Here is the full stimulus bill text. The best explanation of the transportation-related funding I’ve seen thus far comes from last Wednesday’s meeting of the Transportation Planning Board – the same body that threw a wrench into VDOT’s plans to widen I-66 in Arlington. The TPB publicized a three-page summary of funding that could be available for transportation. It is far more in-depth and accurate than the AP report I cited back on the 12th.

To summarize the summary:

• $27.5 billion is allocated to the Federal Highway Administration, most of which will be distrubed according to formula to the state DOTs. Of that $27.5b, it is estimated that $1.25 billion will flow to DC, MD and VA (in total, not each). Of that money, at least $460.5 million must be spent in the greater Washington urbanized area.
• The Federal Transit Administration gets $8.4 billion. From that pot, $7.6b will be distributed via various formulas, such that the DC metroplitan area will receive $230 million. All $230 million of that money will go to WMATA. Most of the remaining FTA allocation will go to the New Starts capital investment grant program, and will be discretionary. It is likely this money will go to projects already in the FTA New Starts pipeline, such as Tysons Corner Metro.
• $8 billion will go the Federal Railroad Administration to be used for intercity high speed rail. Rumor has it this money will go to a maglev demostration project, but that is just rumor. If true, such a project would probably not be the DC-Baltimore proposal, which is currently out of favor in Maryland.
• $1.3 billion will go directly to Amtrak. Of that, $850 million is for capital upgrades and $450 million for security. No more than $510 million of the $850m in capital can be used in the Northeast Corridor.
• $1.5 billion is available via a new discretionary grant program. The reports last week claiming there would be no discretionary money were wrong. Discretionary grants must range from at least $20 million up to a max of $300 million, and can be used for any type of transportation improvement. This program is expected to be extremely competitive nation-wide, and at best will likely only result in one or two projects in the DC region (if at all).
• Additionally, though not listed in the TPB summary, the Energy section of the stimulus bill includes a number of transportation-related grants. Among them, $100 million in discretionary grants to transit agencies for energy reduction programs and $700 million for various electric transportation programs (including purchases of hybrid buses).