REP. MIKE THOMPSON ANNOUNCES $960,000 INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT FOR PORT OF WEST SACRAMENTO
Funding for Rail Loop Track Will Increase Freight Capacity
Washington, DC – March 7, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1) today announced that The Port of West Sacramento has been awarded a grant of more than $960,000 from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for construction of a rail loop track that will increase freight capacity and handling efficiency.
“The Port of West Sacramento is a lynchpin of Northern California’s economy,” said Thompson. “With this grant, the port will be able to handle more business, more efficiently. I will keep working to make sure our port receives the funds it needs because these are the types of infrastructure investments that will get our economy moving by creating jobs and increasing competition.”
“We’re excited to now be moving forward with this important rail project, which is another important step in further strengthening our role as a competitive Northern California goods-movement hub,” said Mike McGowan, Chair of the Sacramento-Yolo Port Commission.
The rail loop project will enable train switching and storage operations to take place solely on Port property. It also will significantly reduce surface-street blockages by freight traffic and provide for a more secure Port perimeter.
The Port is one of 12 recipients that will share $16.9 million in funding to relocate, replace and improve railroad track segments under the FRA’s Rail Line Relocation and Improvement grant program. The FRA received more than $67 million in state and local government requests.
“The overwhelming number of applications we received for this program shows that state and local officials recognize the economic boost that comes with improving transportation infrastructure,” said Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood in an FRA news release.
FRA’s rail line relocation competitive grant program funds projects that reduce the adverse effects of rail infrastructure on safety, motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic, community quality of life, or economic development. Funding for these grants is made available through annual appropriations and requires a 10 percent contribution from project sponsors.
The Port in January 2012 opened a new 5,000-foot rail track extension that links the Port Main Terminal with the Cemex cement and aggregate facility near the Port, and expects to launch a new federal stimulus-funded marine highway container-barge service with the Ports of Oakland and Stockton later this year.
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
