States Press Congress for Transport Jobs (The Journal of Commerce)
AASHTO presents list of 9,500 ‘shovel-ready’ projects
If Congress produces a jobs bill after Thursday’s White House jobs summit, state officials have 9,500 reasons why transportation infrastructure should get a major piece of the action.
At a press conference Wednesday, John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials presented Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., a list of 9,500 projects that his members say can be started within 120 days.
“It’s a good deal for the American people,” Horsley said. “We’ll create hundreds of thousands of jobs all over the country at a good price, and create long-lasting benefits for the American people.”
A jobs bill with a strong infrastructure component would benefit the building trades, which have an unemployment rate of 18 percent compared with the national average of 10.2 percent, Horsley said.
Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said that the transportation sector’s good showing under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act should be a good argument in designating a significant share of a jobs bill to transportation projects.
Of the $787 billion that Congress approved for ARRA, $48.1 billion went for transportation infrastructure. According to the Department of Transportation, 80 percent of that sum has been approved for state infrastructure projects.
AASHTO and the American Public Transit Association compiled the list at Oberstar’s request to be presented at the White House summit. Bill Millar, APTA president, said his members had identified $15 billion in shovel-ready transportation projects.
Oberstar said the AASHTO list comprised “state of good repair” projects to bring existing infrastructure up to par. If Congress provides the money, states could clear up backlogs of maintenance projects. They could then use funds from a long-term highway spending program to improve infrastructure or increase capacity.
Jim Berard, transportation committee press secretary, said Oberstar has no immediate plans to file legislation. It will be up to the House leadership whether or not they will go forward with another jobs bill or second stimulus bill.
Contact R.G. Edmonson at bedmonson@joc.com.
R.G. Edmonson | Dec 3, 2009 7:23PM GMT
