President's $50 billion infrastructure initiative a necessary next step forward for America

I was proud to stand beside President Obama yesterday as he urged Congress to take up his $50 billion infrastructure initiative.

The President outlined America's two great challenges--upgrading our infrastructure and putting Americans back to work--and reminded the nation that his proposed investment in roadways, railways, and runways responds to both of those challenges.

"What we need," he said, "is a smart system of infrastructure equal to the needs of the 21st century."

The President’s speech followed our meeting with a bipartisan group of mayors and governors from across the country. We talked about the current state of our transportation infrastructure, the challenges we face to improving the infrastructure in America's cities and states, and the short--and long--term economic impact of new infrastructure investment. 

We were also joined by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and former Transportation Secretaries Sam Skinner, Norman Mineta and Rodney Slater. Around the table, the key message we heard was that our nation’s infrastructure is vital to our economy and our future competitiveness.

That is precisely why the President has laid out a bold new plan for rebuilding and modernizing America's transportation infrastructure that will bring jobs to our economy now and increase our nation's growth and productivity in the years and decades ahead.

And if you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you will know that I agree with him 100% on the urgency of this push. And you also know that the transportation projects supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act have begun addressing these needs.

As President Obama said yesterday, "Tens of thousands of projects employing hundreds of thousands of workers are already underway across America."

On our new web app, each orange cone represents a video by an American worker; click to hear their stories

Americans know the Recovery Act has been working because they see their friends and neighbors working on roads and bridges and transit systems. They see the orange cones. They hear the stories of workers who have good jobs on long-needed projects.

They have seen their tax dollars at work helping to turn the economy around and put the country back to work.

But two recent reports tell us America needs more. And, yesterday, the Treasury Department released another report adding weight to the argument that we must do more and we must do it soon.

All of three of these reports confirm what President Obama said: "For years, we have deferred tough decisions, and today, our aging system of highways and byways, air routes and rail lines hinder our economic growth."

And, as the President said, "We're already paying for our failure to act."

President Obama holds a meeting with Cabinet secretaries, former secretaries of Transportation and mayors and governors on infrastructure investment, October 11, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

What we will do to address this? President Obama's initiative proposes that:

"Over the next six years, we will rebuild 150,000 miles of our roads -- enough to circle the world six times. We will lay and maintain 4,000 miles of our railways -- enough to stretch from coast to coast. And we will restore 150 miles of runways and advance a next generation air-traffic control system that reduces delays for the American people."

Europe is doing this today. China is doing this today. They are committed to creating jobs today and playing to win tomorrow. America cannot afford to watch from the sidelines.

This administration will not allow our nation to stand by as infrastructure slows our economy and workers sit idle. The Recovery Act has been an effective first step forward. President Obama's infrastructure initiative is the necessary next step.

Comments

[TruckerDesiree]

With all the discussion of infrastructure, why is there never a mention of those who use it the most? The Commercial truck drivers who continue to have to fight inside their own industry to be recognized for the need for safe, appropriate parking.

Increased crime in truck stops represented by NATSO and lack of representation by the trucking industry has made bills like 'Jason's Law" HR2156 & S971 , sit unnoticed in committees while other infrastructure projects move forward.

Commercial drivers are expected to fend for themselves with a truckload of expensive goods in high crime areas to sleep. We are sitting ducks in some areas and penalized for being late for our appoinment times or violating federal laws by moving the truck should we find ourselves parked in an area with criminal activities.

Truckers are the backbone of America and to invest in infrastructure and ignore the needs of these men & women who sacrifice their lives for everyone else to have comfort products is unnacceptable.

[Dianne Gilbertson]

Please don't forget about the non-motorized users of the transportation system as roadways, railways, and runways are expanded!!!

[Bill Stout]

Mr. Secretary,
With all due respect, why support the $50 billion bandaid rather than a new $500 billion multi-year Surface Transportation bill that provides greater predictability for state DOT's and their engineers and contractors? Also, let's move on reauthorization of the air transport bill including an increase in the passenger facility charge. Thanks for listening.

Bill Stout, CEO
Gannett Fleming

[Ian Cooper]

Laying down more roads to support a system that is mired in outdated 20th Century oil-based car culture is a grave mistake, and is by no means "a smart system of infrastructure equal to the needs of the 21st century".

We need to be encouraging people to get out of their cars and into more sustainable modes of transportation, not supporting their car habit by making it even easier to remain addicted to Saudi oil.

[Fikisha L. Swader]

I agree with bill, not saying we need to get back on wagons. But we should look at other ways to get around. "Over the next six years, we will rebuild 150,000 miles of our roads" They can do much more then make roads.