Transportation for America’s latest report highlights the need for fiscal responsibility to meet the country’s transportation goals.
When the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed in 2021, the Biden administration lauded it as a major win for the U.S. transportation system. This massive investment of taxpayer funds was intended to support emissions reduction and modernize American infrastructure. Instead, it’s given us more of the same.
A new report from Transportation for America, Fueling the Crisis, found that in the first three years of the IIJA, a significant amount of funding has gone to road expansion projects that will do little to save taxpayers time and money—and will likely increase harmful emissions.
Thanks to the bill’s lack of substantial guardrails, state DOTs have spent 32% of highway formula funds on projects that expand road capacity, potentially adding up to 77 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions over pre-IIJA emissions levels. These emissions, from existing investments alone, are equivalent to the output of 20 coal-fired power plants running for a full year.
“Until we stop doing the same things and expecting different results, American taxpayers will continue to pay for a transportation system that fails to meet their needs and leads to worse climate outcomes,” said Beth Osborne, Vice President of Transportation & Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America.
Americans should be able to trust that their investments will lead to a stronger transportation system—with more roads and bridges in good condition, more ways to travel safely and conveniently, and improved access to economic opportunity. Transportation for America’s recommendations call for just that.
Read the report