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Economic Stimulus: Smart Choices for Economic Recovery
SCDOT Agrees to “Fix It First”
In keeping with SELC’s call to “fix it first,” the South Carolina Department of Transportation has agreed to dedicate the vast majority of its money from the economic stimulus package to improving the state’s existing roads and bridges—and not to any new road-building projects, including I-73. SELC is urging all six states in our region to do the same: spend stimulus dollars with a “fix-it-first” approach, which will distribute money across the states and maximize job-creation potential for all residents.
“With this unprecedented investment, it is imperative for states to ensure their share of this taxpayer money is spent on the most cost-effective, environmentally sound projects that will help strengthen our communities,” says SELC attorney David Farren. “If states use the new money wisely, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and responding to changing approaches to land use and development in metro areas, they will be poised to take advantage of future funding opportunities.”
Case Summary
On February 17, President Obama signed into law a historic $789 billion economic recovery package that aims to jumpstart the U.S. economy, including billions of dollars for transportation projects around the country.
SELC worked intensively with our partner groups to ensure that these transportation dollars are spent wisely to enhance–not damage–our health, communities, open spaces, and air and water quality, as well as cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and fortify our economy against volatile oil prices.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocates a total of $48 billion to transportation funding. SELC and our allies succeeded in defeating efforts to waive environmental standards for transportation projects, and increased funds for alternatives to driving-including $17.7 billion for transit and rail, which represents an impressive 38% of the total transportation spending.
The package also includes $27.5 billion for road projects. In our conversations with the South's congressional delegation and in the press, SELC strongly advocated a "fix-it-first" approach for these funds, emphasizing maintenance and repair for the country's aging highways and bridges. The Federal Highway Administration has identified more than 22,000 structurally deficient or functionally obsolete bridges in SELC's six-state region. Although we found great interest in this approach, Congress left this to states to decide.
States Have Rare Opportunity to Spend Federal Highway Funds For Greatest Benefits
SELC is now working to ensure that our states make the right choices in spending this unique infusion of federal transportation dollars without jeopardizing the South's outstanding natural resources and quality of life. This is especially important in our six states, where development has been chewing up land faster than in any other region in the country.
We are urging the Departments of Transportation and other state-level decision makers to prioritize "fix-it-first" projects to put people to work quickly, address urgent needs, and do the least harm. In addition, states should invest transit funds to help meet the need for new rail cars, replace old buses with clean-energy vehicles, create or expand new transit services, and other alternative transportation projects.
More background on this case:
Economic Stimulus: Focus on the States >>
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Virginia Alabama Georgia North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee