As part of a recent funding bill, the House Appropriations Committee voted to approve funding for the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other related agencies throughout 2020.
In total, the legislation provides $137.1 billion in budgetary resources — a gain on both last year and on the President’s request for 2020. Where transportation is concerned, however, it did a number of specific things. It dispatches $1 billion for national infrastructure investments. It also would spend $10 million on the creation of a new Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of Excellence, an addition made by the House.
“The Department of Transportation should prioritize safety, and this bill would equip the Department to fund safety upgrades on our roads and rails as well as safety research,” U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman, said. “The bill also would provide adequate funding for the federal share of one of the most important transportation projects in our country to advance commuter safety and the economy – the Gateway tunnel between New Jersey and New York…With this bill, we have the opportunity to invest in our infrastructure and fundamentally improve the lives of our constituents.”
As for individual agencies, $17.7 billion would go to the Federal Aviation Administration, $677 million for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, $1 billion for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, $3 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration, $13.5 billion for the Federal Transit Administration, $40 million for the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and $1.1 billion for the Maritime Administration. The rest would go to non-transportation needs under HUD and Related Agencies.
Such funds will also go toward things like aviation safety, airport improvement grants, the highway infrastructure program, consolidated rail infrastructure and safety improvements, Amtrak and the maritime security program.
“I’m thrilled about what the Transportation-HUD bill and the Agriculture bill are bringing to Northeast Ohio. From investing in our infrastructure, improving how we track blight, supporting our farmers, and funding agricultural research, these are key priorities that will revitalize our communities and ensure every person has access to healthy, fresh food,” U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) said. “When it comes to CDBG and BUILD grants, that means job creation, lifestyle transformation, and economic development for our district.”
Beyond funding, the bill would also provide a restriction for the NHTSA, blocking them from finalizing a rule that would cut fuel-economy standards and increase vehicular greenhouse gas emissions.