Assesses Speed, Wisdom, and Accountability of Projects Chosen for Funding WASHINGTON, June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new report released today by Smart Growth America, based on federal and state data, found that states' choices of transportation projects to fund under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) are a mixed bag: some states are funding projects that make progress toward policy and accountability objectives laid out by the law and the Administration, but too many states are not. Overall, the report, The States and the Stimulus: Are they using it to create jobs and 21st century transportation?, found that many states missed an opportunity to make as much progress as possible in filling the nation's transportation needs and create jobs as quickly as possible. The ARRA provided $26.6 billion in flexible transportation funding--half of it required to be obligated within the first 120 days, by Monday, June 29--through the federal Surface Transportation Program (STP). STP funds can be used for a wide range of infrastructure projects, including: public transportation, sidewalks, repair and preventative maintenance of bridges and roads, and new and widened roads and highways.
