Tucson, AZ – Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva welcomes the announcement that the City of Tucson will receive almost $2 Million in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant funds for the Streetcar/light rail system.

This grant provides $1,980,000 to the City of Tucson for the preliminary engineering work of the Streetcar/light rail system.

“The public’s demand for transit service continues to grow, and these dollars will help meet that need,” stated Grijalva. “This award is a great investment for Tucson’s public transportation system.”

The Modern Streetcar Project proposes construction of a 3.6 route-mile (7.2 track mile) modern streetcar line that will connect many of the Tucson’s major centers, including downtown Tucson, the Rio Nuevo Master Plan redevelopment area, the 4th Avenue and Main Gate business districts, the University of Arizona and the Arizona Health Sciences Center (AHSC).

Public transportation has a positive impact on the economy, communities and individuals and the environment. Public transportation saves as much as 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline and reduces carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons each year. In 2007, Americans took 10.3 billion trips on public transportation – the highest ridership level in 50 years.