States, localities and transit agencies worry an impasse over a year-long spending deal could delay the dollars.
About $40 billion in transportation funding from President Biden’s infrastructure bill that’s supposed to flow to state and local governments could become stuck in a quagmire on Capitol Hill if Congress is unable to agree on a year-long spending bill in the next couple of weeks.
A stalemate between congressional Democrats and Republicans over how much to increase spending for defense compared to domestic programs could tie up Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act dollars for projects like installing energy-efficient streetlights, protecting highways, particularly on evacuation routes from storms, and helping transit agencies catch up on a backlog in needed repairs that the U.S. Transportation Department pegs at more than $100 billion.
State and local agencies in Texas could see as much as $3.1 billion held up. Another $2.9 billion that’s supposed to be headed to California could stall as well.
Route Fifty
By Kery Murakami
FEB 3, 2022