Federal stimulus money for public transportation creates twice as many jobs as stimulus for the nation’s highways, according to new analysis of last year’s federal stimulus package by three advocacy groups.
Every billion dollars of investment nationwide from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act on public transportation created 16,419 total months of labor, while every billion dollars of investment on highway infrastructure created only 8,781, according to the study.
It was conducted by the Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology, along with Smart Growth America and U.S. PIRG.
That’s because public transportation projects don’t typically require purchasing new land for expansion, and because public transit programs can be more complex, they require more man-hours.
The groups say the numbers are evidence the Senate should increase the investment in public transportation in the Jobs for Main Street Act. The House passed the bill in December, and the Senate is expected to take it up early this year.
The House’s version of the bill allots $27.1 billion for road infrastructure, while only $8.4 billion for public transportation.
“This is a no-brainer. Senators Durbin and Burris can ensure more jobs are created right here in Illinois building the transportation system we need for the 21st century,” Scott Bernstein, President of the Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology, said in a press release.
“If we are serious about creating jobs and bringing about the economic recovery Illinois desperately needs, they will insist on investing a greater percentage of the transportation funds in public transportation. Who is against more jobs?”
Windy Citizen 