Sen. Chuck Grassley said the annual transportation spending bill passed today by the U.S. Senate "provides the basis for transportation work that we really need in Iowa during the next year."
In addition to the federal dollars that Iowa would automatically receive by way of the formulas spelled out in the law, Grassley worked successfully to designate funds to help pay for specific projects at airports, parking garages and mass transit systems across the state.
Grassley worked to include the following funding items in the bill:
* $1.6 million to upgrade the instrument landing system at the Muscatine Municipal Airport.
* $750,000 for the Portland cement concrete pavement research at the Iowa State University Center for Transportation Research and Education Center.
* $12 million to improve the I-35 between two heavily used exits in Ankeny.
* $2.75 million for the state of Iowa for Intelligent Traffic Systems.
* Funds for the Center for Aviation Systems Reliability at Iowa State University.
* Funds for the Engine titanium consortium for aircraft engines at Iowa State University.
* $10 million for an Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Assurance Center of Excellence at Iowa State University.
* $537,000 for multi-modal transportation center at the University of Northern Iowa.
* $2.5 million for annual bus replacement statewide.
* $700,000 for the Sioux City trolley system.
* $1.2 million for an Ames transit maintenance facility.
* $1.2 million for a Cedar Rapids intermodal facility.
* $500,000 for expansion of a Clinton transit facility
* $1.2 million for the Iowa City intermodal facility.
* $905,000 for a Mason City transit maintenance facility.
* $2 million for the Sioux City multimodal ground transportation center.