The potential of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is most unrealized as the federal government mobilizes the details of the $1.2 trillion bill. President Joe Biden signed the bill in November 2021.
Writing for Route Fifty, Kery Murakami checks in with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a year after the historic $1.2 trillion bill was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. On one hand, reports Kurakami, local officials tout the bill’s potential to improve long-neglected infrastructure around the country. On the other hand, “changes are needed to help with the rollout of all the new funding, including speeding up permitting for transportation projects and making it simpler for local governments to apply for the grants,” writes Murakami.
The article digs specifically into some of the specific details of permitting requirements, especially under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The IIJA made tangible changes to the NEPA process, including a requirement for “federal agencies to consider the ‘indirect’ and ‘cumulative’ environmental effects of projects and not just the direct ones.” Republicans will try to undo those changes, reports Murkami. The IIJA also added the One Federal Decision, “which requires federal agencies to coordinate their environmental reviews.”
Sources cited in the article include U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Maryland); U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota); Jim Willox, chairman of the Converse County Commission in Wyoming; Michael Carroll, deputy managing director of the Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems; and Jacob Day, mayor of Salisbury, Maryland.
While the article also mentions a few specific programs funded by the IIJA, like Buy America requirements, $5 billion to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and the Transportation Alternatives program (doubled by the IIJA), most of details of implementation remain conceptual, and have yet to materialize in tangible, built projects.
FULL STORY: The Infrastructure Law, One Year In
Year in Review: Urban Planning in 2021
Part one of two of Planetizen's review of 2021—re-assessing failed predictions and daylighting the biggest planning stories of the year.
Key Details of the $1.2 Trillion Federal Infrastructure Bill
With President Joe Biden scheduled to sign the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act today in Washington, D.C., Planetizen shares insight into the fine print of the historic bill.
Historic 'Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act' Passes Final Hurdle in Congress, Heads to Biden for Signature
Months after the Senate voted to approve the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in a historic moment of bipartisan legislation, the House of Representatives put the finishing touches on a $1.2 trillion bill with $550 million in new spending.
The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.
America’s Best New Bike Lanes
PeopleForBikes highlights some of the most exciting new bike infrastructure projects completed in 2022.
Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.
L.A. County Towns Clash Over Homelessness Policies
Local governments often come to different conclusions about how to address homelessness within their respective borders, but varying approaches only exacerbate the problem.
A Mixed-Use Vision for Houston Landfill Site
A local nonprofit is urging the city to consider adding mixed-use development to the site, which city officials plan to turn into a stormwater detention facility.
Milwaukee County Makes Substantial Progress on Homelessness
In 2022, the county’s point-in-time count of unhoused people reflected just 18 individuals, the lowest in the country.
Town of Palm Beach
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
