| Stimulus Plan Passed | In this
issue: Stimulus Plan Passed Infrastructure Projects Requests from Across the Country How to Access Funds for Your Roads |
| Just last Wednesday, President Barak Obama’s $819 billion economic stimulus plan was passed in an effort to revive the country‘s ailing economy. The plan includes both short term tax cuts and long term spending- primarily on state and local public works projects to improve the nation’s infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, while creating millions of much needed jobs. Democratic leaders have pledged to have legislation ready for Obama’s signature by Mid-February. |
Obama’s
infrastructure
plan will be the biggest
public works program since the construction of
the interstate highway system in the 1950’s. But he wants to
move fast.
His plan is to compel states to move quickly on proposing projects or
risk losing the money.
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An American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) survey on the infrastructure plan received responses from all 50 state Departments of Transportation, identifying more than 5,000 ready-to-go infrastructure projects worth $64 billion. According to AASHTO, 41 states are facing budget shortfalls, delaying critical projects to enhance the safety of roads and bridges. The US Conference of Mayors has identified 11,391 infrastructure projects at a cost of $73 billion. While Obama’s plan initially met with arguments regarding how fast the stimulus dollars could be put to work, both the AASHTO and Mayors Conference identify projects that need only funding to begin. |
| In North Carolina, Joe Hackney, the speaker of the House of Representatives, met with Obama’s aides to discuss the stimulus package. He reported that simple projects that are ready to go would be the first to receive funding under Obama’s plan. North Carolina has already submitted a list of $2.8 billion for local infrastructure projects they are ready to begin. | In Long Island and Los Angeles, proposed projects are designed to calm traffic and keep pedestrians safe. |
Atlanta, GA has requested $120 million for its streets, while the state of Georgia has asked for 319 road projects, totaling more than 1.1 billion. “There’s no harm in asking,” said Councilman Howard Shook, the chairman of Atlanta’s finance department.
Obama’s transition team asked local governments to look for projects that can begin in as little as 90 days and could be finished by the end of the year. Local needs are being compiled through regional, state, and national agencies within each state. Groups representing cities and counties are lobbying for at least some of the money to be allocated directly to local projects with minimal interference from state government.
To submit your request for infrastructure funding, contact your local government representative or Department of Transportation. With Obama’s plan in place, your public works projects could receive the funding they need to help make your roads safer and calmer.
Sources: www.msnbc.com; Chicago Tribune; www.precast.org; www.pressconnects.com; Public Works Magazine; Winston-Salem Journal; www.ajc.com; www.marketwatch.com; www.bloomberg.com
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