation will receive $165 million to offset a $900 million improvement project along Interstate 95. Dubbed the “Atlantic Gateway,” the project would consist of building a bridge at the Rappahannock River and extending Interstate 395 express lanes north of the Potomac River.
The Arizona Department of Transportation will receive $54 million to offset a $157 million project meant to boost freight connectivity along Interstate 10. The list of recipients, which includes the Arlington Memorial Bridge, is on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee website. Congressional leaders have 60 days to sign off on the grants.
The FAST Act highway law of 2015 authorized the Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies, or FASTLANE, grant program. The law authorize $4.5 billion for the program through 2020.
“The demand for the FASTLANE program has already far exceeded expectations, receiving 212 applications for projects totaling roughly $10 billion, more than 10 times the available amount,” the leaders of the House and Senate transportation committees said.
“This program is an important achievement of the FAST Act, and the response illustrates how critical freight and highway investments are to improving the movement of goods and reducing congestion. We commend U.S. DOT for promptly formulating a list for congressional review and look forward to advancing projects that improve our nation’s highway system,” they added.
