WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley today said that the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies has included funding for several transportation projects in Iowa as part of its spending plan for the next fiscal year.
"Transportation, whether it is rail, car or ferry, is an integral part of our lives. So, it’s important that our transportation system be able to safely accommodate business and individual travelers," Grassley said. "These projects will help communities across Iowa continue to invest in providing safe roads and facilities for its residents."
The bill will now move for consideration by the full appropriations committee. It's expected that the full committee will meet yet this week. Grassley said he will continue to work with Senate appropriators throughout the process to see that funding for the project is included in the final version of the bill. The appropriations process begins each spring and is typically completed at the end of each congressional session.
Here is a description of several of the funded projects.
Statewide Bus Replacement, $5 million - Funding will be used to replace the oldest vehicles in the statewide fleet, based on a ranking using chronological age and mileage by vehicle class. Benefits will include improved reliability for public transit services and reduced maintenance costs.
Altoona, $1.5 million for the Cold Storage Spur Line - Funding will be used to construct a 5000 foot railroad spur line from the existing Iowa Interstate Railroad line in Altoona. The spur line will serve freight to the Altoona Business Center and the rest of the region.
Camanche, $200,000 for the Washington Boulevard Transportation Plan - Funding will be used to reconstruct the Washington Boulevard corridor from a 2-lane rural section roadway with no sidewalks to a 3-lane urban section roadway with a sidewalk on one side of the road and the Mississippi River Trail on the other side of the road.
Cedar Falls, $2.45 million for the UNI Multimodal Project - The UNI Multimodal Project will serve as a nexus for automobile, transit, bicycle, and intercity bus.
Cedar Rapids and Marion, $500,000 for the CMAR Urban Trail Project - Funding will be used for a hard surface trail from Cedar Rapids to Marion.
Coon Rapids, $500,000 for theIowa Great Places Trail Development - Funding will be used for trail development in and around Coon Rapids.
Davenport, $1 million for the Mississippi River Ferry Boat Expansion - Funding will be used to expand ferry boat service to the lower pool of the Mississippi River.
Des Moines,$3,750,000 for the Interstate 235 Reconstruction Utility Work - Funding will be used to help complete a six year effort to reconstruct the entire Interstate 235 corridor through the Des Moines metropolitan area.
Dubuque, $1 million for Iowa Highway 32, Southwest Arterial - Funding will be used to construct six miles of State Highway connecting three National Highway systems in Dubuque County.
Dubuque, $100,000 for the Downtown Transportation Center Intermodal Transit Facility Study – Funding will be used to conduct a study on a project that will include parking, transit, and potential rail service in the Port of Dubuque.
North Liberty, $870,000 for the Highway 965/Fairview Lane/Golfview Drive Intersection Alignment Project - Funding will be used to align two intersecting streets with old Highway 965 and include an underpass for pedestrian traffic. The project will correct safety issues for vehicular and pedestrian traffic concerns on this right of way.
Oelwein, $1 million for the Community Revitalization Initiative - Funding will be used to fund utility replacement, streets, sidewalks, and associated improvements as part of a three phase improvement plan.
Sioux City, $500,000 for Interstate 29 Utility Relocation - Funding will be used to relocate utilities impacted by the reconstruction of Interstate 29 through Sioux City.
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