U.S. REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS SECURES $4.4 MILLION IN TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FOR SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA

Projects include solar arrays for the community Food Bank, housing for homeless veterans, repairs to Catalina Highway, and Tucson’s Modern Streetcar

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords announced today that $4.47 million in federal funding for transportation, infrastructure and urban development projects in Southeastern Arizona was approved by the House of Representatives.

“Our priorities are reflected in how we allocate our resources,” said Giffords. “I am proud to have fought for and secured funding that reinforces our commitment to veterans, clean energy and the critical transportation needs of our growing community.”

The four projects for which Giffords secured funding include Tucson’s Modern Streetcar, the light rail transit system that will connect University Medical Center, the University of Arizona, Fourth Avenue, Downtown Tucson and Rio Nuevo. Mayor Bob Walkup was very appreciative of today’s vote.

“Today's announcement is wonderful news for Tucson and demonstrates Washington's confidence in Tucson's Modern Streetcar project,” Walkup said. “This multi-million dollar construction project creates jobs and leverages private sector investments as the lynchpin for economic development and transit oriented development in our region. The Tucson Modern Streetcar will be a wise use of taxpayer dollars.”

Another project is for the installation of a solar array at the main warehouse of the Community Food Bank. By harnessing the power of the sun, the Food Bank will be able to cut its monthly electric bill and devote more resources to feeding Tucson’s hungry families.

“We are grateful to Congresswoman Giffords for her efforts to obtain funding to install a solar power array at the Community Food Bank in Tucson,” said Bill Carnegie, the Food Bank’s president and CEO.  “This is a wise use of the taxpayers’ dollars and will move us to clean, renewable energy. This project is in line with the Food Bank’s environmental projects that include recycling, energy efficient lighting , water harvesting and our recent purchase of a hybrid delivery truck. The solar project is expected to save the food bank thousands of dollars in utility costs and serve as a model for other businesses in Southern Arizona.”

Funding for the projects were included in H.R. 3288, an appropriations bill for the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. The legislation was approved this afternoon in a 256 to 168 vote. It now goes before the Senate.

The projects are:

• Homeless Veterans’ Transitional Housing and Support – $75,000. This funding will be used by the non-profit Esperanza en Escalante to purchase a modular building to expand the individual and group support, counseling and advocacy services that the organization provides to homeless veterans. The organization currently provides transitional housing for homeless veterans receiving assistance for substance abuse and mental health issues from the Veterans Administration. The housing is located on land that was formerly part of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, but was released by the federal government to be used by Esperanza en Escalante for this purpose over a decade ago. This project will provide housing for more than 50 veterans and will help the organization reach its goal of serving 200 veterans at a time.

• Solar Array Construction – Community Food Bank - $200,000. This funding will be used to install a solar power array on the Community Food Bank’s main warehouse. Power from the array will allow the Food Bank to reduce its electricity bill by thousands of dollars every year. Savings from the solar panels will be used to meet the needs of the low-income families served by the Food Bank. These additional services are greatly needed because the Food Bank has experienced a 36 percent increase in demand for its services due to the economic downturn in Southern Arizona.

• Tucson Modern Streetcar/Light Rail Transit System –$3 million. This funding will be used to match local dollars raised to design and construct a new modern streetcar/light rail transit system in Tucson. This project will provide greater mobility between the region's largest activity centers, support economic development, support the university’s development master plan, sustain the viability of the center city's historic districts, improve air quality, relieve traffic congestion, reduce accidents along the corridor, and provide improved connections with the city's existing public transit system.

• Catalina Highway – $1.2 million. The funding will be used for urgently needed repairs to the Catalina Highway. Devastating forest fires and subsequent flooding caused extreme damage to a number of sites on this highway and have created extraordinary maintenance needs. The repairs will involve construction of a bridge as well as repair of retaining walls and back-filling of a sinkhole that is undermining the roadway. This highway is a 25-mile route in the Coronado National Forest that serves over 1,000 vehicles per day.  This project will make critical repairs to the only paved roadway into the Santa Catalina Mountains and the only all-weather access for residents, several business and government installations. The roadway is important to the local economy and serves numerous recreation facilities and tourist attractions in the Coronado National Forest.