zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
House Democrats Introduce $547 Billion Surface Transportation Plan: Report
House Democrats Introduce $547 Billion Surface Transportation Plan: Report-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:19

Image for article titled House Democrats Introduce $547 Billion Surface Transportation Plan: Report

By this point, most of us are familiar with President Joe Biden’s that pours trillions of dollars into the roads in the United States, including the introduction of a comprehensive electric vehicle charging network. Now, a group of House Democrats have introduced a $547 plan to revamp surface transportation infrastructure, reports.

That’s a big change from Biden’s original $2 trillion figure, but this current plan is nowhere near as comprehensive as what Biden was proposing before. Rather, it’s something of a sub-plan—it’ll end up being part of the larger infrastructure plan, but this committee is focusing on two of the bigger issues plaguing Americans today: an outdated road network and a lack of public transportation.

Here’s a little more from the Reuters story:

House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio said in a statement the proposal seizes on a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to move our transportation planning out of the 1950s and toward our clean energy future.”

[...]

The plan introduced by DeFazio and other senior committee Democrats would authorize $343 billion for roads, bridges and safety - including $4 billion in electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The panel will hold a June 9 hearing on the proposal to consider amendments.

DeFazio’s plan also calls for $109 billion for transit and $95 billion for rail, including tripling funding for U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak to $32 billion. It would require Amtrak to set aside at least 2.5% of all annual government funding “to enhance the passenger experience on long-distance routes.”

Part of that initiative is, of course, electric. $4.1 billion would be set aside for the buying of electric transit buses. A $500 million grant program is being designed to prevent gridlock in packed cities, and another $1 billion is dedicated to addressing the shortage of parking for commercial vehicles. And yes, there’s quite a bit more to hash out, since the plan runs on for a massive 1,249 pages.

Why revamp the roads now? The influx of EVs demands it, especially as we transition from small electric cars to larger forms of commercial transportation. The battery packs that power these machines are heavy and pose a threat to our already crumbling roadways. Yes, a charging network remains important—but we do kind of need to fix our roads before we hit that point.

Of course, there’s been pushback. House Republicans have already nicknamed the proposal “a new ‘My Way or the Highway Bill,’” citing two big issues: funding and other infrastructure concerns.

We’ll start with that last one. The argument House Republicans are making is that this bill prioritizes green energy so highly that it’s actually detrimental to other aspects of infrastructure. We’ll likely see a counterproposal and other counterarguments in the next few days.

And there’s always an issue with payment. More public works projects generally result in higher taxes, which is generally a pretty contentious issue. Whether those funds are gained by taxing commercial truck driving or raising corporate tax rates remains to be seen, but you can absolutely expect that to be a sticking point as this proposal is opened up to amendments and criticisms on June 9.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
closed its São Bernardo Plant in November 2023, marking the end of its first overseas production facility. The closure caps off a period of continuous car production in São Paolo, , lasting over 60 years. The plant was home to a Komatsu 700-ton press that predates itself. And now...
Jul 13, 2025
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
MotorWeek’s is some of the on the internet. The long-running automotive news magazine has a treasure trove of tests after being on the air for over 40 years. Where else can you find detailed instrumented testing of long-forgotten cars like the or a ? MotorWeek’s recent Retro Review upload is...
Jul 13, 2025
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
At long last, we are about to get behind the wheel of for the first time. Sure, , and sure, , and sure , but hey — what can you do? Anyway, before we get behind the wheel of this three-row electric beast, we want to know what you...
Jul 13, 2025
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I love tiny, of . I have a that is roughly half the size of a normal cat, and she’s perfect. I own a 2013 , which is like the miniature version of a normal-sized vehicle (at least here in Texas) — but beyond that, I also own a Hot...
Jul 13, 2025
Subaru Had It Right All Along
Subaru Had It Right All Along
When first came to the United States, it sold small funky cars that were decidedly un-American. As the company grew its own identity and became more established in the U.S., it became the first automaker to offer an all-wheel-drive passenger car in 1975. Subaru was also an early-adopter of...
Jul 13, 2025
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I have two automotive loves: The first is the Miata, the second is off-road racing. For a while I raced air-cooled Volkswagens in the deserts of California and Nevada and I was lucky enough to co-drive in a class 11 stock bug in the Baja 1000 a few years...
Jul 13, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved