Capitol Hill: Safety Not Quite First

Posted by: Alek Miller

13 November 2009 - 9:00am

On the heels of the fatal bridge collapse in Minnesota, last year, lawmakers allotted just 11 percent of transportation spending to bridge repair.

"Today's report, produced by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), contrasts the low amounts lawmakers set aside for bridge repair with the flood of campaign contributions sent their way by highway, development, automobile, and construction groups.

During the election cycle that reached its peak in 2008, the year that bridge repairs accounted for 74 of Congress' 704 transportation earmarks, U.S. PIRG found that road-building interests steered $80.3 million to federal campaigns."

Full Story: Report: After MN collapse, Bridge Repair Got Just 11% of D.C. Earmarks

Source: Streetsblog Los Angeles, November 12, 2009