A new plan to reauthorize national surface transportation funding and infrastructure investment includes funding for several key Arizona projects pushed by Rep. Greg Stanton. The Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act authorizes nearly $547 billion over five years to address some of the nation’s most urgent infrastructure needs.
This year, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee formally accepted requests for projects from House Members for consideration to be included in the final surface transportation bill text.
Stanton, the only Arizona member on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has made it a top priority to push for short and long-term investments in projects that would benefit the state. Six of the projects Stanton proposed in partnership with state and local government agencies were included in the legislation:
- $4 million for the Tempe/Mesa Streetcar Rio Salado East Extension (Cites of Mesa and Tempe)
- $5 million for the I-10-SR387 Traffic Interchange (Arizona Department of Transportation, Gila River Indian Community, and Maricopa Association of Governments)
- $5 million for 56th Street Roadway Mobility and Safety Improvements (City of Phoenix)
- $1.1 million for 77th Street Access Improvements (City of Scottsdale)
- $1.758 million for the Kyrene Branch Canal Shared Use Path (City of Chandler)
- $2.5 million for the Lake Powell Roundabout (City of Page)
“As one of the fastest growing states in the country, Arizona needs its fair share of federal resources to make sure our infrastructure can keep up with our population. I fought to make sure key investments were included in the infrastructure bill that will make a difference in our communities—investments to expand public transit, build and repair roads on tribal lands, and improve road safety. These projects are good for Arizonans and good for our economy,” said Stanton.
The bill will be marked up by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday and Thursday. A fact sheet for the INVEST in America Act is available HERE, a section-by-section is available HERE, and full bill text is available HERE.