Issue Position: Transportation

Issue Position

Investing in Transportation

As your representative in Congress, one of my foremost duties is to help ensure that South Texas receives our fair share of federal funding. Every 5 years Congress passes a major transportation bill to fund national priorities such as highways, mass transit, and infrastructure repairs.

These federal funds may be disbursed in either of two ways: through block funding to government agencies or through direct funding of specific projects.

Each method serves an important purpose. Money provided to agencies accounts for approximately 99% of discretionary federal spending, and it provides for the day-to-day financing of most federal activities. The remaining 1% is directed by lawmakers to specific projects, a practice that dates back for centuries and that allows Members of Congress -- who are directly accountable to local voters -- to give their communities a voice in federal spending.

Recent Funding for Transporation
The 111th Congress put unprecedented funding towards transportation initiatives through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The following projects represent only some recent examples of improvements taking place in the 28th thank to the Recovery Act:

County Description Total Estimated Cost Amount Paid

Atascosa Resurface roadway - IH 37 $5,047,525.86 $3,942,140.33

Atascosa Widen roadway - SH16 $3,807,845.87 $2,547,308.73

Atascosa Landscape - SH16 $175,708.99 $99,935.85

Bexar Construction interchange - US281 $146,337,538.35 $120,814,636.00

Bexar Intersection improvements - US281 $8,102,871.56 $5,692,062.26

Bexar Landscape - SH16 $334,088.09 $227,216.77

Bexar Landscape - UH410 $1,506,822.37 $925,751.40

Bexar New roadway lanes $5,466,150.00 $320,840.15

Bexar New roadway lanes $4,858,800.00 $503,196.36

Bexar Construct bicycle path $3,231,102.00 $66,852.73

Bexar Construct pedestrian path $3,643,921.45 $1,062,369.04

Bexar New roadway lanes $120,970,00.00 $4,495,126.92

Bexar Traffic management technology $684,585.00 $520,734.37

Bexar Construct bicycle/pedestrian path $933,525.00 $252,130.45

Bexar LP1604 Improvements $7,583,609.41 $4,269,545.76

Bexar LP1604 new roadway lanes $16,085,424.24 $6,866,421.27

Frio Widen roadway - FM140 $5,979,711.89 $3,361,989.43

Frio Construct curb and gutter - FM140 $1,258,461.85 $701,614.79

Guadalupe Landscape - Seguin $1,004,521.22 $601,103.21

Guadalupe Repair roadway - IH10 $3,186,314.31 $1,867,009.37

Hidalgo Business US83 new roadway lanes $5,910,847.02 $4,955,214.30

Hidalgo New US83 overpass/underpass $27,604,254.40 $11,709,686.99

Hidalgo Resurface roadway - US83 $7,860,217.96 $4,206,626.24

Hidalgo Widen roadway - Sugar Road $4,732,678.11 $3,987,626.79

Hidalgo Widen roadway - Conway Ave $6,564,141.57 $5,818,011.40

Hidalgo Rebuild roadway - FM2071 $1,479,036.79 $1,163,476.95

La Salle Repair roadway - IH35 $2,293,986.83 $1,690,930.63

La Salle Business IH35 Resurface $678,206.09 $621,506.86

Webb Construction of new road - SL20 $71,425,712.17 $36,176,298.77

Webb Resurface roadway - US83 $552,525.00 $497,142.83

Webb Resurface roadway - US83 $3,059,352.66 $2,055,679.95

Webb Resurface roadway - US83 $183,571.96 $321,623.10

Webb Repair roadway - Truck Route $3,130,966.11 $1,234,890.86

Priorities for 2012
In the coming year, I look forward to passing Surface and Air Transportation Legislation that will work for Texans. In addition, I have been working with the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to craft the next Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill.

The process of creating a successor to the current surface transportation legislation, Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU), is both necessary due to an upcoming expiration and to modernize our formulas for creating an infrastructure network for years to come.

The full text of the SAFETEA-LU legislation can be read here: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/legis.htm

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our district's priorities for transportation and infrastructure. I appreciate your participation in the legislative process.
In the coming year, I look forward to passing Surface and Air Transportation Legislation that will work for Texans. In addition, I have been working with the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to craft the next Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill. The process of creating a successor to the current surface transportation legislation, Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU), is both necessary due to an upcoming expiration and to modernize our formulas for creating an infrastructure network for years to come.The full text of the SAFETEA-LU legislation can be read here: Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our district's priorities for transportation and infrastructure. I appreciate your participation in the legislative process.

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