Transportation News

Letter Urges Governor to Give Federal Stimulus Spending Priority to Highway and Bridge Repair, Public Transit, and Safe Bike, Pedestrian Routes

[Seattle, Washington] — As Governor Gregoire prepares for the National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting this weekend it is important to focus on how best to spend stimulus funds.  The bipartisan meeting of 47 governors plans to discuss strategies for “rebuilding, repairing and maintaining a national infrastructure system that supports America's economic competitiveness, facilitates economic growth and is environmentally sustainable”. Today, WashPIRG, Transportation Choices Coalition, and Futurewise sent a letter calling on Governor Gregoire to lead by example in creating jobs that fulfill those goals right here in Washington.

In the letter (pasted below), the T4America groups reminded Governor Gregoire that: “The economic recovery bill, which provides Washington with $492,242,337 in flexible Surface Transportation Program (STP) funding, offers you a unique opportunity to create the kinds of jobs that will help build an infrastructure for the 21st century.  As you gather with your fellow governors, we urge you to lead by example in your home state by directing the state’s transportation department to make the long list of ready-to-go transit, highway and bridge repair, bicycle, and pedestrian projects the top spending priorities for your STP funding from the Act. Contrary to some recent news stories and other sources, the STP is designed and intended to fund numerous modes of transportation, not simply highways.”

The press release for the NGA meeting can be found at: http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.6c9a8a9ebc6ae07eee28aca9501010a0/?vgnextoid=d553c55482a5f110VgnVCM1000005e00100aRCRD

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                                                                                                February 20, 2009

Dear Governor Gregoire,

The timing of this weekend’s National Governors Association Winter meeting, which focuses on “rebuilding, repairing and maintaining a national infrastructure system that supports America's economic competitiveness, facilitates economic growth and is environmentally sustainable” could not be more opportune. [1]  As American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding starts flowing, you will have to make decisions very soon about how to improve Washington’s deteriorating roads and bridges and its transit, bikeway and walkway systems, which are in dire need of investments.

The Act, which provides Washington with $492,242,337 in flexible Surface Transportation Program (STP) funding, offers you a unique opportunity to create the kinds of jobs that will help build an infrastructure for the 21^st century.  As you gather with your fellow governors, we urge you to lead by example in your home state by directing the state’s transportation department to make the long list of ready-to-go transit, highway and bridge repair, bicycle, and pedestrian projects the top spending priorities for your STP funding from the Act. Contrary to some recent news stories and other sources, the STP is designed and intended to fund numerous modes of transportation, not simply highways.[2] 

Use of the funds in this manner would have immediate payoffs for the state. A 2004 study by the Surface Transportation Policy Project using Federal Highway Administration data and modeling found that investment in public transportation creates approximately 19 percent more jobs than new road or bridge projects.  Construction projects that repair our existing roads and bridges, many of which are crumbling under us every day, can be quickly stated and, according to the study, would create 9 percent more jobs than projects that add new highway capacity.[3]  

The most recent National Bridge Inventory estimated that 415 bridges in Washington were structurally deficient.  The extra funding provided by the Recovery Act provides an unprecedented opportunity to make up for lost time.

A key purpose of the Recovery Act is to put Americans to work building the infrastructure system you are set to discuss in Washington, D.C. this weekend.  Spending these dollars on bridge and road repair, public transit, safer routes for pedestrians and bicyclists will do just that – and will provide a better, dollar for dollar investment than building new and unnecessary highway capacity.  The benefits reaped through reductions in green house gas emissions, commute times, traffic congestion and energy costs makes the superior return on these investments even greater.

In his statement on the signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said, “We will use the transportation funding in the Act to deliver jobs and restore our nation's economy.  We will emphasize sustainable investment and focus our policies on the people, businesses and communities who use the transportation systems.  And, we will focus on the quality of our environment.  We will build and restore our transportation foundations until the American dream is returned.”  We urge you to share Secretary LaHood’s message with your fellow governors this weekend as you travel to Washington D.C., but more importantly to take charge right here in Washington by investing the money in projects that advance these critical principles.

We are pleased to make ourselves available as you and your administration make timely decisions about spending Recovery Act funds and would be happy to provide specific examples of the kinds of ready-to-go projects that should be given top priority. We believe that greater public involvement in the choice of projects and the creation of effective information systems for the public to track Recovery Act investments will only enhance the effectiveness of and support for those investments. 

Thank you for giving this letter your careful consideration.

Sincerely,

David Kosmos, Washington Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG)

Rob Johnson, Transportation Choices Coalition (TCC)

Dan Cantrell, Futurewise

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