DOT marks 6,000th Recovery Act highway project

This morning, I’m pleased to announce the DOT has passed yet another exciting Recovery Act milestone: the Department has now approved more than 6,000 highway projects across America – worth over $17.1 billion – for federal funding under ARRA .  

This week, a $44.5 million project to widen congested US 60, or Grand Avenue, in Phoenix, AZ became the 6,000th highway project funded by the Recovery Act. Grand Avenue is one of Phoenix’s busiest and most congested corridors, serving an estimated 45,000 vehicles every day. Thanks to stimulus dollars, this route will receive two new lanes and other significant improvements that will relieve traffic and help to reduce greenhouse gases in the area. Most importantly, the project will generate good-paying transportation jobs that will put people to work in Arizona. 

The Recovery Act has made an unprecedented $48.1 billion investment in our national transportation system in order to quickly create jobs and provide an economic shot in the arm to communities across the country. In the less than six months since ARRA was signed into law, the DOT has worked around the clock to get stimulus money out the door in record time. 

We have already obligated $22.7 billion – nearly one-half of the DOT’s total ARRA appropriation – to fund more than 6,800 approved projects in 53 U.S. States and Territories. Work is currently underway on more than 3,300 of those transportation projects, and with so many coming in under budget, states are discovering they can do more for less. It’s a win-win: more projects, more jobs, with fewer taxpayer dollars.

The DOT team is working hard to get ARRA dollars out the door quickly, and we continue to look for new ways to accelerate stimulus spending even further.  Last week I announced the establishment of a DOT review team to expedite the application process for our $1.5 billion TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grants program . This review team will enable the Department to award the entire $1.5 billion in January 2010 – one full month ahead of the statutory deadline.  By awarding these TIGER grants ahead of schedule, we’ll be able to jump start major-impact projects and boost local economies across America even more quickly.

We’ve still got a ways to go to and a lot of hard work ahead to turn this economy around, but I know Americans are up to the challenge. From Phoenix to Portland to Kalamazoo, I’ve met people who want nothing more than to keep strapping on their work boots every day to support their families and communities. They have my commitment that the DOT will do everything possible to generate good jobs and speed the country’s economic recovery.
 

Comments

[Michael E. Bailey]

The Orange County Transportation Authority is planning to use most of its Recovery Act funding iht gets also for highway congestion relief. Their plan also includes freeway widening as well as interfreeway connection flyovers that will make for easy freeway transitioning for drivers. All together, these projects will put as many as 3,000 people to work and go along way in helping to get the state out of its economic downturn. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[Jesse]

Simply widening a road will induce MORE traffic. The ARA funds would be better spent on improving the connectivity of roads. How about spending these funds on sidewalks with curb cuts (ramps), bike lanes with reflective markers, trails and paths that connect neighborhoods to recreation and shopping destinations, dedicated bus lanes priority signaling and covered shelters. These examples would improve pedestrian/bike safety and reduce our reliance on automobiles. It would also reduce automobile traffic if people see that walking, biking, and riding a bus is an attractive, safe, and fun alternative to driving.

Please rethink your focus on roads and highways for the better of America.

Many thanks,
Jesse

[Steve]

Joking, right? Adding lanes does not ever reduce greenhouse gases. Look up "induced demand" to understand why.
Also, ". . .greenhouse gases in the area" is a nonsensical statement. Greenhouse gases are a global pollutant--not a regional or local pollutant, so it's irrelevant where they are emitted.

[Sean Robertson]

"this route will receive two new lanes and other significant improvements that will relieve traffic and help to reduce greenhouse gases in the area."

That is bogus beyond belief. Ever heard of induced demand? If you build more lanes, more people will choose to drive since the traffic presumably won't be so bad, but it just gets worse again because of those new people. Now you've actually INCREASED greenhouse gases. Epic fail.

Please read these:
http://www.livablestreets.com/streetswiki/induced-demand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_demand#Elasticity_of_traffic_demand

The only way to reduce greenhouse gases is to get people to stop driving. Build more transit, make cities more walkable and bikable, etc. Adding lands does not do what you think it does.

[Stu]

Have we learned nothing? I am a frequent visitor to the FastLane and usually support and appreciate the forward-thinking you've displayed and your commitment to changing national transportation planning strategies. But this...

Cars will fill up whatever space is available on the roadways. Widening roads does not relieve congestion over the long term, and actually offsets any expected carbon emission reductions.

If all that matters is that we're putting people to work, regardless of what they're working on, then we're just providing a blood transfusion to a bleeding victim without treating the wound.

[Joshua]

I appreciate that the moderator has elected to permit free discussion of transportation solutions that do not fit the standard "highway" perspective and which critisize the Secretary's statements. I too support a "systematic" network of transportation infrastructure solutions.

[OC Webdesign]

I appreciate the concept of induced demand however as a businessman in a heavily trafficked area of our country I do not often drive a stretch of freeway simply because there is no traffic. Most often I have no choice to go from point A to point B regardless of traffic. If traffic is thick, I may sit in between the two points for many minutes longer, spewing exhaust all along, than if the road were wider.
If your career allows you the option to walk or ride a bike instead, more power to you. Many do not.
I for one applaud DOT for the widening of key roads.