President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announced that $28 billion from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds are headed to states to provide critical repairs to our nation's crumbling roads and bridges.
Parts of the allocation are set aside to make sure that urban, suburban, and rural areas alike all get a share. But since local leaders -- mayors and governors -- know their communities best, much of the money is left to states' discretion. And if states don't use it, they lose it. To make sure that funds go out quickly to give our economy the jolt it needs, states have 120 days to assign the funds to specific projects.
A state-by-state map of transportation spending is available here.
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program
Useful Links
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Reports
African Americans and Hispanic Americans are Driven off the Roads
Source: National Black Chamber of Commerce (January 2010)
Source: Policy Link
News Stories
National Public Radio Interviews Transportation Equity Network about Stimulus Spending