Federal Railroad Administration Grant Awards: Station Area Planning
In 2016 the SRC announced the allocations for more than $2 million in funding through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to ten communities in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, that are planning for restored and improved passenger rail service.
A total of ten grants were awarded to the following communities for station-area planning and construction projects to ensure safe access and better connectivity to and from the station, improved convenience for riders, updated facilities, and leveraged economic opportunity that comes with station redevelopment:
Alabama
City of Anniston
Reconstruct parking area and extend platform
$70,000
City of Birmingham
Enhancements and construction of pedestrian corridor connecting the downtown Intermodal Facility to the Amtrak platform
$109,500
City of Mobile
Passenger rail station plan development, including a master plan and architectural design
$150,000
AL total: $329,500
Louisiana
Baton Rouge Station Planning
Detailed station master plan for downtown and suburban stations
$250,000
City of Gonzales
Detailed site design for new rail station
$50,000
St. John Parish
Detailed planning and design for new rail station
$75,000
LA total: $375,000
Mississippi
City of Bay St. Louis
Canopy improvements, trackside improvements, landscapeing, signage, and ADA compliant access
$70,000
City of Biloxi
Passenger rail platform and pedestrian access connecting to transit station nearby
$270,000
City of Gulfport
Construction of a new platform canopy with lighting, ADA improvements, sidewalk improvements and landscaping
$202,000
City of Pascagoula
Improvements to restore the historic train station
$186,838
MS total: $728,838