A report released last Friday by the U.S. Conference of Mayors claims that the nation’s major metropolitan areas have been shortchanged in the receipt of federal stimulus funds for transportation infrastructure administered by governors and state highway departments.
The report, prepared by IHG Global Insight, Inc., analyzes the largest single source of infrastructure spending in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 the $18.62 billion in surface transportation funds apportioned to states under program categories administered by the Federal Highway Administration.
The study found that while the nation’s largest 85 metro areas account for 73% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP); they garnered only 48.3%, or $8.8 billion, of these funds. These same metros contain 63% of the nation’s population.
This report indicates that the national economy will only recover when our metro areas recover, said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He added: In allocating stimulus transportation funds, states continue to underfund the very metros that drive the nation’s economy.”
Leave a Reply