A new task force will prioritize equity and economic opportunity when deciding on projects as the District prepares to receive its slice of federal infrastructure money, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser said Thursday.
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The District is slated to receive $3 billion in funding over five years from the law, money that Bowser (D) said will help to accelerate critical fixes to roads and bridges, improve transit, and advance energy, environmental and broadband projects.
Bowser said the task force of public- and private-sector experts will lead the city through the “transformational” federal program, helping to prioritize projects and ensure the money is used effectively. The $1 trillion package is expected to provide a boost across the greater Washington region, which is slated to receive at least $18 billion for roads and transit over five years, according to documents from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform our infrastructure, to get people back to work and to get people better connected across our city,” Bowser said at a news conference at Union Station, a transportation hub that is line for a major overhaul.
The infrastructure package, signed into law by President Biden in November, gives cities across the country a major boost in funding for roads, bridges, pipes, ports and Internet connections.
Jenny Reed, director of the D.C. Office of Budget and Performance Management who also is serving as staff director to the task force, said the $3 billion will grow spending for capital projects by 30 percent. The District’s capital budget is $9.5 billion over five years.
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In considering which projects to prioritize, the D.C. task force will consider those that would bring the most economic opportunity to disadvantaged communities and create equity among D.C. neighborhoods and residents, Bowser said.
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About $1.3 billion will be used to restore roads and bridges. Eight city bridges and more than 402 road miles that are in poor condition could benefit, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation report. Reed said at a D.C. Council meeting last week the city plans to spend $225 million of the infrastructure money to bring structurally deficient bridges into a state of good repair.
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About $85 million will go to improving traffic safety and supporting the city’s Vision Zero program, which aims to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries. Another $17 million will go to building a network of electric vehicle charging stations across major corridors and in residential areas, and to accelerate the electrification of school buses and D.C. Circulator fleet, according to city budget documents.
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D.C. leaders say the new funding will help to speed work on repairing aging and inadequate transportation infrastructure much more quickly.
D.C. Water and the Department of Energy and Environment will receive $143 million to accelerate the removal of lead pipes, while the department will get another $62 million to clean rivers and other bodies of water in the city. Some infrastructure money will support making the energy grid more resilient to storms and flooding, while other projects will give more residents access to broadband.
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“While we are still learning a lot about the programs and the funding and the specific requirements, we do know that there are a lot of things that we can start to do right now,” Reed told city leaders. “The bipartisan infrastructure law is going to bring a significant amount of investment into the District to improve infrastructure across the board.”
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Across the Potomac River, Virginia is expecting to receive about $8.9 billion over five years from the transportation funding in the package, including for highway repairs and transit. The funding could help to repair 577 bridges and more than 2,100 miles of roadway deemed to be in poor condition, according to federal transportation officials.
The state is in the process of identifying which projects to fund while also developing grant applications for additional infrastructure money, according to a Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) administration official. Virginia is looking to support projects in the state’s $3.7 billion rail program, which includes the expansion of the Long Bridge over the Potomac. Plans also call for improvements at the Port of Virginia, as well as supporting the planned revamp of Route 1 through Crystal City.
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Maryland is slated to receive nearly $6.5 billion for highway and transit improvements, according to a U.S. DOT report. The state has 273 bridges and more than 2,200 miles of roadway in poor condition.
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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in January established an infrastructure subcabinet that will administer funds and give advice on the implementation, spokesman Michael Ricci said. That panel is working to develop a plan “and ensure Maryland gets more than its fair share of funding, while working against the challenge of awaiting federal guidance in a number of areas,” he said, noting that states will not know until at least mid-May how much broadband money will be allocated.
State officials in recent months said they would work with communities to determine where to best spend the money with a focus on keeping existing networks in good shape. They have cited plans to support bridge projects along Interstate 95 near Baltimore, upgrades to rural highways, and pedestrian and bike access to Purple Line stations in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
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The region is also likely to benefit from an infusion of funding to Amtrak, which has access to $66 billion for rail as part of the federal package. Some of the money could be used to replace the 149-year-old Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel — a major bottleneck in the Northeast Corridor’s rail network — and to rehabilitate commuter rail stations in Baltimore and Washington.
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Former U.S. transportation secretary Rodney Slater will co-chair the District’s infrastructure task force with Jan Adams, president and chief executive of JMA Solutions. Bowser said the 27-member panel will generate ideas for using the money and ensure the city is “focused on projects that are both transformational and equitable.” She said the group also will work to help D.C. bid for more infrastructure grants.
Bowser said she expects the Union Station redevelopment will be one of the funding candidates. With an estimated price tag of $10 billion in public and private investment, the project would add concourses and tracks, broader retail options and a new train hall. A federal environmental review is underway for the project, but proponents say they expect the revamped train hub would operate by 2040.
“It’s a big deal and it has a big price tag,” Bowser said as members of the task force stood behind her inside the 115-year-old station. “That’s why the infusion of federal dollars is going to be key.”