PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island has $281 million in road projects that could get started in less than six months and create hundreds of jobs, an association of local transportation officials said Wednesday.
The figure, which represents the combined cost of 17 proposed projects, was released by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in advance of the “jobs summit” that President Barack Obama will hold at the White House on Thursday. Top Democrats in Congress say they hope to pass a jobs bill early next year.
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The group’s survey of transportation departments found that states have $69.5 billion in road, airport and rail projects that are “ready to go” if federal funding for them was made available. Massachusetts said it could do 58 highway projects at a cost of $500 million.
“There is still a need to invest more in transportation projects if that’s what it takes to create jobs and bring unemployment down,” John Horsley, the Washington, D.C.-based association’s executive director, said in a statement.
The $787 billion economic stimulus package Obama signed in February included $48.1 billion for transportation work. The group said 10,600 projects with a combined cost of more than $30 billion had been approved as of Nov. 20.
In addition to the $47.26 billion in highway projects awaiting funding, the states said they could use $9.8 billion for transit, $3.5 billion for rail and $1.8 billion for aviation.
Projects that are “ready to go” could move through the federal approval process within 120 days of enactment of authorizing legislation, the association said.
You know what? This is all fine and dandy if you work for the DOT or are a heavy construction worker, etc. Using the stimulus money to create jobs just in this sector does not help the majority of citizens of the State of RI. What happens to these jobs once the projects are over and there is no more federal money??? I’ll tell you what…no new REAL and LASTING jobs will have been created. We will be in the same situation again several years down the road if we don’t use the money for innovative technologies and new business.
I bet that if they’d spent the money somewhere else, you’d complain endlessly about how the terrible state of the roads stifles any long term economic activity instead. I say: good for them. At least this way, something of civic value comes out of the deal, but apparently we have to listen to everyone groan over it anyhow.