COMPASS approves road, transit projects for stimulus funds 

The board of directors of the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) are fronting seven projects to receive funding from the Transportation Investment Generation Economic Recovery program.

Called TIGER for short, the funding scheme is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and makes available $1.5 billion for projects around the country. Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis, with no one state receiving more than $300 million.

Projects approved for recommendation by COMPASS included:

• A group of Valley Regional Transit public transportation projects: $28.3 million.

• The city of Boise’s Downtown Boise Circulator (streetcar) project: $45 million-$65 million.

• Ada County Highway District’s Franklin Road, Five Mile Road to Touchmark Waywidening and improvement project: $14.1 million.

• ITD’s Meridian Road interchange rebuild: $35 million.

• ITD’s Eagle Road/State Highway 55 improvement project: $75 million.

• ITD’s I-84, Franklin Boulevard to Karcher Road additional lane and overpass rebuild: $100 million.

• ITD’s Interagency Regional Operations Center: $35 million.

Approval from the COMPASS board is only the first step in the process, said COMPASS Executive Director Matt Stoll. ITD and local agencies still have to complete and submit applications by Sept. 15. Final approval for funding likely won’t happen until early 2010.

“This is a competitive process nationwide,” stated Stoll. “Each project will be judged based on its own merits and compared to other projects from other states. There is no guarantee of funding. However, we are guaranteed that if we don’t apply, we won’t get funded.”

The next COMPASS board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 17, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. in the Meridian City Hall.

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