The Streetsblog Network has been abuzz over the last 24 hours about the TIGER grants that were announced yesterday by the US DOT. Elana had some great roundups on this site yesterday about winners and losers in the highly competitive process.
Yonah Freemark of The Transport Politic posted another good overview. He notes, as Elana did, that the distribution of funds seems to reflect a shift away from car-centric thinking. Freemark adds a caveat, though:
The Tucson Modern Streetcar was among the TIGER winners. (Image: Tucson Regional Transit Authority)
Though the TIGER grant process was supposed to result in the funding of
creative, unique solutions to transportation problems in the United
States, it would be hard to argue that many of the programs chosen for
funding today are particularly different: no money was spent on bike share networks, for instance.
Around the country, our member blogs were posting about what the results meant to their local communities, for good and ill.
KC Light Rail and Let's Go KC both posted on the awards going to Kansas City, Missouri, which got money for suburban transit and the improvement of conditions for pedestrians in the city's Green Impact Zone (KC Light Rail wonders if some funds might end up going to the downtown streetcar as well). However, as KCBike.info posted, the region got no funds for bicycling improvements.
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia rejoiced in the funding of seven different bicycle/pedestrian projects there.
Santa Rosa CityBus writes that although their TIGER application was turned down, they'll be getting some of the stimulus funds that BART won't be getting for the Oakland Airport Connector.
Greater Greater Washington says the D.C. region's money will mean a real boost for bus service.
And Bike Portland reports that TIGER money will mean a two-way cycle track in that city.
Got some TIGER news that you're particularly excited or disappointed about? Hit us in the comments.
