Detroit's M1 (or M-1) streetcar project, now under construction and backed by a public-private partnership, will get a $12.2 million funding assist from federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant.
The grant, made public Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, will help cover a potential capital shortfall in project construction, now estimated at $140 million. M1 Rail President and CEO Matt Cullen told local media the grant was "so important."
Cullen added, "Because of this support and the support from all of our donors and partners, M-1 Rail is on its way to becoming an engine of economic growth that propels this entire city and region forward."
The news came as M1 construction begins along Woodward Avenue, including route excavation and welded rail activity. M1 Rail still has to select a manufacturer to provide a streetcar fleet. Construction began on July 28. Alameda, Calif.-based Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. is construction manager and general contractor for the 3.3-mile project.