U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recommended $2.2 billion to fund the start or continuation of construction of 29 rail and bus rapid transit projects in 15 states, including projects in Jacksonville.
The Florida projects include Southeast Corridor and North Corridor Bus Rapid Transit for Jacksonville.
The Federal Transit Administration recommended funding for the Jacksonville projects that will combine for 20 miles of new rapid transit routes and 21 new stations.
The Southeast Corridor will receive its first recommendation for funding in the president’s budget and the transit administration will continue to support development of the North Corridor.
The Southeast Corridor will operate along Philips Highway from the Kings Avenue Station to the Avenues Walk.
The total cost of the project is $23.88 million, including $19.1 million by the federal government and $2.39 million from the state.
The North Corridor operates along Lem Turner Road to Norwood Avenue to Golfair Boulevard. The total cost is $33.49 million, including $26.79 million from federal funds and $3.35 million from the state.
The projects were included in President Barack Obama’s proposed fiscal year 2013 budget.
“President Obama called on us to rebuild America by putting people back to work on transportation projects that are built to last,” LaHood said in a news release.
“The budget proposal demonstrates our commitment to put people back to work to build the infrastructure we need that will improve our transit systems, highways, railways and airports well into the future. At this make-or-break moment for the middle class, we can afford to do no less,” he said.
Obama’s proposed budget recommends investing $243.7 million for seven new transit construction projects, including rail and bus rapid transit projects in Florida, California, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Washington state.
An additional 10 projects that were recommended for funding in previous years will receive $769.5 million in this year’s budget.
In addition to the transit construction projects that have not yet been funded, the proposed budget provides nearly $1.2 billion for the continued funding of 12 rail and bus rapid transit projects already under construction in Dallas, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City, Northern Virginia, Orlando, Salt Lake City and Seattle.
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