Davis, Titus Transportation Bill Gains More Support
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) today announced that bipartisan legislation he introduced in the House to give local communities better access to federal transportation funds gained additional support today as U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate. This follows the recent endorsements from the AARP, the League of American Bicyclists, and the National Center for Safe Routes to School.
H.R. 4726, the Innovation in Surface Transportation Act, was introduced by Davis and his colleague U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) in May.
"Rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure is key to turning our economy around and creating good-paying jobs, and local municipalities, planning commissions and transit agencies must be a part of that process," said Davis. "The Innovation in Surface Transportation Act recognizes our nation's fiscal realities by giving preference to projects that strengthen the return on investment, encouraging public-private partnerships and increasing transparency so that every federal dollar spent goes a little bit further. I'm pleased that Sens. Booker and Wicker have introduced this bill in the Senate and look forward to building even more support for this legislation among my colleagues in Washington."
Currently, a vast majority of federal highway funds are given to the states to spend at their discretion. The input and ability of local governments to decide how to use those funds is limited. The Innovation in Surface Transportation Act would create an in-state grant program that would allow a percentage of those funds to be competitively bid-for by eligible local entities.
This competition will ensure that the funds are used for the best projects that have the highest return on investment for local communities and the state. For example, for Fiscal Year 2014, the total amount that would be set-aside if this law was enacted for the in-state grant program in Illinois would be more than $218 million.
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