Twin Cities Streets for People

Via Talking Points Memo, here are some sketchy details on the large Federal stimulus package just came out today, and they start to point to how the transportation money might be divided between roads, transit, and infrastructure improvements.

 Here are the vague details about the transportation component of the bill, as it currently sits... 

•  Modernize Roads, Bridges, Transit and Waterways: To build a 21st century economy, we must engage contractors across the nation to create jobs rebuilding our crumbling roads, and bridges, modernize public buildings, and put people to work cleaning our air, water and land.
• $30 billion for highway construction;
• $31 billion to modernize federal and other public infrastructure with investments that lead to long term energy cost savings;
• $19 billion for clean water, flood control, and environmental restoration investments;
• $10 billion for transit and rail to reduce traffic congestion and gas consumption.

There is also a big chunk of money for aid to states with crippling budget deficits, of which Minnesota is certainly one.

• $79 billion in state fiscal relief to prevent cutbacks to key services, including $39 billion to local school districts and public colleges and universities distributed through existing state and federal formulas, $15 billion to states as bonus grants as a reward for meeting key performance measures, and $25 billion to states for other high priority needs such as public safety and other critical services, which may include education.

All in all, it's hard to say what kind of impact this package will have. If the $30 B in road money is used for maintanence, to prevent things like future 35-W bridge collapses... and if the other $30 B in energy-saving infrastructure includes alternative transportation investments that can help our cities get away from carbon-centered auto-centered travel... then it looks like a pretty OK deal.

 Of course, those are two big 'ifs', and $30 or $40 billion dollars is just the tip of the iceberg of what's needed to rethink and restructure America's cities.

Without all the gritty details, its hard to make any strong conclucions. The only thing I know for certain is that there will be some very important decisions made in Washington in the next few months. What do you think? 

Update:

Here's another report on the same info from Tom Vanderbilt, emphasizing the diminutive nature of the transportation investment:

http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/01/15/slim-ulus/