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Clinton: Bad Roads, Bridges Harm Economy

Posted on: Wednesday, 8 August 2007, 15:09 CDT

By HOLLY RAMER

CONCORD, N.H. - Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton is arguing that unsafe bridges, crowded seaports and clogged highways endanger the economy as well as putting the public at risk.

Last week's fatal bridge collapse in Minneapolis underscores the critical need for infrastructure improvements nationwide, Clinton said in remarks prepared for delivery Wednesday afternoon in New Hampshire.

She proposed spending $10 billion over 10 years to repair and upgrade roads, bridges, waterways and seaports.

"Something is very, very wrong when, at the dawn of the 21st century, in the richest country on earth, people are actually nervous about driving over bridges for fear that they'll collapse. Or they're worried that their levees may burst, or their highways may buckle," she said. "The degradation of our infrastructure isn't just a serious threat to our safety - it is also a grave threat to our economy."

The New York senator also proposed providing $250 million in grants so states can review their bridges and other structures and forming a commission to review safety certification standards and develop better ways to prioritize needed repairs on bridges and roads.

To modernize the nation's infrastructure, she would increase federal funding for public transit by $1.5 billion per year and target it to communities that have encouraged residential development that makes the best use of public transportation. Federal funding for intercity passenger rail services would increase by $1 billion over five years.

Seaports also should be a priority given the importance of foreign trade to the nation's economy, she said.

"We do not need any more wake up calls," Clinton said. "It is time to stop wringing our hands and start rolling up our sleeves."

Clinton also would increase funding for the Department of Transportation's congestion reduction programs by about 50 percent, to $600 million a year and would promote telecommuting by encouraging its use in federal agencies and spending up to $50 million a year to support state and local initiatives.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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