The SPRINTER corridor service improvement project between San Marcos and Escondido received $10,208,556, and the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal redevelopment plan phase II planning project was awarded $5 million.
The local projects are part of four in California granted more than $65 million through the RAISE program, which has granted more than $7.2 billion for 550 projects since it was started.
“After decades of underinvestment, the condition of America’s infrastructure is now finally getting better instead of worse — and today we proudly announce our support for 148 more projects in communities of every size across the country,” Buttigieg said. “Through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re funding projects across the country to make roads safer, make it easier for people to move around their community, make transportation infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather and improve supply chains to keep costs down for consumers.”
The marine terminal grant will help fund the planning, design and environmental permitting for on-terminal rail track replacement, realignment and load capacity improvements, a statement from the DOT reads. The project will also advance the planning of seismic upgrades, concrete resurfacing, water and utility reconfiguration and upgrades, as well as front gate, perimeter fence and operations center reconfiguration.
Additionally, the project is intended to improve safety and cargo handling and reduce truck trips through Barrio Logan neighborhood.
The project, part of a large redevelopment and modernization program intended to bring the port more business, is continuing in phases through 2035 and is “market-driven,” so an exact timeline is unavailable, according to officials.
“The Port of San Diego and its tenants are vital to our regional economy,” Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, said Tuesday. “This federal grant will help fund the next phase of modernization plans, designs and permits for the critical redevelopment work taking place at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, providing jobs and helping to reduce air pollution at the waterfront and surrounding communities.”
Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, said, “As a former port commissioner, I know firsthand the significance of the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal’s redevelopment. It’s a gateway to San Diego’s working waterfront, moving cargo that the region depends on and providing hundreds of jobs.
“This grant is a great example of how the federal government is investing in infrastructure to boost the nation’s global competitiveness and ensure we’re doing it with the cleanest, most efficient technology available,” he added.
The SPRINTER grant funding will go toward preliminary engineering and environmental clearance for rail improvements to the easternmost portion of the rail corridor between Palomar College Station and the Escondido Transit Center, the department of transportation statement said.
“This project will increase the convenience of taking transit in North County, improving access to major regional employment centers, educational institutions, health care providers, and other essential destinations,” NCTD Board Chair Jewel Edson said. “Getting more people out of their cars and on to transit will improve air quality and reduce congestion on adjacent roadways.”
Improvements along that 7-mile stretch include planning for 3.6 miles of double track, three new bridges, a new station platform and grade crossing improvements. Safety enhancements at grade crossings are also part of the planned improvements.
Funding for the RAISE grants is split equally between urban and rural areas, and a large percentage of grants support regions defined as “historically disadvantaged or areas of persistent poverty,” the DOT said.
As in years past, the demand for RAISE funding outpaced available funds, with the DOT receiving almost $13 billion in requests for the $1.8 billion available this year.
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