As reported by Better Roads, applications for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant (TIGER) program far exceeded funding for the program.  Grant requests totaled over $9 billion for the $600 million program.

In a prepared statement, U.S. DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx offered his perspective on the large influx of applications.

“These applicants confirm what I saw as I traveled through eight states and 13 cities as part of my Invest in America, Commit to the Future bus tour last month – America is hungry for infrastructure investment,” said Secretary Foxx.  “The continued overwhelming demand for these grants demonstrates that communities want the kind of long-term funding our GROW AMERICA Act provides to build transportation projects across the country.”

As previously reported on Conduit Street, The GROW AMERICA Act, the Administration’s long-term transportation plan  was presented to Congress on April 29.

The statement also provides an overview of the TIGER Grant program.

The highly competitive TIGER program, which began as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, offers federal funding possibilities for large, game-changing multi-modal projects.  These federal funds leverage money from private sector partners, state, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations and transit agencies.  The $474 million awarded under TIGER 2013 supported $1.8 billion in overall project investments.

U.S. DOT received 797 eligible applications for fiscal 2014, compared to 585 in fiscal 2013.