Student Corner: DOT BUILD Grants Replace TIGER Grants

In April 2018, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) officially rebranded their Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program to Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD). Begun in 2009, the TIGER program has provided transportation improvement funding to state and local governments across the country. As of December 2018, $5.6 billion in TIGER grants have been distributed to fund 463 projects across the country. The TIGER program’s reauthorization as BUILD under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 represents an important potential funding resource for those interested in community and economic development. According to DOT, the reauthorization made $1.5 billion in funding available through 2020. Individual awards are capped at $25 million, and no one state is eligible to receive more than $150 million. Thirty percent of the total funding must be awarded to rural areas. The costs and projects that are eligible for TIGER grants will not change under BUILD. The merit criteria for the BUILD program, however, will now prioritize the local government’s ability to raise revenue for transportation infrastructure. To understand the potential impact of BUILD grants, it is fitting to examine the impact of the TIGER program. In North Carolina, local governments have effectively used TIGER grants to improve streetscapes, construct and redevelop transportation nodes, and link communities through pedestrian and bicycle-oriented transportation networks. Goldsboro (2013 and 2016) In 2013, the City of Goldsboro was awarded $10 million for transportation and streetscape improvements along the city’s main Center Street. The project included funding for a new transportation center and hub, street widening, [...]

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