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Final Say: Getting TIGER by the tail By Mortimer Downey, chairman, CAGTC board of directors; senior advisor, Parsons Brinckerhoff and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation, and Chuck Baker, CAGTC board of directors; president, National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association The inclusion of the $1.5 billion Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER} Program in last year’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) demonstrates the growing recognition, by both Congress and the Administration, that the most effective way to invest in the nation’s multimodal transportation infrastructure is through objective, merit-based criteria. The TIGER Program has been criticized by some for not yet generating economic investment. In fact, this program was designed to spend in 2010 and to focus on larger, capital investments which will have a lasting and significant impact on the economy and job creation. Awards for the TIGER Program are expected in January and, while it’s too early to say whether the program itself has been a success, the recent trend towards merit-based, nationally-focused spending is a positive step forward. The TIGER Program is the first truly multimodal federal investment program we’ve seen, and in this respect alone, although the amount of money at stake is small, it has already made a tremendous impression on the transportation community. The broad eligibility for projects included in the requirements issued means that, unlike the conventional federal spending methods which created mode-based silos, the TIGER Program allows state, regional and local officials to pick the transportation solution that works best for their region. Despite the condensed timeline and the stringent project requirements, the TIGER Program received nearly 1,400 applications from all 50 states for over $57 billion worth of projects. The TIGER Program is also the first truly national federal investment program. Unlike formula programs that focus on local and state priorities, the TIGER Program focuses on big, bold, capacity-building projects that will have a national or regional impact an important step toward a more unified and effective multimodal transportation network. While state and local priorities are important and do deserve federal funding assistance, programs like the TIGER Program contribute to a national system that serves the nation’s priorities — trade, commerce and global competitiveness — rather than just local mobility concerns. By using objective, merit-based criteria to select projects, the USDOT can dedicate funds to the nation’s most congested and most vital transportation corridors, getting the most “bang for the buck” by focusing on where the greatest needs are. And, even though TIGER has yet to have an effect on job creation, it’s merely a matter of time. Awards are due no later than February 17th, 2010, and we expect to see construction beginning on these high-priority projects shortly thereafter. It’s also been suggested that one simple way to get additional funding for transportation construction projects flowing out of Washington, and to create thousands of well-paying jobs, is to boost the amount of TIGER funding available. This could be done through the Jobs Bill that Congress is expected to consider shortly. Requests for the available TIGER funds came in at 38 times the $1.5 billion in authorized spending. Not only is the demand for TIGER high, but the criteria already prioritize projects based on their job-creating attributes, among other tests of merit and national significance. Applying $4 billion in additional funding to this program would allow the USDOT to fund the top 10 percent of the applications, which would be only the most worthy, job-generating, nationally significant transportation projects. The current funding will support less than three percent of the applications. With additional funding, the USDOT could move very quickly because they would not need to promulgate new rules or regulations. Instead, they could simply select more projects than they would have otherwise been able to, and also fund the most attractive projects at higher levels than otherwise possible. As Congress and the administration continue to consider various ways to help move the economy forward, a high priority should be providing additional funds for fast, effective investment in the nation’s transportation infrastructure through the TIGER Program.	In This Issue Up Front News, Trends & Analysis New Items Trade Tools: How Uncle Sam helps exporters Capital Watch: Larger issues loom behind federal transport agendas Supply Chain Chris Steele: Development opportunities north and south of the border Compliance Corner: Denied Party Screening Make sure you comply... comprehensively and timely Tech Trends Product Review: Invoicing and Auditing solutions Commentary David Bennett: Early signs of trouble Gateway Glance Panama China The Port Community Game Changer: Expansion of the Panama Canal will reshape global trade patterns All-weather ports are “all-in” Breakbulk Quarterly: East Coast - Thinking outside the box Breakbulk Quarterly: Brighter outlook for West Coast breakbulk in 2010 The Shipping Environment Casualties Navy tanker breaks loose, container crane topples, longshoreman dies at Virginia port ... and much more Final Say Getting TIGER by the tail
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Final Say: Getting TIGER by the tail