Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
AASHTO

AASHTO Stimulus Report Omits Jobs Data Comparing Transit With Roads

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the trade group representing state DOTs in Washington, yesterday unveiled a website
and report billed as a one-year "progress report" on the White House's $34.3 billion in formula-based transportation stimulus spending.

cityroom_20090914_ahill_85420_Mino_large.png(Photo: WBEZ)

AASHTO's report, citing data furnished to Congress, noted that 77 percent of the stimulus' formula money has been spent on contracts "out to bid" and estimated that 280,000 "highway and transit jobs" were directly created by the transportation spending.

Interestingly, the group's chart [PDF] showing state-by-state progress on transportation stimulus omits the estimates of jobs created by each category of spending -- perhaps because a December analysis of those totals showed that transit was a more cost-effective employment generator than road projects.

Overall, the report attempts to make a case for more investment in infrastructure as part of a second round of job-creation legislation, using anecdotes from state DOT officials and local construction workers who claimed a steady paycheck thanks to the stimulus law. 

"Although transportation received only 6 percent of
total [stimulus] funding, it represents more than 24 percent of the
jobs created by the Act so far," AASHTO executive director John Horsley
wrote in his introduction to the report.

But the group made no direct call for an end to the stalemate over long-term transportation policymaking, supporting only an end to the short-term extensions of the 2005 infrastructure law that have occupied Congress since the fall. With the political climate crying out for a deal on transport financing that can drive broad reform of the existing, bloated system, AASHTO's priorities appear squarely in favor of ... maintaining that system.

From its report (emphasis mine):

[S]tates are hopeful that Congress will turn its attention away from temporary funding streams and toward the longer-term solutions that are desperately needed. Even with the stimulus, states have barely been able to keep up with continually rising traffic demand, and no one expects the country to lose population or see a reduction in vehicle miles traveled any time soon.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Headlines Turn Up the Heat

Triple-digit heat, fueled by climate change, is warping rail lines, interrupting construction work on transit lines and causing burns on sidewalks.

July 16, 2024

These Are the Most Dangerous Congressional Districts for Pedestrians

The deadliest congressional districts in America are dominated by BIPOC communities — and federal officials need to step up to save the most vulnerable road users.

July 16, 2024

Delivery Worker Minimum Wage Shows Promise … For Some, Data Shows

New data from New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection shows minimum wage is bringing order to a previously wild industry.

July 15, 2024

Monday’s Headlines Go Through Basic Training

An NYU study looks into why the U.S. is lagging behind on high-speed rail, and one transportation expert ponders the impact on growth.

July 15, 2024

Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Sustainable Urban Design

A new book hopes to act as a "magic decoder ring" to our built environment — and a powerful tool to understand how sustainable transportation networks can fit within them.

July 15, 2024
See all posts