According to AASHTO Journal: "U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao told state department of transportation executives that her department will award the 2017 round of TIGER infrastructure grants 'very soon,' and that the 2017 and 2018 INFRA program grants would follow soon afterward."

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 appropriated $500 million, available through September 30, 2020, for National Infrastructure Investments otherwise known as TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grants. The deadline to submit an application for the FY 2017 TIGER grant program was last October, and the transportation industry has been anxiously awaiting for the grants to be announced.

In previous years, TIGER grants served as a great way for cities and states to fund ITS projects they could not afford otherwise

In previous years, TIGER grants served as a great way for cities and states to fund ITS projects they could not afford otherwise. As mentioned in an ITSdigest blog last year, as part of ARRA, the TIGER grants were considered the most successful way to fund ITS projects – possibly because the grants are awarded on a case-by-case basis, based on factors such as expected performance.

As with previous rounds of TIGER, funds for the FY 2017 TIGER grants program are to be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant impact on the US, a metropolitan area, or a region. The FY 2017 Appropriations Act specifies that TIGER Discretionary Grants may not be less than $5 million and not greater than $25 million, except for projects located in rural areas where the minimum is $1 million.

The USDOT said "the FY 2017 TIGER program will give special consideration to projects which emphasize improved access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation for communities in rural areas, such as projects that improve infrastructure condition, address public health and safety, promote regional connectivity, or facilitate economic growth or competitiveness."

See below for a video of Chao's remarks at an AASHTO conference.