Investing in Our Transportation Infrastructure
Our highways and bridges have become increasingly strained by traffic growth and congestion. Many Rhode Islanders have expressed to me their frustration with longer and more unpredictable commute times.
As an urban industrial state, Rhode Island has a much older transportation infrastructure than many other parts of the country. Many of our aging roads and bridges are badly in need of repair or replacement. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Rhode Island has the highest percentage of bridges in need of monitoring and work in the nation. Rhode Islanders also lack adequate alternatives to highway travel - currently, our commuter rail system only services areas to the north of Providence.
It is essential that we begin to invest adequately in our transportation infrastructure. While we have the finest roads and bridges in the world, the tragic collapse in 2007 of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis demonstrated that we cannot take the condition of our transportation infrastructure for granted. Congress appropriated an extra $1 billion in Fiscal Year 2008 specifically for states to meet bridge infrastructure needs. While this funding was a good start, I believe we need to continue making investments in our transportation infrastructure a top national priority. I am proud to serve with Senator Reed, who has long been fighting for funding and progress on commuter rail service south of Providence. Plans are well underway, and I pledge to do all that I can to help bring this much needed rail service to Warwick and Wickford as soon as possible.
As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I will continue to fight for increased infrastructure funding for our state. It is essential that we ensure the safety of our bridges and roads, and continue to develop our public transportation systems.