Congratulations to the City of Houston for winning a $15 million TIGER grant from the US Department of Transportation. A TIGER grant “provides a unique opportunity for the U.S. Department of Transportation to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects that promise to achieve critical national objectives,” according to the grant website. The process to win a grant is highly competitive.
Included in uses for the grant are 18 miles of improvements for cyclists and pedestrians, such as trails, sidewalks, and on-street bikeways. Reps. Gene Green, Al Green, and Sheila Jackson Lee all supported the city’s application. In a joint press release from the representatives, they spoke of the plans to “improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, support the current demand for trails and bikeways, connect important destinations like Houston’s major universities and downtown, and provide alternative transportation to important economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.”