#GOPCThread: Feds Focus on Transportation Infrastructure As Next Big Investment Strategy

This weeks #GOPCThread is focused on the recently unveiled American Jobs Plan and its focus on transportation infrastructure, and the embrace of fix it first and complete streets policies.

Not on Twitter, the thread is available online , as well as below.

The plan allocates $115 billion for repairing roads & bridges. The @WhiteHouse states that the plan 'will modernize 20,000 miles of highways, roads, & main streets, not only 'fixing them first' but 'fixing them right,' with safety, resilience, & all users in mind.' #GOPCThread

So what do 'fix it first' and 'fix it right' even mean? #GOPCThread

#FixItFirst prioritizes maintenance and updating of the infrastructure we already have over investing in new systems or dramatically adding capacity to existing systems. #GOPCThread

In March, @SecretaryPete referred to #FixItFirst & the need to address the nation's 'maintenance backlog,' explaining that 'fixing it right' may mean decreasing the amount of asphalt & roads in some places. #GOPCThread, @CityLab

In Sound Bend, IN as mayor, Buttigieg embraced 'fixing it right' by prioritizing a complete streets agenda to make downtown streets welcoming to motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians and reactive downtown. #GOPCThread

One road reconfiguration involved removing one vehicle lane, creating a two-way road, adding sidewalks and a bike lane. #GOPCThread

Fix-it-right approaches could also start to address the negative impacts of HWY placement on communities of color by funding the removal of HWYs that destroyed homes & businesses, created barriers within existing NBHDs & generate pollution #GOPCThread

So what do fix-it-first and fix-it-right priorities mean for us in Ohio? #GOPCThread

Ohio has a lot of roads to maintain every year! We have over 260K total lane miles (5th largest interstate system) & 27,072 bridges (2nd largest no.) in the nation despite only being the 7th largest state by population, & the 34th largest state by total square miles. #GOPCThread

Each existing lane mile requires maintenance for the life of the road, which means taxpayers make a long-term financial commitment with each new road. #GOPCThread, @StrongTowns

@T4America analyzed population growth, investments in freeway expansion, and changes in congestion levels for the 100 largest urbanized areas in the country. In Ohio, most urban areas are seeing new road miles outpace population growth. #GOPCThread

To build a Greater Ohio, we support investing our infrastructure $$$ in preservation not expansion, tightened definitions of maintenance & new capacity to make this easier to track & support greater investment in promoting complete streets statewide. #GOPCThread