A Bipartisan Policy Breakthrough That Could Save Local Economies



Local communities do a good job channeling limited federal funds into small-scale, big-impact projects like this streetscape project in Bayonne, New Jersey. Photo: ##http://images.ta-clearinghouse.info/1-Ped-Bike-Facilities/Bayonne-StreetscapeBayonne-NJ/##TrADE##










Why competitive grants rather than simply doling out a few dollars to every community? To get the biggest bang for the bucks, for one. As I saw in several TIGER rounds, competition spurs innovation in a way that formula funds never, ever will. It gets the juices flowing as communities stretch to make the strongest possible proposals. As a result, federal dollars are made to go farther, more non-federal funds are brought in from both public and private sources, and every penny is targeted to accomplish multiple goals.

The legislation is set up so that money that is already under local control — such as the local portion of the Transportation Alternatives Program — will stay that way, and states that already allocate a substantial share to locals can continue to do so.

Local leaders are the ones who feel the heat when crumbling infrastructure stalls traffic, workers can’t connect to jobs, streets are unsafe or goods get stuck in congestion. Solving these transportation issues will make or break our nation’s economy. At the moment, though, our most economically active communities have access to only a fraction of the money they pay into the nation’s transportation program.

Over the last 50 years, the old federal transportation program helped us build an incredible national highway system, connecting cities and towns to one another beautifully. We did not, however, focus on making transportation systems work well once you get into those cities and towns — where most Americans spend their time and money. The Davis-Titus bill would go a long way to fixing that situation, while moving investment and accountability closer to home — where most Americans say they want it.

  • Jeffrey Baker

    Who got the other 85%? State D’s o’ T?

  • David Goldberg

    You bet.






No Data? Big Problem.


Hope Springs Eternal for American Transpo Policy
