**GAO-09-785R**                      Published: Jun 30, 2009. Publicly Released: Jun 30, 2009.                  

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## Highlights

The Recovery Act established relatively few requirements for the design of the TIGER grant program. In addition to the requirements outlined in the opening paragraph of this report, the act requires that the department (1) award grants of no less than $20 million and no more than $300 million with no more than $300 million awarded for projects in any one state; (2) give priority to projects that are expected to be completed by February 17, 2012; (3) give priority to projects that require a contribution of federal funds in order to complete an overall financing package, although the federal share of the costs for which expenditure is made may be 100 percent; and (4) ensure a balance in addressing the needs of rural and urban communities and an equitable geographic distribution of funds. In its May 18 interim notice, the department created two tiers of selection criteria--primary and secondary. The primary selection criteria are (1) long-term outcomes (state of good repair, economic competitiveness, livability, sustainability, and safety) and (2) jobs creation and economic stimulus. The secondary criteria are innovation and partnership. Within each criterion, the department has created several factors to be considered, such as how an investment is expected to provide long-term outcomes by improving the asset's condition (state of good repair) and contribute to community livability.

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## Topics

Government Operations

Discretionary grantsEconomic researchEligibility criteriaEvaluation criteriaFederal aid for transportationFederal aid to localitiesFederal aid to railroadsFederal fundsFederal grantsGrants to statesGround transportationImpacted areasProgram evaluationRoad surfacesTransportation planning