Despite Crumbling Infrastructure, in 2008 Only About 10 Percent of Transportation Earmark Dollars Went to Repairs
BRIDGEPORT, Dec. 14 – ConnPIRG joins Congressman Jim Himes and Mayor Bill Finch at the Congress Street Bridge to release a new report and praise their efforts to secure funding for the reconstruction of the bridge.
The nation has 73,000 crumbling bridges and 358 of those are in Connecticut. But year after year startlingly few federal transportation dollars go to fixing them.
In 2008, for example, just a few months after the tragic Minneapolis bridge collapse which killed 13 and sparked alarm and outrage across the country, Congress directed only 74 of the 704 highway projects earmarked in the transportation appropriations bill to repair or maintain a bridge, tunnel, or overpass.
Only about ten percent of the projects, and about ten percent of the funding, focused on fixing the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. Most of the $570 million went for new highways and other new construction.
Millions of dollars also flowed in another direction… from highway construction companies and the trade associations that represent them to the campaign coffers of elected officials. Were those dollars “greasing the wheels” in our state and federal capitols?
ConnPIRG’s new report, Greasing the Wheels: the Crossroads of Campaign Money and Transportation Policy looks at the 2008 transportation appropriations bill using data never before available, laying out the details of Congress’ earmark requests. The report, released on Monday, also examines the campaign contributions from highway construction interests both here in Connecticut and nationally.
"The Congress Street bridge is an incredible symbol of the neglect of Connecticut's and our nation's bridges. We have a political system that frequently favors new highway construction over necessary bridge repairs," said ConnPIRG Transportation Associate Jeff Musto.
"The total amount of taxpayer funds earmarked by members of Congress in 2008 for highway projects was nearly $600 million. That $600 million could have brought 20 structurally deficient bridges per state or two bridges per Congressional district into a state of good repair that year," he continued.
“The current political system skews transportation spending toward road-widening and new highway projects favored by developers, road builders and the other interests who make campaign contributions,” he added.
"We applaud Congressman Himes and Mayor Finch for their hard work to secure funding for the Congress Street Bridge. Their leadership provides an example for public officials throughout the country to follow in seeking out funding for over 73,000 bridges that are neglected in this country," said ConnPIRG's Jeff Musto.
“We need to clean up the campaign finance system so that lawmakers can focus on the needs of the public rather than their major donors," he concluded.
Greasing the Wheels: the Crossroads of Campaign Money and Transportation Policy report, is available here.
