Thursday, July 20, 2006

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Kit Bond today announced that he secured more than $10 million in federal funds for key projects in Kansas City in the Senate Transportation-Treasury-HUD spending bill.

“These projects will mean more efficient transportation and increased community outreach and revitalization for neighborhoods in the Kansas City area,” said Bond. “I will continue to use my position on the Appropriations Committee and as Missouri’s senior Senator to send federal dollars back to the state to fund local priorities.”

As chairman of the Senate Transportation-Treasury-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, Bond secured the more than $10 million in federal funds in the fiscal year 2007 spending bill, which passed subcommittee earlier this week and is scheduled to pass the full committee this afternoon. Before being signed into the law the bill must be passed by the full Senate and reconciled with the House of Representatives version.

Bond secured the $10.1 Million in funds for the following Kansas City projects:

• $5.42 million for the Kansas City Area Transit Authority (KCATA) – Funds will be used for bus replacement (Bond secured these funds with Senator Jim Talent).

• $1 million for the Temple Park and Temple Square – Funds will be used to upgrade streetscapes and for neighborhood revitalization surrounding the Christ Temple Baptist Church and the local charter school.

• $1 million for the Heart of America Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge – Funds will be used to retrofit the Heart of America Bridge to provide a barrier-separated crossing for bicyclists and pedestrians to aid in their travel across the river from Kansas City to North Kansas City.

• $1 million for the Missouri 58 Highway and Route D Improvements – Funds will be used to plan for the improvement of this interchange in a fast growing part of Cass County (Bond secured these funds with Senator Jim Talent).

• $675,000 for the Morningstar Youth and Family Life Center – Funds will be used to construct a youth and family life center in a crime ridden neighborhood. The facility will include a police substation, community services such as mentoring, computer lab programs, and community meeting rooms.

• $500,000 for the George Washington Carver Building Restoration Project – Funds will be used to improve the safety and enhance the environmental quality of the facility.

• $500,000 for West High Development – Funds will be used to renovate a historic school site, located on two square blocks at 18th and Madison.

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