Obama's Budget Proposes Big Spending on Transportation

Ben Goldman details the President's 2013 budget request, which is loaded with transportation spending. The question, of course, is whether the budget is merely a campaign platform or a realistic template for Congress to work from?

February 15, 2012, 6am PST | Jonathan Nettler | @nettsj

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."

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Obama Budget Proposes $476 Billion for Transportation Over Six Years

Published on Monday, February 13, 2012 in Streetsblog D.C.