National Report On State Transportation Stimulus Spending
Coalition for Smarter Growth
and
Smart Growth America
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2009
CONTACT:
Stewart Schwartz, CSG
703-599-6437 (c)
stewart@smartergrowth.net
National Report Finds Most State Stimulus Funding Decisions Missed Opportunity to Address Maintenance Backlogs and to Make Progress on 21st
Century Transportation
DC Scores High on Repair, Street Enhancement and Bicycle/Pedestrian Investments
Virginia Offers Mixed Story – Fails to Adequately Address Maintenance Backlog, While Showing Leadership in Rail Investments
A new report released today by Smart Growth America, http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/
,and the Coalition for Smarter Growth, www.smartergrowth.net, based on official data of the states’ American Reinvestment andRecovery Act
transportation funding decisions thus far, found DC scored high nationally in its focus on bicycle, pedestrian and street enhancements needed for its urban environment, while Virginia flexed funding to key freight and passenger rail investments, but failed to spend all that it could on it’s large maintenance backlog or to add critical local transit funding (the local report for Maryland is being released at a Baltimore press conference today by 1000 Friends of Maryland, www.friendsofmd.org).
The report shows that some states are moving aggressively to make badly needed repairs and prepare for a 21st century transportation system. Others are letting their roads and public transportation deteriorate, adding new capacity while they cannot take care of what they have.
Research cited in the report shows that road and bridge repair generates 16 percent more jobs than new bridge and road construction. And because repair work can generally be started faster, these jobs would come on-line faster.
The ARRA provided $26.6 billion in flexible transportation funding—half of it required to be obligated within the first 120 days, by Monday, June 29—through the federal Surface Transportation Program (STP). STP funds can be used by state and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) officials for a wide range of transportation infrastructure projects, including: public transportation capacity, sidewalks, repair and preventive maintenance of bridges and roads, and new and widened roads and highways.
Virginia and DC Findings
The report, The States and the Stimulus: Are they using it to create jobs and 21st century transportation?, shows that Virginia (VA report PDF) spent $302 million on road and bridge repairs, $140 million on new road capacity, and $9 million on freight rail. DC (DC report PDF) spent $71 million on road and bridge repair and $51 million on bicycle and pedestrian facilities. (The numbers are based on 1511 reports submitted to the federal government and thus will not include all of Virginia’s proposed spending. DC has completed its reporting). We have also included background documents (PDF) to the report. This table compares the state’s choices to state choices nationwide:
Type of Project | National (%) | Virginia (%) | Virginia Total (millions) | DC (%) | DC Total (millions) |
| Highway system preservation | 63.0 | 64.0 | $302.3 | 58% | $71.2 |
| Non-motorized projects (bicycle and pedestrian) | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 41% | $51.2 |
| Public transportation | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| New highway capacity | 31.3 | 30.0 | $139.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Other projects | 2.0 | 2.0 | $9.0 | .9 | $1.1 |
District of Columbia: “The District of Columbia stands out among the states for its commitment to using ARRA funds to repair and rehabilitate its roadways, bridges and sidewalks. In addition to allocating significant funds for street and sidewalk repairs, the city is using its funds to complete missing sidewalk links, streetscape enhancement projects, Safe Routes to School projects, and expansion of the SmartBike program,” said Cheryl Cort, Policy Director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “These investments will generate more jobs for residents who are facing over 10% unemployment, and enhance quality of life and safety in a city with very high rates of walking and bicycling.”
Virginia: “Virginia’s transportation stimulus spending offers a mixed story,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “The state is taking advantage of the stimulus funds to make critical freight and passenger rail investments, but is also spending on new road capacity when it faces a huge backlog of road and bridge repairs.”
Virginia ranked 39th out of the 51 jurisdictions, because it directed just 60% of its funds to fixing existing highways, bridges and roads, while reporting 54% of its roads in less than good condition. In addition, Secretary of Transportation Homer reported to the General Assembly and the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) that the state has $3.7 billion in structurally deficient bridges and $1 billion in deficient interstate pavement. The percentage of funding allocated to new road capacity compared to road maintenance may go up when Virginia completes its reporting, based on the June 17th VDOT presentation to the CTB and local Metropolitan Planning Organization allocation decisions.
The state did well on spending in other areas, ranking 12th nationally, because it applied $9 million toward fixing a critical freight rail bottleneck near the port facilities in Portsmouth. Virginia is allocating another $52.7 million in ARRA Surface Transportation Program funds to key freight and passenger rail projects (spending not reported yet to the federal government and therefore not included in the national report).
“Virginia’s allocation of stimulus funds to rail is illustrative of a state that is becoming a national leader in planning and funding of freight and passenger rail upgrades. These upgrades will reduce traffic on the highways and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing the state’s economic competitiveness,” said Schwartz.
Public Involvement and Public Priorities:
“Both DC and Virginia posted information on their stimulus websites about their transportation spending decisions, but it is disappointing that neither jurisdiction offered the public the opportunity to review and comment upon the specific priorities proposed by their Departments of Transportation,” said Schwartz. “Given how carefully we need to husband our tax dollars, it is important to have more opportunity for input. It is possible to increase public involvement in these critical spending decisions.”
When asked in a poll by the National Association of Realtors how they would spend the recovery money, a very strong majority of Americans (80%) said they prefer that stimulus transportation funding be used for repairing roadways and bridges and for public transportation. “The public wants a balanced transportation system, and Virginia should continue its efforts to shift more funding to transit, rail, pedestrian/bicycle and maintenance needs,” said Schwartz. “We look forward to working with Governor Kaine and his successor on these needs, which are critical to improved energy efficiency and economic progress in Virginia.”
More National findings and Commentary by Smart Growth America
Smart Growth America found that some states, like Massachusetts and Iowa, used the stimulus money to make progress on the kind of transportation system that their communities need for strong economic growth. Other states missed an opportunity to make progress in filling the nation’s urgent transportation needs and creating more jobs, as quickly as possible. These states built new roads rather than repairing existing ones, and missed the chance to invest in the new options their residents really want like safe bus routes and bike paths.
The states had opportunities to create more jobs, faster: shifting more spending towards repair would create more jobs. Shifting $2 billion more to repair would have produced an average of 4,300 more jobs nationally. And because repair work can generally be started faster, these jobs would come on-line faster.
The stimulus was particularly a repair opportunity given the nation’s enormous bridge and roadway repair backlog and the inadequacy of its public transportation system. The report documents these with recent findings by the American Society of Civil Engineers and American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), including the cost of roads in “poor” condition ($355 per person, nationally) and number of “structurally deficient” bridges (18,722).
“That nationally nearly two-thirds of STP funding has gone to repairing existing roads and bridges is encouraging,” said Geoff Anderson, president of Smart Growth America, “But given our huge road and bridge repair backlog and inadequate public transportation system, $6.6 billion for new highway capacity just doesn’t make sense. It’s like adding a new wing to your house when the roof is falling in.”
“In aggregate the states spent virtually none of their flexible money on these choices, losing the opportunity to shield Americans from future gas price spikes and limiting their freedom to choose how they get around. In fact we're seeing the effects of cuts in public transportation right now and it's often hurting low income and minority populations – the people who most rely on this transportation to get to work, be self-sufficient, and participate in the economy.”
The ARRA provided golden opportunities for states and MPOs to make game-changing plays and invest in the transportation options, like expanded public transportation, that the overwhelming majority of Americans need and support,” stated Anderson. “Unfortunately, most of them are striking out.” Balanced investments are especially important for low-income communities and the elderly to ensure that they can participate in the economic and social mainstream of our society: a transportation system that works for everyone.
“Selection of stimulus transportation projects so far shows how badly we need to change the way states make decisions that affect our commutes, our pocketbooks, and our lives, Anderson concluded. “To make that happen, future federal transportation funding must include clear goals and accountability for reaching those goals.”
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The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization addressing where and how the Washington DC region grows, partnering with communities in planning for the future, and offering solutions to the interconnected challenges of housing, transportation, energy and the environment. www.smartergrowth.net
Smart Growth America, http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/
