The Highway Trust Fund, which provides about $41 billion annually to the states for transit and highway projects each year, has been without a funding plan for more than 15 months, and now House Republicans want to appropriate funding for it on an annual basis.
Through legislation, Congress has historically allocated money to the fund for a period of 
years, instead of through an annual appropriations process, because transportation projects are long term endeavors that need stable, predictable funding.
Senator Chris Dodd championed a National Infrastructure Bank concept that would have created a pool of public and private funds for critical, high priority transportation projects. But with Dodd out of office, new, persuasive champions need to be recruited for that initiative to go anywhere. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry seems to be stepping up to the plate, with his call for the US to keep pace with the rest of the world or get left behind.
Meanwhile, until we get our House in order, the public’s call to create jobs, shore up our infrastructure and build transit systems that get us out of our cars goes ignored.
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New Sound Barrier option, seeking State of CT contacts.
ReplyDeleteWe at Green Building Connecticut utilize a cement and recycled styrofoam product for our contracting business that would be an excellent solution for the sound barriers currently being constructed. Hybrid Block assembles quicker and utilizes less concrete than masonary block, and will outlast any wood based barrier by decades. The best part is that Hybrid Block has significant sound deadening properties, which is the whole reason the barriers are being constructed to begin with.
If you know of any contacts at the State of CT that can help, kindly email me at Ed@GreenBuildingConnecticut.com. Thanks so much - Ed