Today, President Obama announced the launch of the Build America Investment Initiative, a new government-wide initiative to invest in the nation’s transportation infrastructure by expanding opportunities for the public and private sectors to partner and better leverage each other’s resources to grow jobs and strengthen the economy.
In addition, the initiative will create the Build America Transportation Investment Center within the US Department of Transportation, tasked with providing cities and states with both the tools and other forms of technical assistance needed to create innovative financing solutions such as TIFIA to fund transportation infrastructure improvements and the support necessary to remove regulatory barriers that prevent the public and private sectors from collaborating on ways to fund infrastructure.
LOCUS President Chris Leinberger and Managing Director Christopher Coes issued the following statement:
“We applaud the administration’s announcement of this government-led effort to encourage greater private-sector investment in America’s infrastructure. Across the country, LOCUS members and local communities are looking for innovative tools and resources to meet market demand for great walkable communities. Initiatives such as the Build America Investment Transportation Investment Center are critical to educating and mobilizing the public and private sectors around effective strategies and new partnerships that will lead to greater investment in America’s infrastructure.
We look forward to working with this administration and with USDOT to ensure that the Build America Investment Initiative and any related efforts are successful.”