Puerto Rico to receive close to $70 million in transportation funds

The funding is part of the $8.4 billion made available to repair and build America’s public transportation infrastructure under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the federal stimulus package aimed at jolting the United States out of recession.

“All over the country, resources are being put to work not only creating jobs now, but also investing in the future; a future that strengthens our transit system, makes us more energy efficient and increases safety,” said Vice President Joe Biden. “With this recovery package, we will be creating jobs, saving jobs, and putting money in people’s pockets. And with these resources, we’ll not only be rebuilding roads and bridges and schools, we’ll be rebuilding America.”

“Investments in public transportation put people to work, but they also get people to work in a way that moves us towards our long term goals of energy security and a better quality of life,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood added. “That is why transit funding was included in the ARRA and why we think it is a key part of America’s transportation future.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation has already committed $540 million in federally financed loans, about one-third of the total cost, for the intermodal center, which is proceeding on time and on budget.

In all, Puerto Rico expects to get some $5 billion over the next two years in extra funds from the federal stimulus package.

Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi said millions of dollars more are available to Puerto Rico in competitive grants, and that the administration would try to get as much of this funding as possible to increase the impact of the federal stimulus plan.

Gov. Luis Fortuño has formed an inter-agency working group to channel the implantation of the federal economic stimulus plan and ensure that Puerto Rico gets all the funding available to it.

A large portion of the money will be given directly to taxpayers in the form of checks emitted by the local Treasury Department. There are also millions for infrastructure projects and increases for beneficiaries of federal programs like the Nutritional Assistance Program, the Temporary Help for Needy Families program and Social Security, among others.

“The working group will expedite the disbursement of the federal funds to stimulate our economy as quickly as possible,” the governor said. It includes the heads of the Treasury, Education, Housing, Transportation and Public Works agencies, as well as the head of the Government Development Bank, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, the Infrastructure Finance Authority, the Environmental Quality Board, the Energy Affairs Office and the governor's advisors on legal and legislative affairs.