Backing the Infrastructure Bank

The Los Angeles Times is standing behind President Barack Obama's recently announced infrastructure bank proposal, but not just because it could boost transit in L.A.

1 minute read

September 9, 2010, 9:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


The infrastructure bank idea being pushed by the Obama administration would help Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's 30/10 Plan, the idea to concentrate 30 years worth of transportation projects into the next ten years. The newspaper's editorial board supports the plan.

"Obama's infrastructure bank proposal, too, would probably be taken up as part of the transportation bill. Republicans are already lining up against it, saying the bank could expose taxpayers to heavy financial risks. That could be true, although everything depends on how the bank is structured. We think the idea is well worth exploring, and not just because it could accelerate L.A.'s transit improvement schedule and create thousands of local jobs by financing the 30/10 initiative. Such a bank would allocate transportation funding based on merit rather than political patronage, a fairer and more efficient way of keeping the country moving."

Thursday, September 9, 2010 in Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Archway made of bikes in Knoxville, Tennessee over Tennessee River.

Knoxville Dedicates $1M to New Greenway

The proposed greenway would run along North Broadway and connect to 125 miles of existing trails.

4 seconds ago - WATE

25mph speed limit sign with digital "Your Speed" sign below it.

Philadelphia Launches ‘Speed Slots’ Traffic Calming Pilot

The project focuses on a 1.4-mile stretch of Lincoln Drive where cars frequently drive above the posted speed limit.

2 hours ago - WHYY

UPS delivery cargo bike with covered front seat in New York City

NYC Delivery ‘Microhubs’ Aim to Cut Down on Truck Pollution

The hubs are designed to provide parking for large delivery trucks, which can pass on their cargo to bikes or other zero-emission vehicles.

4 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive