Press release:
“Investing in America’s infrastructure will help grow our economy and improve the day-to-day lives of Western New Yorkers,” Congressman Chris Collins said. “This bipartisan legislation makes tremendous strides in modernizing America’s transportation policy, supports good-paying jobs, and implements vital reforms to jumpstart infrastructure projects in our region.”
Several key provisions of the legislation will benefit Western New York. The bill:
· Provides certainty to states and local governments by funding highway projects for five years;
· Exempts dairy trucks from certain federal trucking weight limits, allowing them to efficiently transport their products;
· Streamlines existing regulatory requirements for transportation projects, increasing efficiency and expediting the process;
· Funds the 5340 High Density States program, which guarantees New York’s mass transit agencies access to the funding they need;
· Reauthorizes the Export-Import Bank, protecting more than 3,700 jobs in Western New York and 25 exporting small businesses in New York’s 27th District; and
· Converts the current Surface Transportation Program (STP) to a block grant program, which will provide states and local governments more flexibility in their transportation spending. Fifty percent of the program’s funding is specifically targeted toward local governments and that grows by 5 percent over the five-year span of the bill.
Full text of the legislation can be read here.
