TIGER woes

As everyone around here knows, the Detroit Tigers had a rough season. We also found out last week that Michigan had its own rough year relating to TIGER grants as we were shut out of funding. Transportation Secretary Foxx announced over $500 million dollars of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER grants to 34 states, but none to Michigan! Why?

Well, that is hard to say, especially when you consider that TIGER funds are discretionary funds, defined to address priorities of the current administration. I am not aware of all of the projects submitted by cities and transportation agencies in Southeast Michigan, but those I know of were great projects, needed projects – projects that certainly addressed the priorities identified by the administration in the regulations.

One thing that we know from previous years is that the TIGER program is a very popular program and that significantly more projects are submitted than can be funded. This year is no exception. Over 600 projects were submitted worth over $10 billion, but only 39 projects were selected in 34 states to spend the $500 million budgeted by Congress.

Despite significant need, Michigan has rarely done well in this national competition. One of the better projects submitted this past year was a rail grade separation on Allen Road in Woodhaven. This project would have allowed almost 27,000 vehicles to freely cross the railroad tracks instead of having to wait for trains that cross several times a day, sometimes for as long as half an hour. The project would have leveraged TIGER dollars with funds from Wayne County, the Canadian National Railroad, MDOT, and the city to complete the project. The project would have improved the environment, enhanced access to jobs and business, improved traffic safety and relieved congestion – all consistent with the priorities of the federal government. This project will need to wait for yet another day.

It is difficult to fund projects like this with traditional formula funds, because they represent such a significant percentage of formula funds and there are significant needs throughout the region. TIGER is one of the only opportunities we have to fund projects of this size. It once again points to the need for an increase in transportation funding from both the federal and state governments if we are to improve our transportation system in a significant manner.

Projects that received funding.