WM Mayor pleased with ‘rare’ grant

WM Mayor pleased with ‘rare’ grant

No matching funds required for TIGER money

news@theeveningtimes.com

West Memphis landed a $10 million TIGER IV discretionary grant throughout he United States Department of Transportation.

The 100 percent grant required no city match.

“This is extremely rare to have a grant that requires no matching funds on the part of the city, particularly one of this magnitude,” said Mayor Bill Johnson.

West Memphis landed one of the just 40 transportation grants awarded this year.

According to the USDOT, the highly competitive TIGER grant program supports innovative projects including multi-modal projects difficult to fund through traditional federal programs. A planned multimodal yard on South Loop adjacent to the City River Port will become a hub providing transportation mode changes to and from rail, trucking and shipping.

Complicated agreements and approvals from several

federal overseers, and two railroads were forged before the project became fundable by the USDOT.

Having rare feature of rail service from two providers combined with the River Port and the Interstate 40 and 55 Highway interchange form a new key hub for the supply chain, logistic and transportation businesses.

“For the eighth year running, TIGER will inject critical infrastructure dollars into communities across the country,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “A great TIGER program doesn’t just improve transportation it expands economic opportunity and transforms a community.”

The USDOT received 585 eligible applications requesting TIGER funds. Demand for the 2016 TIGER grant exceeded available funds. The West Memphis award placed the city with one of just 40 select grants this year. Little Rock had landed a $6.2 million grant for its inland port as well.

During the seven previous TIGER grant rounds the USDOT received more than 7,300 applications requesting more than $143 billion for transportation projects across the country. The program was created as part of the 2009 Recovery

By John Rech