During a March 7th Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) competitive discretionary grant programs, witnesses representing state, local, and private industry entities related their experiences navigating the grant program application processes.
Witnesses highlighted the various challenges they regularly encounter that too often make the grant process unnecessarily difficult and confusing, create costly project delays, favor cities over small and rural communities, and overly focus on the Biden Administration’s added criteria for climate, equity, and environmental justice.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) questioned Audrain County, Missouri Presiding Commissioner Alan Winders, testifying on behalf of the National Association of Counties, about challenges his county has faced when applying for RAISE grants for Highway 54 improvements. Winders said the county has been unsuccessful in its grant applications for six years, noting the inconsistent determinations and changing grant criteria present a “moving target.” Watch:
Rep. Sam Graves |
Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-AR) raised his continued concerns about DOT exceeding its statutory authority in issuing a final rule requiring a greenhouse gas (GHG) performance measure – a requirement rejected during the development of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue agreed that DOT exceeded its authority and that the rule will place significant burdens on the states. Watch:
Rep. Rick Crawford |
Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves’ (R-LA) questions to the witnesses raised several key points, including how the increased funding provided under IIJA has been consumed by inflation, the lack of transparency in grant processes, and the impacts of the Biden Administration’s addition of Justice40 Initiative criteria to infrastructure grant applications. Watch:
Rep. Garret Graves |
Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (R-NC) discussed his and other states’ experiences with DOT grant award delays that lead to project cost overruns – hundreds of millions of dollars in some cases. Perdue agreed that “this is not an efficient, effective way to deliver infrastructure,” leading some local stakeholders in his state to not pursue available resources and risk potential cost increases. Watch:
Rep. David Rouzer |
Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Chairman Troy Nehls (R-TX) followed up Rep. Rouzer’s line of questioning by asking Perdue who bears the costs of overruns created by DOT grant delays, and whether that has led to the cancellation of projects that became too financially burdensome. Watch:
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This article was originally published by a transportation.house.gov . Read the Original article here. .