The transition team of the incoming Biden-Harris administration has laid out plans to invest in "a modern, sustainable infrastructure" as part of the administration's efforts to tackle economic recovery.
According to the transition team's website, the incoming administration will include infrastructure as one of four areas of focus to address the needs of the nation's economy, which the Biden-Harris team says has "been knocked down" during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. "We’ve seen the need for a more resilient economy for the long-term, and that means investing in a modern, sustainable infrastructure and sustainable engines of growth—from roads and bridges, to energy grids and schools, to universal broadband," the Biden-Harris Transition website says.
President-elect Biden's plans for infrastructure were laid out during the campaign as part of his "Build Back Better" jobs and economic recovery plan. The campaign plans include a proposed $2 trillion package dedicated to infrastructure and clean energy. The campaign said these plans include investments in roads and bridges to green spaces and water systems to electricity grids and universal broadband.
The campaign's infrastructure plans also proposed providing every American city with 100,000 or more residents with high-quality, zero-emissions public transportation options through flexible federal investments to meet the needs of these cities—ranging from light rail networks to improving existing transit and bus lines to installing infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Recently, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation John Porcari, who served under the Obama administration and is working as an adviser to the Biden-Harris team, told members of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) at the association's annual meeting that the incoming administration would work to advance a major infrastructure package.
Porcari noted during the meeting that the transportation team of the new administration will be “paying attention to lower-cycle costs by building more resilient infrastructure; basically being a good steward of public dollars—that will be a critical part of the program,” according to Transport Topics. He also said a Biden administration would adopt a national framework for autonomous vehicles and would prioritize transit opportunities.
Porcari also told state DOTs to expect more “formula funding” and an increase in federal grant programs, according to StreetsBlog USA.
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SOURCE: Biden-Harris Transition / Transport Topics / StreetsBlog USA
