The Final State of the Union
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Today, Vice President Biden, U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood, and Miami Mayor Diaz announced the availability of $8.4 billion in public transportation investments from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to states and local transportation authorities to repair and build America's public transportation infrastructure.
"All over the country, resources are being put to work not only creating jobs now – but also investing in the future. A future that strengthens our transit system, makes us more energy efficient and increases safety," said Vice President Joe Biden. Biden commuted by train from Delaware to Washington, DC daily while he was a US Senator.
Vice President Joe Biden shakes hands after speaking at the Intermodal project in Miami, Florida,
Thursday, March 5, 2009. White House Photo/David Lienemann
Our current automobile habits account for a substantial part of our nation’s carbon dioxide emissions. Public transportation projects like the ones that will be funded with this major investment, help the United States meet some of the daunting environmental challenges facing our nation and the world.
Access to mass-transit also helps by providing a wider range of work options to those who don’t own their own vehicles. "Investments in public transportation put people to work, but they also get people to work in a way that moves us towards our long term goals of energy security and a better quality of life," said Secretary LaHood. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has found that every billion invested in federally aided public transportation capital projects supports 30,000 jobs.
Learn how much funding has been made available to repair and build the public transportation infrastructure in your state by visiting Recovery.gov.
