Track Construction

LACMTA eyes federal funding for Phase 2 of Purple Line Extension

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) is considering federal funding for phase two of its Purple Line Extension in the form of a $1.1 billion grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts program and a $307 million low-interest loan from the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program. The LACMTA Board would have to give approval before the transit agency could apply for the funds.

M-1 Rail holds track signing event, unveils station sponsors

United States Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx joined local, state and federal government officials, private donors and the Detroit community at a track signing ceremony where he formally announced $12.2-million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant funding for the M-1 Rail project. All of the streetcar project donors were recognized, including the two newest: Ford Motor Company and DTE Energy.

Metro-North begins bridge cable replacement project

Starting September 15, crews will begin work at the Harlem River Lift Bridge in New York to replace 60-year-old cables that lift the bridge and install all new electrical components designed to increase their resiliency to potential storm surge flooding.

TIGER grant to help ARRC, city of Seward expand marine terminal

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $2.5 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery funds to complete the master plan for expansion of the marine terminal in Seward, Alaska.

The Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) and the city of Seward submitted the application for the planning grant funds concurrently with an application for capital project grant funding. These grants are necessary to fund improvements to Seward’s West Dock, which primarily services passenger ships and is nearing the end of its useful life.

While the program makes competitive grants based on a variety of factors, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich (D-AL) said a recent visit by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx certainly helped.

“I brought Secretary Foxx to Alaska in August so that he could get a better understanding of our state’s special transportation challenges. I’m glad to see the visit generated some real results,” said Sen. Begich. “These grant funds will be used to develop plans for the Seward dock expansion, a project that will provide family-wage jobs and increase transportation and economic growth in Seward and throughout the state.”

Sen. Begich organized a meeting between representatives of ARRC, Secretary Foxx and other transportation leaders during his visit to Alaska. During the meeting, railroad representatives pressed Secretary Foxx on the urgency of funding the Seward Marine Terminal Expansion project. In order to complete the project, ARRC must complete several studies including a passenger study, freight traffic study and transportation connectivity study. These elements will be the foundation of a new Seward Marine Terminal Expansion Master Plan, which will allow ARRC to prioritize infrastructure improvements at the terminal in order to better serve regional, state and national partners and customers.