LTD Supports Passage of the INVEST in America Act
July 6, 2021
LTD encourages the U.S. Senate to pass the INVEST in America Act authored by Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio (D-Springfield), which includes $3.67 Billion for Oregon Highways, $8.4 million for Oregon Transit, $20 million for projects in SW Oregon. The Bill recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support and is now on to the Senate for approval.
“On behalf of LTD, I want to thank Congressman DeFazio for his vision and leadership to move the INVEST in America Act one step closer to fruition,” said Aurora Jackson, LTD’s General Manager. “The INVEST in America Act is a transformational opportunity for all Oregonians to have the transportation infrastructure they deserve to support a thriving economy while combating climate change, promoting public transit, and improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.”
If passed by the Senate, Jackson said the Act will specifically support LTD’s ongoing initiative to replace aging fossil-fueled buses, increase funding for transit operations, and support new mobility options.
According to a news release from Congressman DeFazio’s Office, the INVEST in America Act is a $715 billion surface transportation reauthorization and water infrastructure bill, with more than $44 billion added during the amendment process to make even greater investments in infrastructure, including EV charging and passenger rail grant programs, among other additions. This transformational legislation lays the groundwork for President Biden’s vision on infrastructure and will create good-paying jobs, restore America’s competitiveness in the global economy, and tackle the climate crisis head-on by rebuilding and reimagining infrastructure in the U.S.
DeFazio pushed to include $3.67 billion over five years for Oregon from the Federal Aid Highways Programs, $8.4 million for Oregon transit, and $20 million for transportation and infrastructure projects in Southwest Oregon.
“Oregonians are sick and tired of potholes, getting stuck in traffic, delayed buses and slow trains, lead-tainted pipes and sewers that back up—the result of decades of underinvestment in our infrastructure, our communities, and our future,” Chair DeFazio said in the news release. “The good news is that this is an American problem America can fix. By passing the INVEST in America Act today, the House took a bold and badly-needed step to build for the future, tackle the existential threat of climate change by modernizing our transportation systems to cut carbon pollution, and improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people. I’m proud to have been able to push for Oregon’s priorities in this Bill, and I will waste no time getting to work with the Senate to deliver a transformational infrastructure package to the president’s desk.”
For Oregon, the INVEST in America Act includes:
- $108 million over five years for carbon pollution reduction;
- $81 million over five years for pre-disaster mitigation;
- $120 million over five years for congestion mitigation and air quality improvement;
- $76 million for bike/pedestrian and other transportation alternatives and recreational trails
The INVEST in America Act includes $13 billion for Projects of National and Regional Significance (PNRS) and sets aside $4 billion specifically for bridges with language to help ensure the I-5 bridge will be competitive for this funding. The Bill also establishes a new Rebuild Rural Bridges discretionary grant program to provide $1 billion to rehabilitate or replace off-system bridges, Tribal bridges, and other rural bridges in poor condition. In addition, the Bill provides approximately $1 billion annually out of highway formula funding for investment in off-system bridges to repair deficient and unsafe bridges in rural and small communities.