Obama's Budget Proposes Big Spending on Transportation

On the plus side, as Goldman reports, the President has backed up his past rhetoric with, "a proposed $476 billion investment in transportation over six years. High-speed rail, mass transit, and bridge repair would get a big boost under Obama's plan, which is paid for primarily by war savings as America's troop presence is drawn down in Afghanistan."

Of importance to mass transit and non-motorized transportation advocates, the budget proposal would improve the current 80-20 ratio of highway to transit funding to 75-25, with the Livable Communities program receiving $27 billion over six years.

Of course, Goldman notes that, "The bad news is that his proposal is mostly a political gesture. Both the House and the Senate are getting ready to debate their own multi-year transportation bills this week, neither of which comes close to the scope of Obama's proposal."