» New York Receives $28.5 Million In New HSR Grants…

On October 28th, USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood officially announced the recipients of $2.4 billion in new HSR grants, representing a total of 54 awards to projects in 23 states. The funds, part of the FY ’10 federal transportation appropriation, require a minimum 20% non-federal match from state and/or local sources.

New York received a total of $28.5 million in new federal money in this round, to fund three specific projects:

• $18.55 million for the final design and construction of several interconnected track improvement projects in the Syracuse area, which will increase both capacity and speeds. These projects however do not include the long-sought Park Street bridge construction and installation of a second platform track. Total project cost is slated to be $23.18 million, with the state providing a match of $4.64 million.
• $8.0 million for the final design and construction of the first phase of signal system improvements between Poughkeepsie and Rensselaer. These funds will allow for approximately 19 miles of the new buried signal code and power lines. The state match is $2.0 million for the $10.0 million total cost.
• $2.0 million for preliminary engineering and required environmental work on the replacement of the Livingston Avenue Bridge over the Hudson River at Albany. The state is matching $2.0 million, towards the $4.0 million total cost.

New York’s total committed match for these projects is $8.6 million.

New York had applied for a total of $107.99 million, to fund 10 projects. The $28.5 million received represents over 26% of the applications total and also represents nearly 12% of the total $245 million available nation-wide in this year’s appropriation for individual projects such as these.

As with last year’s ARRA awards, these new grants will require formal final agreements between all the involved parties before FRA will release and obligate the funds be actually used of for construction.

Bruce B. Becker