The Presidential Election and the Future of America's Transportation

The federal transportation spending bill will be up for reauthorization in 2009. The fate of the nation's transportation will hinge on how this bill is reworked, which will largely be determined by who wins this November's presidential election.

October 17, 2008, 7am PDT | Nate Berg

"It would take $1.6 trillion over five years to address the nation's infrastructure problems, according to a 2005 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers, which gave the country's system a 'D.'"

"Both presidential candidates have acknowledged the importance of rebuilding the roads and rails, but have offered very different solutions. John McCain, the Republican nominee, advocates shifting financing from earmarks to high-priority projects, while Barack Obama, his Democratic challenger, would create a federally-funded bank to invest in improvement projects."

"Whoever wins will have to address the issue next year since Congress must reauthorize the federal transportation spending law, which expires in September 2009. The current law, approved in 2005, allocates $286 billion to highway and transportation projects."

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Your vote, your crummy highways

Published on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 in CNN Money