APWA Applauds Congress for Bipartisan Passage of Five-Year, $305 Billion Surface Transportation Reauthorization FAST Act
WASHINGTON D.C. – The American Public Works Association (APWA) applauds today the Congressional bipartisan passage of the five-year, $305 billion surface transportation reauthorization of the FAST Act, or the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, in time for the President to sign the bill before the prior short stopgap measure expires. The FAST Act authorizes about $225 billion for highways, $61 billion for public transit, $10 billion for Amtrak, and $5 billion for highway safety programs.
“APWA commends the Senate and House leaders who guided the timely passage of the FAST Act, including House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.),” said APWA President Brian Usher, PWLF, Public Works Director of Largo, Fla. “This bill provides the streamlined project approval processes that state and local governments need to provide Americans with the transportation systems necessary for economic prosperity,” Usher said.
“A majority of APWA members have a direct interest and/or involvement in transportation issues, which are often affected by the federal transportation funding in order to design, plan, build and maintain public infrastructure projects. The FAST Act provides financial security for the programs that sustain our roads, bridges, transit and passenger rail system, which will work to keep the U.S. economy globally competitive,” Usher said.
The FAST Act is an authorizing bill that provides five years of federal funding through 2020 at an increase from current funding levels. It is funded by the Federal Reserve surplus fund and a reduction in the dividend that national banks receive from the Federal Reserve.
For more information about APWA, visit the website at www.apwa.net. For media queries, contact APWA Media Relations/Communications Manager, Laura Bynum, M.A. at[email protected], or by phone at: 202.218.6736.
About APWA
The American Public Works Association (www.apwa.net) is a not-for-profit, international organization of more than 28,700 members involved in the field of public works. APWA serves its members by promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge. APWA is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, has an office in Washington, D.C. and 63 chapters in North America.
