The Edwards administration is using $20 million left over from the Road Home program for the proposed New Orleans to Baton Rouge passenger rail line. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says the federal government agreed to this move because the train could help evacuate residents out of New Orleans when a hurricane is approaching
“The feds told us use it for a purpose related to the storms rather than giving the money back to them. It was actually money that was theirs but they said we could keep it and use it for a beneficial purpose.”
The $20 million will be used to help put up the state’s match for a federal grant the state is seeking to pay for the project. Dardenne says the state is hoping to land more federal dollars, which along with matching dollars could cover the cost of the project.
“We’re also dependent upon getting additional federal grants that the Department of Transportation has applied for. And we’ll know something about that hopefully by the end of September. And we’re optimistic that we’re going to get money for that to happen.”
Dardenne says they planned to give the 20-million dollars back to the feds.
“We were surprised HUD didn’t want the money back. And they said you could keep it and use it. We had to move quickly and make a decision.”
Dardenne says they had until June 30th to decide how to spend the money left over from the Road Home Program, which was used to help people rebuild their homes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Comments