$12.3 Mln TIGER Grant for Hueneme Port Project

 

Deputy Maritime Administrator Michael J. Rodriguez today announced that the Department of Transportation will provide $12.3 million for the Port of Hueneme Intermodal Improvement project in Port Hueneme. The project is one of 39 federally-funded transportation projects in 34 states selected to receive a total of $500 million under the Department’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) 2015 program. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced project selections for this round of TIGER grants on October 29.
 
The Department received 627 eligible applications from 50 states and several U.S. territories, including Tribal governments, requesting 20 times the $500 million available for the program, or $10.1 billion for needed transportation projects.
 
“Transportation is always about the future.  If we're just fixing today's problems, we'll fall further and further behind.  We already know that a growing population and increasing freight traffic will require our system to do more," said Secretary Foxx.  “In this round of TIGER, we selected projects that focus on where the country’s transportation infrastructure needs to be in the future; ever safer, ever more innovative, and ever more targeted to open the floodgates of opportunity across America.”
 
As the only commercial deep-water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Port of Hueneme is a vital intermodal facility that continues to boost the region’s economic development with more than $8 billion in cargo moved annually and more than $1 billion in economic activity—all while reducing shipping costs and the port’s environmental impact.  The Port of Hueneme Intermodal Improvement Project will strengthen one wharf and deepen two of the port’s berths allowing vessels with up to 36-foot drafts to serve the port and modernize the port’s cargo-handling infrastructure.  These critical infrastructure improvements will help increase the efficiency of the port, facilitate additional investment by private industry, and generate local jobs. The funding provided today, as well as the release earlier this month of the draft National Freight Strategic Plan available here, demonstrates the Obama Administration’s commitment to increasing and improving the movement of freight, while reducing costs and increasing economic competitiveness.

With this latest round of funding, TIGER continues to invest in transformative projects that will provide significant and measurable improvements over existing conditions.  The awards recognize projects nationwide that will advance key transportation goals such as safety, innovation, and opportunity. “Through investment in new infrastructure at the Port of Hueneme, the Obama Administration is supporting California’s long term growth and further enhancing efficient trade for the Golden State,” said Deputy Administrator Rodriguez.

This is the seventh TIGER round since 2009, bringing the total grant amount to $4.6 billion provided to 381 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, including 134 projects to support rural and tribal communities. Demand for the program has been overwhelming; to date, the Department of Transportation has received more than 6,700 applications requesting more than $134 billion for transportation projects across the country.
 
The GROW AMERICA Act, the Administration’s surface transportation legislative proposal, would keep TIGER roaring with $7.5 billion over six years for future TIGER grants.