U.S. Rep Harry Mitchell, a Democrat who represents Arizona's 5th Congressional District, announced March 24 that Arizona is eligible to apply for additional federal money for transportation projects as part of a competitive grant process.

The U.S. Department of Transportation will disperse $100 million in grants that were provided to the department by the federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, according to a statement from Mitchell's office.

The funding is provided by the new Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) program. The money will be awarded through a competitive grant process for public transportation projects that reduce a transit system's greenhouse-gas emissions or overall energy use.

"As Arizona grows, so do our energy and transportation needs," Mitchell stated. "This funding has the potential to address both of these critical issues. Not only can it help modernize our public transit systems, it can also boost our economy by putting people to work on important projects."