Obama's Exploding Transportation Budget

When you look at Obama's $3.73 trillion, 2012 budget proposal, with EPA down 11% and HUD down 16%, one department stands out - transportation, increasing 68%. Yonah Freemark looks at some of the details in his transportation budget proposal.

February 16, 2011, 2pm PST | Irvin Dawid

"Funding for most programs would increase temporarily under this plan, falling back to more typical levels by FY 2013. The Administration is hoping to use this year's transportation budget as a sort of second stimulus, and the $50 billion in new funding would include some measures that replicate what was seen in the first stimulus."

See the graph of the transportation agencies that shows the increased sums for 2012 that are dramatically reduced the following year. The largest increase, $30 billion goes to the Federal Highway Administration. Federal Transit Administration budget increases by $10 billion.

Also see the chart showing New Starts funding, the largest being the LIRR East Side Access at $215 million followed by Second Ave. subway at $197 million (see Planetizen: New York City Rail Projects Win Huge Federal Funding Awards).

Transportation budget total is $128.6 billion. For entire budget proposal (OMB), see Highlights of Obama's $3.73 trillion budget (AP).

Thanks to The Transport Politic

Full Story:

Breaking Down the Department of Transportation’s Proposed 2012 Budget

Published on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 in theTransportPolitic