Contact: Mary Jane Collipriest, 202-224-5444, Washington, DC 20510
February 04, 2002
Contact: Mary Jane Collipriest, 202-224-5444, Washington, DC 20510 |
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 04, 2002 |
Light Rail Extension to U of U Hospital Included in Bush's Budget
Bennett's request for Full Funding Grant Agreement accepted
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Federal Transit Administrator Jenna Dorn today notified Senator Bob Bennett that the Bush administration has agreed to his request and will sign a full funding grant agreement to complete the TRAX extension to the University of Utah medical center, and has included $20 million for the project in its budget released today.
"Extending TRAX to the hospital will improve the commute for thousands of University of Utah students and employees, as well as those working at businesses in the surrounding area," said Bennett. "The daily snarl of traffic in this part of the city will be relieved, and the daily stress of the commute will be reduced. By supporting this funding in tight budgetary times, the Bush administration underscores the project's importance."
A Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) is a critical step in efforts to fund a federal project, Bennett noted. It ensures a project is included in the president's budget annually, a significant benefit when distribution of dollars in determined. Bennett has requested the administration's support of the FFGA, similar to the one which he secured during the Clinton administration to accompany funding for the North-South line of TRAX.
In addition to the $20 million for the hospital extension, the Bush budget also includes $68.8 million for the TRAX spur from downtown Salt Lake to Rice-Eccles Stadium and $700,000 for the final federal installment on the North-South portion of the line.
Bennett, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommitte on Transportation, will oversee this funding as it makes its way through the congressional appropriations process.