Investing in Transportation
As your representative in Congress, one of my foremost duties is to help ensure that South Texas receives our fair share of federal funding. Every 5 years Congress passes a major transportation bill to fund national priorities such as highways, mass transit, and infrastructure repairs.
These federal funds may be disbursed in either of two ways: through block funding to government agencies or through direct funding of specific projects.
Each method serves an important purpose. Money provided to agencies accounts for approximately 99% of discretionary federal spending, and it provides for the day-to-day financing of most federal activities. The remaining 1% is directed by lawmakers to specific projects, a practice that dates back for centuries and that allows Members of Congress – who are directly accountable to local voters – to give their communities a voice in federal spending.
Recent Funding for Transporation
Below you will find a list of the projects that I have requested be given priority in the upcoming transportation bill. These requests were submitted to me by local governments across the Texas 28th District and are now pending before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which will decide which projects to include in the final transportation bill.
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Atascosa County – Rehabilitation to FM 2054 from SH 173 to FM 476
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Bexar County – VIA Bus Fleet Modernization
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Bexar County – VIA Bus Maintenance
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Bexar County – VIA Bus Rapid Transit
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Bexar County – Inter-City Light Rail
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Frio County – Roadway widening on FM 140
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Guadalupe County – Roadway repairs on FM 20
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Hidalgo County – Roadway widening on FM 676
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Hidalgo County – Roadway construction on FM 396
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Hidalgo County – Hike and bike trails
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Jim Hogg County – Installation of pavement stripes and markers on SH 16
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Jim Hogg County – Development and construction of hike and bike trails
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LaSalle County – Roadway repairs on SH 97
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McMullen County – Roadway repairs on FM 624
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Starr County – Roadway construction on FM 755
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Wilson County – Roadway repairs on SH 123
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Zapata County – Work on US 83
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Zapata County – Boat Ramp Phase II
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Webb County – San Bernardo renovation and expansion
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Webb County – Chacon Creek hike and bike project
Priorities for 2010
In the coming year, I look forward to passing Surface Transportation Legislation that will work for Texans. In addition, I have been working with the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to craft the next Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill. TXDOT has been working with members of Congress and local transportation groups, and citizens like you to create a piece of legislation that will and be the most recent recommendations by TXDOT can be viewed here:
http://www.txdot.gov/public_involvement/public_comment/legislative_input.htm
The process of creating a successor to the current surface transportation legislation, Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU), is both necessary due to an upcoming expiration and to modernize our formulas for creating an infrastructure network for years to come.
The full text of the SAFETEA-LU legislation can be read here: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/legis.htm
Recovery Act Funding
The111th Congress put unprecedented funding towards transportation initiatives through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The following projects represent only a start at the improvements taking place in the 28th thank to the Recovery Act:
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$31 Million for the TX DOT Cuatro Vientos project
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$10.5 Million for the Laredo International Airport’s runway improvements
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$5.4 Million for the McAllen Miller International Airport Runway Project
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$6.7 Million in Transportation Funding for FM 1015
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$4.1 Million in Funds for Local Highway Repaving
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$3 Million to Rehab and Widen FM 148
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$656,092 for Transportation Investments in FM 140
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$1.5 Million in Transportation Funding to Widen FM 168
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$5 Million in Transportation Funding to Repair SH 16 to FM 1332
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$1.8 in Transportation Funds to Widen and Repair County Line Roads
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our district’s priorities for transportation and infrastructure. I appreciate your participation in the legislative process.
