(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) urged transportation agencies in Washington state to apply for recently announced Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) competitive grants. The grants available, totaling $500 million, are awarded on a competitive basis, and will support critical investments in roads and bridges, public transit, freight and passenger rail, and ports. TIGER is a unique, cost-effective program that helps state and local agencies tackle complex transportation and economic development challenges in their communities. The eighth round of TIGER grants is made possible by investments Senator Murray fought to include in the FY2016 Omnibus, which Congress passed in December 2015.
“Transportation investments can transform neighborhoods, from improving roads to expanding mass transit, and from safety improvements to creating jobs,” Senator Murray said. “I was proud to create the TIGER grant program, and fight every year to make sure this program has the investments it needs to give communities a hand up in helping local families and the economy.”
Since Sen. Murray created the TIGER program in 2009, it has awarded nearly $4.6 billion to 381 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, including 134 projects to support rural and tribal communities. Of that total, Washington state has received $229 million to support 15 projects. These include the Tacoma LINK Expansion, a new ferry terminal in Mukilteo, the North Spokane Corridor in Spokane, the Mercer Corridor Redevelopment project in Seattle, the South Park Bridge Replacement in King County, the West Vancouver Freight Access project at the Port of Vancouver, improvements to I-5 to relieve congestion around Joint-Base Lewis-McChord, and modernization of Terminal 46 at the Port of Seattle.