In late June, President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of senators announced a deal on a federal infrastructure package.
This has been a top priority for GMA and our member cities for many years, with cities reporting they needed over $20 billion for capital improvements in a survey conducted prior to the pandemic.
The agreement includes $1.2 trillion over eight years for investments in transportation, water infrastructure, broadband infrastructure and an infrastructure financing program. Highlights of the proposal include the largest dedicated bridge investment since the interstate highway system; the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak; and the largest investment in addressing legacy pollution.
The proposal would pay for these priorities through a combination of mechanisms including direct pay bonds, repurposing 2020 COVID-19 relief funds, unused unemployment insurance, sales from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and other measures.
Now that a framework has been identified, the real work begins. This will be the Summer of Infrastructure, and it is imperative for city officials to reach out to federal leaders to share information about your local capital needs. Across the country, cities are asking for a long-term investment in infrastructure; policy changes that will truly benefit municipalities; and direct aid to cities whose leaders know best about how to address local priorities.
As Congress and the Biden Administration continue to work on a bill, GMA is asking cities to stay in touch with senators and U.S. House members on this issue. GMA is continuing to monitor the proposal – we need more details on the implications of how this framework will impact cities, as well as clarification on issues such as how broadband funds may be used. GMA also believes workforce investment will be necessary to prepare skilled workers to do the jobs necessary to complete the infrastructure improvements.
GMA is urging cities to tell your stories and advocate for your needs. Reach out to let us know how GMA can amplify your stories to Georgia’s delegation members.
The White House Fact Sheet outlines additional details on the framework.
According to the white house fact sheet, the bipartisan infrastructure framework will:
- Improve healthy, sustainable transportation options for millions of Americans by modernizing and expanding transit and rail networks across the country, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The plan is the largest federal investment in public transit in history and is the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak.
- Repair and rebuild our roads and bridges with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system.
- Build a national network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers along highways and in rural and disadvantaged communities. The largest investment in EV infrastructure in history, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework will accomplish the president’s goal of building 500,000 EV chargers.
- Electrify thousands of school and transit buses across the country to reduce harmful emissions and drive domestic manufacturing of zero emission vehicles and components.
- Eliminate the nation’s lead service lines and pipes, delivering clean drinking water to up to 10 million American families and more than 400,000 schools and childcare facilities that currently don’t have it, including in Tribal nations and disadvantaged communities. The plan is the largest investment in clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in American history.
- Connect every American to reliable high-speed internet, just as the federal government made a historic effort to provide electricity to every American nearly 100 years ago. The framework will also drive down prices for internet service and close the digital divide.
- Upgrade our power infrastructure, including by building thousands of miles of new, resilient transmission lines to facilitate the expansion of renewable energy, including through a new Grid Authority. The plan is the single largest investment in clean energy transmission in American history.
- Create a first of its kind Infrastructure Financing Authority that will leverage billions of dollars into clean transportation and clean energy.
- Make the largest investment in addressing legacy pollution in American history, a cleanup effort that will create good-paying union jobs and advance environmental justice.
- Prepare more of our infrastructure for the impacts of climate change, cyber-attacks, and extreme weather events. The framework is the largest investment in the resilience of physical and natural systems in American history.
This article was originally featured in the July/August 2021 edition of Georgia’s Cities Magazine.