LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Lawmakers are expected to make headway on President Joe Biden's $2.3 trillion dollar infrastructure proposal this week, as Arkansas' aging infrastructure made headlines with the discovery of a large crack in the Interstate 40 Hernando de Soto Bridge across the Mississippi River that led to its indefinite closure last week.

Ed Mortimer, vice president of transportation and infrastructure for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said shipping and supply-chain disruptions will likely become more common if significant spending isn't directed toward major transportation improvements.

"Because of our inadequate infrastructure at the moment, we lose $170 billion annually in lost productivity," Mortimer stated.

Senate Republicans are soon expected to deliver a revised version of the proposal to the president.

Greg Regan, president of the Transportation Trades Department for the AFL-CIO, said the issue is closely tied to good jobs.

"I would say every single job in this country, at some level, is directly connected to our infrastructure system," Regan asserted. "Whether it's because people use it, or the people that build and operate and maintain it. And everybody suffers when we have this level of neglect."

Mortimer added decades of underfunding and deferred maintenance have pushed infrastructure across the nation to the brink of failure.

"So we need to make these investments now," Mortimer contended. "To make sure we are getting the best out of our national network, we're competing in a global economy, and we have an improved quality of life for every single American."

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, driving on roads in need of repair in Arkansas costs each driver $671 per year. Around 5% of bridges are rated structurally deficient, and 193 dams are considered to be high-hazard potential.

A REASONS TO BE CHEERFFUL/SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM NETWORK/WISCONSIN NEWS CONNCECTION COLLABORATION

Milwaukee is tied to a wave of freeway removals in the United States designed to reverse-engineer an era of car-centric urban planning. Supporters hope federal support will propel the momentum.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes $3 billion for not only improving roads, but also removing, replacing or retrofitting highways and freeways to improve connectivity in communities awarded grants. There's hope Milwaukee will see more of that work, much like the teardown of the city's Park East freeway.

Gregg May, transportation policy director with the group 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, said the 20-year-old project proved a lot of doubters wrong.

"There was a lot of hoopla then about what kind of traffic nightmares would come, how it could possibly destroy the downtown," he said. "And now, I think there's not anybody who would like to bring that highway spur back."

The move led to a mix of indoor and outdoor entertainment and community spaces, including the new Milwaukee Bucks arena. There's a push to carry out a similar effort for Interstate 794 within the city. Leaders believe it could provide space for housing, enhance connections between parks and trails, and reduce emissions.

Planning experts say the U.S. highway system was never meant to cut through dense urban neighborhoods. But in the process, these areas - often communities of color - were burdened by physical and social ills exacerbated by highway construction. May says that was the case in Milwaukee.

"To build this highway system," he said, "we completely took a sledgehammer to Bronzeville, which was the most prosperous and vibrant Black neighborhood in the state."

Large residential sections of the city were razed for big road projects that never came to fruition. While groups such as May's want to see more interstate removal, another highway project in Milwaukee has been announced, with transportation officials saying it could ease traffic and improve safety. But it faces pushback, with opponents favoring more pedestrian, transit and bike-friendly features.

This story was produced with original reporting from Edgar Mendez for Reasons to be Cheerful, an online news magazine.


get more stories like this via email

One Arizona mayor is among the more than 2,800 elected city officials in Washington, D.C., this week for The National League of Cities' Congressional City Conference.

The conference is an opportunity for local leaders to meet with federal officials to discuss how federal policies make their way to local governments.

Roberta Cano, mayor of Winslow, said it is her second time attending the conference, which she called a "springboard" for projects in her community, one of which is a levee Winslow is trying to improve after being decertified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 2008.

She noted with the help of leaders at the Capitol, they have started the process to get the levee fixed.

"We were able to have a strong enough voice to get awarded $66 million to start the design and process to get our levee fixed," Cano reported. "Once that is repaired and is certified and all to protect our city, our economy is just going to boom."

Cano pointed out since the decertification of the levee, 90% of Winslow residents have had to get flood insurance on top of their regular home insurance, which she added has put a hefty financial burden on many.

Cano emphasized events such as the conference offer smaller cities like hers the ability to learn about federal funding and programs which otherwise would have gone unknown. Cano added it is a great chance to get to speak with other local leaders about the challenges they are facing and the solutions they are implementing.

"I pick everybody's brain as much as I can to deal with issues like recycling and housing, and even our fentanyl drug issues," Cano stated. "You want to talk about the most dynamic people in one setting, come to this conference, and you will just feel this energy. It'll blow you away."

Cano and other mayors will head to the Capitol today to meet with federal leaders and share infrastructure plans, following the recent two-year anniversary of the American Rescue Plan.


get more stories like this via email

A Minnesota bill could surface as early as this week, calling for a proposed tax increase to fund transportation needs.

Advocates and local government leaders hope lawmakers hear calls from the public to offer a range of options for residents to get around.

Transportation remains one of the issues still being debated in the current legislative session.

Sam Rockwell, executives director of the group Move Minnesota, said its recent polling indicates a majority of Minnesotans want to see more flexibility in how transit funds are spent.

"We saw 66% of Minnesotans," said Rockwell, "supporting shifting funding to support biking, walking and transit."

About 55% said they would support a regional sales tax to fund metro-area transit improvements. That's one of the recommendations from Rockwell's group to boost options.

While Democrats control the Legislature and the governor's office, it's unclear how transportation funding will come together. Republicans blocked a bonding bill, which included money for things such as walking trails, citing the need for tax relief first.

Bloomington City Council Member Patrick Martin said providing more efficient and accessible transportation options can help in a variety of ways, including helping business corridors.

"The development possibilities it opens up," said Martin, "knowing, you can say, reduced parking because there's reliable transportation nearby."

Nearly one third of Minnesotans said they would be more likely to use buses and trains if there were greater access in their neighborhoods.

Rockwell suggested that following up on that demand could help reduce emissions and personal budgets, because people wouldn't have to rely on cars as much.

"Being able to rely on your feet, on a bicycle, on the bus and the train," said Rockwell, "brings those transportation costs down."




get more stories like this via email