The dramatic images of the deadly collapse of a bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota over a year ago was visual evidence of a need to review our country’s aging infrastructure. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009, currently being considered in the House of Representatives, proposes that upgrading bridges, roads, and other so-called “shovel-ready” projects will also put Americans to work and pump much needed dollars into the economy.
The bill proposes $30 billion for highway and bridge construction projects. The House Appropriations committee estimates that this would only fund half of the 5,100 state projects awaiting money. It also includes $150 million for repair or removal of bridged deemed hazardous to marine navigation and $3.1 billion for infrastructure projects on federal lands.
Public transportation stands to benefit from the bill in its current form. $1 billion is marked for new construction of commuter rail or other light rail systems through Capital Investment Grants. $2 billion would be available to modernize existing transit systems, making a small dent in an estimated repair backlog of nearly $50 billion. Another $6 billion would go to purchase buses and equipment through existing formulas.
The federal train system, Amtrak, would receive $1.1 billion to improve speed and capacity, while $3 billion would be made available for airport improvement projects that aim to improve safety and reduce congestion. It is estimated that both systems have much larger backlogs of planned projects.
Loans and grants for clean water totaling almost $10 million and more than $2 billion for environmental cleanup at Superfund sites, closed military bases, and other locations also signal the priorities of the Democratic majority.
While the majority is proud to claim that the bill contains no “earmarks,” there are several items that would benefit the local Washington, DC area and the millions who visit each year: $200 million to address the deterioration of the National Mall and $150 million to address the repair backlog at the Smithsonian.
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