PROVIDENCE – Smart Growth America has given Rhode Island top marks in its latest report for investing all of its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money in repairing roads, instead of building new ones.
The report, “Recent Lessons from the Stimulus: Transportation Funding and Job Creation,” gives Rhode Island a seven-way tie for first place for investing 100 percent of its ARRA road allocation, totaling $137.4 million, for repair and maintenance and investing 7.6 percent in transit and non motorized transportation projects.
Smart Growth ranked states poorly if they spent more on building new roads and bridges; the report cites research by the University of Massachusetts that show repair work generates 16 percent more jobs per dollar than new bridge and road construction.
Repair projects employ a wider variety of workers, spend less money on land and more on wages and reduce the amount of time spent on plans and permits, SGA said.
“We think [R.I. Department of Transportation] Director Michael Lewis has it right when he is often heard saying that Rhode Island’s growth will be in transit, not new roads,” said Geoff Anderson, president and CEO of Smart Growth America.
“If Rhode Island can continue its focus on accelerating repair and maintenance and expanding access to public transportation – while minimizing transportation-related borrowing and debt service – then we believe that the state can bring its transportation infrastructure in a state of good repair, put people back to work and expand economic opportunity,” he said.
Rhode Island split the No. 1 spot with Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maine, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota and Vermont. It earned the No. 9 spot for percent of funding spent on public transportation and non-motorized projects.
