Bipartisan Infrastructure Coalition Applauds President Obama's Bold New Transportation Investments and Reforms

Washington, DC – President Barack Obama announced a robust and reformed transportation infrastructure plan today that will focus on fixing America’s roads, railways and runways, investing more wisely, and establishing a National Infrastructure Bank. In response, Building America's Future released the following statement:

“We applaud President Obama for announcing a bold course to rebuild America’s infrastructure during these difficult economic times,” said Governor Ed Rendell (D-Pennsylvania), co-chair of Building America’s Future. “A reformed, robust transportation infrastructure program will speed needed repairs for our crumbling assets, eliminate time Americans waste in traffic, and establish a true high-speed passenger rail network. We are a nation of innovators and builders, and the President’s announcement will mean that thousands of Americans will go back to work to repair and rebuild our nation’s infrastructure.”

“We at Building America’s Future believe it is critical that our country not only fix our aging roads and bridges, but also modernize our airports and invest in high speed rail,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I-New York City), co-chair of Building America’s Future. “President Obama is right to focus now on long-term infrastructure investments. The challenge is to find the money, and we look forward to helping with that.”

For the last 18 months, Building America’s Future has made the case to the White House and Congress that we invest in infrastructure based on merit, rather than politics. The President’s commitment to establishing a National Infrastructure Bank is exactly the kind of new thinking needed to leverage federal dollars, attract private capital, and invest these dollars on projects of regional and national significance.

Building America’s Future looks forward to seeing additional details about the President’s plan in the days and weeks ahead. Congress should move swiftly and boldly to take up these challenges.

Building America’s Future is a national and bipartisan infrastructure coalition dedicated to smart investment and reform – energy systems, roads and bridges, mass transit, water and sewer systems, rail, ports, airports, levees and dams, schools and housing – to enhance the quality of life and safety of our communities, create jobs and economic growth, and promote energy independence. Founded in 2008, Building America’s Future is co-chaired by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-California), Governor Ed Rendell (D-Pennsylvania), and Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I-New York City).