SKATS Transportation Planning Program Webpage -- www.MWVCOG.org

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
(ARRA)

What is ARRA?

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The purpose of the new act is to jump-start the economy and save jobs. A wide range of federal programs including transportation investments will be funded by ARRA.

ARRA Timeline:

February 2009
February 11, 2009

SKATS staff prepared and distributed a press release related to federal economic stimulus proposals. Public Comment was solicited, and comments received will be reviewed by SKATS' committees.

February 17, 2009

President Obama signed ARRA into law.

February 20, 2009

SKATS staff posted a Stimulus Transportation Projects Update.

February 23-24, 2009

Local Project Selection - Process and Schedule

SKATS committees met on February 23 and February 24, 2009, to discuss the implications of the final Act on project selection and schedules. The SKATS Policy Committee will add the locally chosen road and transit projects to the TIP at their March 24, 2009, meeting.

Three ODOT projects, which have a tighter timeline, were included in the SKATS Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) (Resolution 09-1) at the
February 24, 2009, SKATS Policy Committee meeting:

Highway 22 over Highway 221: Overlay ( Preservation project)
Highway 22: Highway 51 - River Bridge (Preservation Project)
Attenuator Replacements - located on Hwy72, one at mp 6.44 (WB exit to 12th St.) and the other at the 13th St. Ramp. (Safety)

There were no major changes to the projects being considered for funding. It is expected that on March 10, 2009, the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will develop a final list of projects for submittal to the Policy Committee. A current list of the projects is available here.

The Oregon Transportation Commission approved $122,592,742 worth of projects for stimulus funding, two of which are in the SKATS area during their February 27, 2009, special meeting:

http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/docs/StimulusProjects2009.pdf

Union Street Railroad Bridge benefits from stimulus: The Oregon Transportation Committee awarded $3.5 million in Transportation Enhancement funding from the state's allotment received as part of the ARRA to the Union Street Railroad Bridge lead abatement project during their February 27, 2009, special meeting.

March 2009
March 10, 2009

The SKATS Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) developed a final list of ARRA projects for submittal to the Policy Committee.

March 18, 2009

SKATS staff distributed a press release.

March 24, 2009

The SKATS Policy Committee met and approved approximately $6 million in road projects to be funded with federal economic transportation stimulus funds. Road projects were chosen because construction could start in either summer 2009 or in 2010, which met the requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to create jobs and improve the transportation system. In addition to the seventeen road projects totaling the $6,067,190, local agencies identified “backup” projects that could be implemented if additional stimulus funds become available. (Resolution 09-3)

Projects List and Map

The Policy Committee also approved two transit projects: $1,300,000 for repair of the downtown transit mall pavers and $1,625,000 for bus purchases. The Transit District has a total of $5,164,353 awarded in Transit Capital Assistance from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Additional projects are yet to be identified. These funds can only be used for capital purchases. None of these funds can be used for operations or to re-instate Saturday bus service.(Resolution 09-3)

During their March 2009 meeting, the SKATS Policy Committee adopted Resolution 09-3 adjusting the SKATS Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to include the Union St. Railroad Bridge Lead Abatement project approved for ARRA Transportation Enhancement funds by the OTC during their February 2009 special meeting.

April 2009
April 28 , 2009

The SKATS Policy Committee adopted Resolution 09-4 adjusting the adopted SKATS Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to included Salem-Keizer Transit District projects to be funded with the remainder of the Transit District's ARRA funds.

June 2009
June 23 , 2009

Due to components of the city of Turner's Chicago St. project being ineligible for federal funding and the need to obligate ARRA funds quickly, the SKATS Policy Committee adopted Resolution 09-5 canceling the ARRA funds allocated to that project.

August 2009
August 25, 2009

Marion County and city of Keizer bids for ARRA-funded projects came in lower than anticipated. SKATS TAC members advised the Policy Committee to combine the funds leftover from the low bids with the ARRA funds released by the city of Turner in June 2009 and allocate them to projects on the list of backup projects originally adopted by the SKATS Policy Committee in March 2009. The SKATS Policy Committee adopted Resolution 09-6 adjusting the SKATS Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to include the Marion County and Keizer Pavement Resurfacing Phase 2 projects.

October 2009
October 27 , 2009

Marion County and the city of Keizer requested that additional streets be included in the ARRA- funded Marion County and Keizer Pavement Resurfacing Phase 2 projects. Marion County also requested the inclusion of the Cordon Road Pavement Resurfacing project to be funded with county ARRA funds. The SKATS Policy Committee adopted Resolution 09-9 adjusting the SKATS Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to include the additional streets and the Cordon Road project.

January 06, 2010

Project List and Map of Stimulus Projects within SKATS as of December 18, 2009

Links to Other Stimulus Information:
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
- Federal Highway Administration
- Oregon Department of Transportation