Quote:
Originally Posted by Jasonhouse
So I wonder when we'll hear where Fl's money is going now?
Wasn't WI's and OH's money redirected rather quickly?
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In the case of WI and OH, they had more warning because Walker and Kaisch ran on a platform of attacking the rail projects. The redirection happened in mid-December, around 4-5 weeks after the elections. The decisions they made were easier, because the FRA directed the funding to fully match the request amounts or provide more in the grant applications that were originally selected.
Now, many of the applications that were selected are fully funded, so the FRA may have to make new awards from the original batch of applications, but to other projects on the corridors that have been funded. The re-direction is more complicated because Florida is returning funding from 2 pots: around $1.6 billion of stimulus funding and $800 million of FY2010 funding (which requires 20% state matching). The clock is ticking on the stimulus funding because work has to start, as I understand it, before the end of 2012. What the rules are for the FY2010 funds, don't know.
LaHood and the FRA also may want to wait a few days to sort out their options and to check with the states to confirm that they can put the funding to use in time. And the Governor of the state won't throw it back.
My guess is that California HSR will get the largest share of the re-directed funds. Candidates for the rest of the Florida funds are Chicago-St. Louis and Chicago-Detroit corridors, WA state, CT for new Haven to Springfield, NY state for the Empire corridor, PA for Keystone East, SC for the Raleigh to Charlotte portion of the SEHSR, maybe some for the NEC but there are few ready to start construction by 2012 high profile projects on the NEC.
No idea on if the USDOT and FRA will make any announcements this week or even next week.