Stimulus News You Can Use is one way WSDOT is working to keep transportation stakeholders updated on the fast-moving effort to put people to work and improve the state’s infrastructure. Each edition will have information on project delivery and highlights. Sign up to receive stimulus news e-mail updates. Visit the Newsletter Archive for earlier editions.

This week's stimulus snapshot

• FRA requests applications in August for next round of high-speed rail grants 
• Washington receives stimulus grant for electric recharging locations 
• Update: July 22 bid opening planned for Spokane TIGER project 
• Spokane advertises local Recovery Act project to improve Wellesley Ave 
• Important stimulus dates 
• Useful Recovery Act web links 
• Stimulus data table update
  
  

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $2.3 billion available for high-speed rail grants – On June 28, LaHood and the Federal Railroad Administration announced they will begin receiving applications for $2.1 billion for high speed rail corridors and $245 million for individual projects. WSDOT intends to apply for the additional funding. Congress provided the funds in the 2010 budget, building on the $8 billion in Recovery Act funds awarded in January. Specific projects have not yet been identified to compete for the grant funds. Completed applications are due by August 6 and decisions are expected to be announced by September 30.

Update: WSDOT North Spokane Corridor TIGER project planned for July 22 bid opening – WSDOT plans to open bids July 22 on the project to build new southbound lanes on US 395 between Francis Avenue and Farwell Road. The project received a $35 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) stimulus grant in January.

New local Recovery Act project advertised – On June 23, the city of Spokane advertised its project to improve Wellesley Avenue from Assembly to Driscoll. The $1.95 million project is receiving $1.2 million in surplus stimulus funds due to low bids on earlier Recovery Act projects. The project will replace the roadway and the sidewalks.

Federal Transportation Blog highlights this week – Check the WSDOT Federal Issues blog for recent items on the new stimulus funding for electric charging stations on I-5, TIGER II planning grants, and the latest information on federal transportation funding reauthorization. 

Highlight of the week

Gov. Gregoire announces plan to launch nation's first electric highway

Gov. Chris Gregoire announced on June 28 that Washington’s electric vehicle infrastructure efforts are getting a boost from $1.32 million in Federal Recovery Act funding. Washington State’s transportation and commerce departments are teaming up to implement the nation’s first “electric highway,” an initial network of public access electric vehicle (EV) recharging locations along Interstate 5. Once implemented, Washington will have the first border to border highway to offer fast charge technology.

“Washington state is a leader in creating green jobs, adopting new clean technologies and we are poised to do it again with electric vehicles,” said Gregoire. “Providing the nation’s first true electrified highway (I-5) will benefit Washingtonians and show the rest of the country how we can use innovative partnerships to solve some of our most difficult challenges like climate change and our dependence on oil.”

The electric highway will support plug-in electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus, and Chevy Volt soon rolling off the assembly lines. The infrastructure will enable electric vehicle drivers to travel the length of the state along the 276 miles of I-5 between Washington’s borders with Oregon and Canada. As many as 300,000 electric vehicles are anticipated on Washington roads during in the next 10 years.

Funding is provided by the Department of Commerce with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars being administered through the State Energy Program. This project meets State Energy Program and Recovery Act funding goals to save energy, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, invest in transportation and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits.

The state will partner with private companies to install fast charging infrastructure in critical charging zones in unserved locations along major interstates. The first charging sites will be placed along I-5 north of Everett and south of Centralia. The work on I-5 will be complemented with deployments along I-90 to include Central Washington.

“I-5, one of our busiest highways and the backbone of Western Washington’s economy, is a natural place to showcase transportation electrification,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary. “This innovative project will keep people and business moving toward a clean transportation future.” 

For more information on the Electric Highways project, visit the project webpage.

Important dates

July 14: Next performance report due to Office of Management and Budget
July 16: TIGER II pre-application deadline 
July 20: Next performance report due to the T & I Committee
July 22: Tentative bid opening date for North Spokane Corridor TIGER project
July 26: TIGER II planning grant pre-application deadline
August 6: High-speed rail grant application deadline
August 11: Transit application deadline for TIGGER grants 
August 23: Final TIGER II application deadline
September 30: Deadline for obligating Recovery Act highway funds
September 30: Deadline for next high-speed rail grants

Websites of interest

WSDOT ARRA website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/funding/stimulus
WSDOT Federal Transportation Issues blog: http://wsdotfederalfunding.blogspot.com
Washington recovery website: http://www.recovery.wa.gov/
Federal recovery website: http://www.recovery.gov/
FHWA recovery website: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/economicrecovery/index.htm
Federal Transit Administration recovery website: www.fta.dot.gov/recovery
Federal Railroad Administration recovery website: http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/2153
Federal Aviation Administration recovery website: http://www.faa.gov/recovery
OMB recovery website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/recovery_default/

This week by the numbers (project dollars in millions)