Research Confirms President Obama's SOTU Remarks: Smart Transportation Spending Creates Jobs, Grows the Economy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 4, 2011

Susan Merrow, Chair, 1000 Friends of Connecticut 860-367-1687, amerrow@snet.net Kirsten Griebel, CTLCV Education Fund 860-670-0621, 860-236-5442, kirsten.griebel@ctlcv.org Alex Goldschmidt, Smart Growth America 202-207-3355 x112, agoldschmidt@smartgrowthamerica.org

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CT Ranks First in report that shows investing in repair and maintenance projects and public transportation can help Connecticut revitalize America's transportation system and rebuild the economy.

Connecticut, February 4, 2011 - A new report released by Smart Growth America (SGA) provides Connecticut with a roadmap to pursue President Obama's call to repair our crumbling roads and bridges and invest in public transportation to jumpstart the economy. The report, which highlights how well states created jobs using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) flexible transportation dollars, provides Governor Malloy, the Department of Transportation, and the legislature with a smart investment strategy to get more jobs from the same number of transportation dollars and help rebuild the economy effectively.

Connecticut ranked first, based on how well we used our portion of the $26.6 billion in flexible ARRA transportation dollars to create jobs. The report was released two years after the passage of ARRA and a week after President Obama's State of the Union Address and his clarion call to rebuild America and create jobs.

"Smart Growth America commends Connecticut for using its federal stimulus funding to maximize job creation," Geoff Anderson, President/CEO of Smart Growth America said. "Connecticut should continue on this same path of smart, fiscally responsible transportation policies when it considers its 2011 transportation budget. If Connecticut continues to allocate the majority of its transportation dollars in its new budget to the repair and maintenance of roads and bridges, and expanding access to public transportation, the state can save money and put people back to work."

Connecticut leaders understand that rebuilding our economy is the most significant challenge of our generation. As the President said in his address, "To attract new businesses to our shores, we need the fastest, most reliable ways to move people, goods and information...America is the nation that built the transcontinental railroad, brought electricity to rural communities and constructed the interstate highway system. The jobs created by these projects didn't just come from laying down tracks or pavement. They came from businesses that opened near a town's new train station or the new off-ramp." This report analyzes state-reported ARRA data and finds that wise spending of transportation dollars produces immediate results in terms of jobs.

The states that made the best use of funds invested in public transportation projects and maintained and repaired existing roads and bridges. The states that ranked poorly focused on building new roads and bridges.

Connecticut spent 100 percent of its ARRA transportation funds on repairing and maintaining roads and bridges; nothing on building new ones; and 9.1 percent on public transportation and non-motorized projects such as trails, bicycle projects and pedestrian projects.

"We're proud that Connecticut "fixed it first" and created jobs critical to our state's recovery. We urge even greater emphasis on mass transit funding, which has a triple benefit: it creates jobs, gets people to their jobs, and improves the quality of life for all of us," said 1000 Friends of Connecticut Chair and CTLCV Director Susan Merrow.

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"We have seen a gradual shift in Connecticut toward investments in public transit where we get the biggest bang for the buck - dollar for dollar, public transportation projects create the highest percentage of jobs. These investments are good for both the economy and the environment," added Lori Brown, Executive Director of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters.

SGA determined its rankings by assessing how states invested their ARRA flexible transportation dollars, as reported by the states themselves to Congress.

Historically, repair work on roads and bridges generates 16 percent more jobs per dollar than new bridge and road construction. Repair and maintenance projects spend money faster and create jobs more quickly than building new roads because they employ more kinds of workers, spend less money on land and more on wages, and spend less time on plans and permits.

Additionally, historical investments in public transportation have generated 31 percent more jobs per dollar than new construction of roads and bridges. SGA's analysis of ARRA spending shows that even more jobs were created with public transportation spending - these projects generated 70 percent more jobs per dollar than new highway construction.

"Our new administration in Hartford and new leadership at Department Of Transportation have a chance now to build on this good news and firmly establish the connection between wise spending on transit, fixing existing infrastructure, and growing smart," Merrow concluded.

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For the complete report, go to http://smartgrowthamerica.org/documents/lessons-from-the-stimulus.pdf.

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Smart Growth America is the only national organization dedicated to researching, advocating for and leading coalitions to bring smart growth practices to more communities nationwide. From providing more sidewalks to ensuring more homes are built near public transit or that productive farms remain a part of our communities, smart growth helps make sure people across the nation can live in great neighborhoods. For additional information, please visit www.smartgrowthamerica.org.

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Press Conference on "Shovel Ready" Local Bike, Pedestrian and Transit Projects

Talk about federal stimulus funding being dedicated to “shovel ready” transportation projects has been swirling around for months.

The big economic stimulus bill has been assigned the number H.R. 1. It’s called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (here’s Washington Watch’s more readable format.)

President Obama has asked for the federal stimulus bill to be ready for him to sign by mid-February. So what will this mean for Connecticut? What should it mean? Find out more about the transportation angle of the stimulus bill on Thursday.

What:	Press Conference on "Shovel Ready" Local Bike, Pedestrian and Transit Projects
When:	January 29, 2009 11:00 am
Where:	Room 2E Legislative Office Building, Hartford, CT
Why:	The Federal Economic Stimulus Bill provides an opportunity to remake our transportation system so that it serves all users. Approximately 25% of the transportation funds will be directed to local projects, and we need to work collectively to prioritize green projects including multi-use paths, sidewalks, traffic calming, and safe routes to school and transit. Making investments now in transit-supportive bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure will have very real benefits: quick job creation, improved mobility options, reductions in traffic congestion and emissions, local economic development and responsible growth, and opportunities for active, healthy living. Join advocates from around the state to urge the Governor and lawmakers to make sure these projects are prioritized in local spending of federal transportation stimulus funds. Make Your Voice Heard!
Who:	For more information contact David Kooris, Regional Plan Association (david at RPA dot ORG)

Stimulus Bill Text on Washington Watch Blog

For those interested in the text of the federal stimulus bill, see this excerpted post below from Washington Watch. Once at that blog entry, try searching for “state” to see what’s expected of state governments that apply for stimulus funds.

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Last week, the House Appropriations Committee posted a copy of the economic stimulus bill, called the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,” online. Though it hasn’t been officially introduced yet, in a statement released Thursday, the committee said the bill would be considered by Congress within the next two weeks.

The bill’s reported tally of $825 billion in spending works out to about $8,800 per U.S. family, or $2,800 per person in the United States.

Care to learn where that money is going? Want to see the changes to substantive law that are in the bill along with the spending?

The PDF version of the bill on the committee web site is difficult to read, so we’ve produced a cleaner-looking html version just for you. You can also grab a cleaned-up plaintext copy of the bill here.

TITLE I—GENERAL PROVISIONS
TITLE II—AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
TITLE III—COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND SCIENCE
TITLE IV—DEFENSE
TITLE V—ENERGY AND WATER
TITLE VI—FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT
TITLE VII—HOMELAND SECURITY
TITLE VIII—INTERIOR AND ENVIRONMENT
TITLE IX—LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION
TITLE X—MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS
TITLE XI—DEPARTMENT OF STATE
TITLE XII—TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
TITLE XIII—STATE FISCAL STABILIZATION FUND

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