U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces $29.6 Million in Grants for California Highway Projects |
|---|
Topics: Ray LaHood
|
Federal Highway Administration
17 August 2011
FHWA 37-11
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Contact: Doug Hecox
Tel: 202-366-0660
Funds will help create jobs by realigning part of I-5 and improving pedestrian safety and access roads
WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced more than $29.6 million in grants to fund an array of highway-related efforts in California, including adding an additional lane and shoulder on I-680 between San Ramon and Danville, completing the final segment of Forest Highway 171 in Butte County and building a roundabout in Humboldt to improve pedestrian safety.
"Transportation investments like these will create jobs and improve the quality of life for Californians as well as strengthen the state's economy," said Secretary LaHood. "The demand from the states for these funds shows just how critical the need is for infrastructure investment."
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) invited states to apply in June for federal funding from 14 grant programs. Requests poured in from every state, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. – more than 1,800 applications, totaling nearly $13 billion, which is more than 30 times the funds available.
"At a time when states are facing serious budgetary constraints, these grants will help fill a critical need," said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez. "Investments like these are immediate and long-lasting, and will help create jobs."
Congress created the discretionary grant programs to give FHWA the latitude to support projects that maintain the nation's roads and bridges, improve roadway safety and make communities more livable. In previous years, Congress designated some of this grant money for specific projects and FHWA awarded the remainder through a competitive process. Because the FY11 budget passed by Congress last April directed that all such funds be discretionary, FHWA awarded these funds through a competitive process.
California received funding for the following projects:
| PROJECT | AWARD |
|---|---|
| I-5 and French Camp Road Interchange reconstruction and Manthey Road Realignment in Stockton | $3,750,000 |
| Construction of final 1.7-mile segment of 9.7-mile-long Forest Highway 171 project in Butte County | $3,577,100 |
| Construction of additional lane and shoulder on I-680 between San Ramon and Danville | $3,245,500 |
| Evaluation of cordon pricing in downtown Los Angeles | $3,200,000 |
| Construction of two new vessels for the Berkeley/Albany ferry service in San Francisco | $2,915,000 |
| Constructing a 5-mile segment of the Napa Valley Vine Trail commuter bike path linking the Town of Yountville and City of Napa | $2,500,000 |
| Construction of access road to San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Petaluma | $2,250,000 |
| Improvements to Golden Gate ferry fuel system | $1,460,000 |
| Construction of a roundabout and other pedestrian safety improvements on Sandmine Road in Humboldt | $1,400,282 |
| Construction of 2,500-square-foot Yurok Scenic Byways Visitor Center along SH 101 in Klamath | $960,000 |
| Funds to leverage an $800,000 (or 38% of the required cost) private sector funding commitment, along with a $100,000 city in-kind contribution, to construct a 100-foot long pedestrian bridge over West Mission Road | $782,640 |
| The TCSP Program funds are requested to help expand and improve the Santa Ana River Trail along the area immediately bordering the east side of the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) | $652,200 |
| California Department of Transportation, to provide specialized training to prepare disadvantaged business enterprise firms to compete for federal highway contracts | $407,400 |
| Construction of public access parking at El Toro Creek on SH 68 near Fort Ord in Salinas | $394,000 |
| The TCSP Program funds will be used for construction and construction support costs for the Pacific Avenue Median Improvements Project, one of two median projects that have been designed for Pacific Avenue | $391,320 |
| The TCSP Program funds will be used to fill in the gap in this process – to take one of the projects through final (100%) design, and therefore enable that project to be constructed using City/County Association of Governments funds, resulting in a "model project" for the Grand Boulevard Initiative | $365,232 |
| The TCSP Program funds will be used for construction and construction support costs for the University Miracle Mile Median Improvements Project one of two median projects that have been designed for Pacific Avenue | $261,107 |
| California Department of Transportation, to provide specialized training for highway construction-related skills | $250,000 |
| Restoration of the Felton Covered Bridge in Felton | $248,238 |
| Construction of rest area at Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway in Calaveras County | $216,144 |
| This funding will improve intermodal access at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Center, the only trauma center in the Santa Clarita Valley and a critical employment hub in northern Los Angeles County | $130,440 |
| Development of Corridor Management Plan for the 112.7-mile-long Yurok Scenic Byway | $119,211 |
| Chorro Valley Non-Motorized Trail feasibility study in San Luis Obispo | $47,000 |
| Redesign of Curtz Lake Interpretive Trail and Trailhead in Alpine County | $45,000 |
| Upgrades to Coastal Access Path for Route 1 San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway in San Simeon | $36,800 |
| TOTAL | $29,604,614 |
A complete state-by-state list of this year's grant recipients is available online at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fhwa1137/.