In the first entry in a multi-part series looking at the federal government's Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program, Tanya Snyder looks at the impact the program has had on transportation planning and funding.
"TIGER, the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program, has been praised from the left, right, and center for rewarding innovation, leveraging scarce dollars, breaking down modal silos, and funding non-traditional projects that don’t fit well under formulas," writes Snyder. The program's bi-partisan support has been reflected in its continued re-appropriation, despite the federal government's pervasive budget cuts.
"TIGER has transformed the way transportation officials think, even beyond the grantees – failed applicants have sometimes gone back and tweaked projects, brought in new partners, lowered costs, and improved plans. TIGER has helped transportation officials around the country see a new, more strategic way to plan and carry out projects – a method that is beginning to be expected at the federal level," adds Snyder.
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