The U.S. House of Representatives late Friday night voted in favor of the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill by a vote of 228-206.
The legislation will now move to the desk of President Biden to be signed into law.
Several industry associations praised Congress for passing the bipartisan infrastructure bill—dubbed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“This bill, which provides the long-term certainty state departments of transportation need, encompasses many state DOT priorities, including considerable action to address climate change and improve system reliability, the creation of a formula-based bridge and an electric vehicle infrastructure funding program, and improvements to the project delivery and environmental review process," Jim Tymon, AASHTO executive director, said in a statement.
“The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is the most significant measure in more than 50 years to meaningfully address the condition and performance of the U.S. transportation network," American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) President & CEO Dave Bauer said in a statement. "Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have demonstrated not only the importance of federal transportation infrastructure leadership, but that policymakers can find common ground and govern on matters of national concern."
"With this legislation, the federal government will restore their critical partnership with cities and states to modernize our nation’s roads, bridges, transit systems, drinking water pipes, school facilities, broadband, ports, airports and more," Dennis D. Truax, P.E., President, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), said in a statement. "Without a strong federal partner, local projects that are community lifelines have hung in the balance, oftentimes being paused or outright cancelled due to funding uncertainties. When this happens, American households and businesses are the ones who pay the price."
"The $107 billion for public transit and $102 billion for commuter rail, Amtrak, and other high-performance rail in this bill will build infrastructure that will make public transportation faster, more modern, and more reliable, while tackling climate change, advancing equity issues, and providing growing communities sustainable mobility options," APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said in a statement. "These are issues we can no longer ignore, and with enactment of this legislation, the public transit industry will be uniquely positioned to address these issues head on."
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ORIGINAL POST—Nov. 5, 2021:
House expected to hold vote on infrastructure bill
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to pass the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill on Friday, Nov. 5, according to several news sources.
If passed by the House, the legislation would move to the White House for President Biden's signature. The bill includes $550 billion in new federal spending over five years—including $110 billion in roads, bridges, and major projects; $66 billion in passenger and freight rail; $39 billion to modernize and expand transit systems; and $7.5 billion to build a national network of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
According to the New York Times, the legislation also creates a new $2 billion grant program to expand surface transportation projects in rural areas.
The Senate passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill on Aug. 10. According to the Times, a vote on the bipartisan bill has been delayed in the House as some Democrats pushed to wait until an agreement was reached on a larger, separate $1.85 trillion social safety net bill, which has been revised from a previous $3.5 trillion price tag.
Roads & Bridges will provide an update with new information as it becomes available.
SOURCE: New York Times
