The cash spigot has officially been turned on.
The House Transportation committee released a report yesterday detailing what’s happening with the $65 billion in infrastructure funds (of the non-energy variety, anyway) contained in the stimulus package.
Short version: it’s getting out there.
The biggest chunk of the loot–$27.5 billion–is highway funds. Of that amount, $3.4 billion has already been granted. It will pay for about 1000 approved road projects in 35 states. These are generally of the routine maintenance variety.
So, for instance, if you’re all tied in knots about how bumpy Mickles Road in Yell County, Arkansas, has become these days, rest assured that a million bucks from Uncle Sam is on the way to pay for resurfacing.
The money flow has been a bit slower with the $6.8 billion dedicated to transit grants program — only $46 million has been awarded. But kudos to Maine, which has managed to lock in some cash to build a new passenger ferry.
Amtrak seems to be most ready to spend. It’s getting $1.3 billion in capital grants and already has approved more than $900 million worth of projects (including rehabbing old passenger cars and replacing a movable bridge over the Niantic River in Connecticut.)
But the big exciting prize that has everyone on the edges of their seats is the $8 billion for high(ish) speed rail projects. There’s nothing doing with that yet — the US DOT has to submit a strategic plan to Congress by April 18.
Tags: BREAKING
[...] Original post: Stimulus Update: More Than 10 Percent Of Highway Money Has Already Been Granted [...]
What really shocked me about the 8 billion dollars for high speed rail was when Premier Dalton McGuinty of Ontario, a few days ago, gave the city of Toronto a surprise 9 billion dollars to build seven(!) light rail lines in Toronto, with construction to start this year (almost fully funding the “Transit City” program). All are to be completed by 2018. Projected ridership will be 175 milion a year, so the new system alone would have the ridership of the present MBTA, San Francisco Muni, and Los Angeles MTA light rail systems combined.
This is without any promise of matching funds from the feds.
When someone pointed out that he hadn’t funded everything on their wishlist (and left out Ottawa and other Ontario cities), he said “well, more is on the way.”
That really puts America’s transit spending into perspective.
Good point and well-said, John.
-Jebediah