Congresswoman Scholten Secures Major Wins for West Michigan in Transportation and Infrastructure Package

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03) secured several of her key legislative priorities and major wins for West Michigan in the BUILD America 250 Act, which advanced through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on May 22. A member of the Committee, Congresswoman Scholten played a leading role in crafting the legislation, which reauthorizes America’s surface transportation programs for the next five years. The package invests roughly $580 billion in the nation’s transportation systems, including highways, rail, ports, traffic safety, and supply chains.

“Transportation policy affects every single one of us, from the roads, bridges, buses, trains, and walkways we rely on to get where we’re going to the countless good-paying jobs it supports,” said Congresswoman Scholten. “This legislation represents serious bipartisan work to invest in our communities, improve public safety, and modernize our critical systems across the country, and importantly, we got it done before the previous package expires later this year. I came to Congress to deliver real legislative solutions and investments for West Michigan, and this package does exactly that.” 

Congresswoman Scholten’s major wins in the package include provisions from the following:

• The Roadway Resiliency Act, which would establish an interagency working group to improve roadway management during severe weather events.
• The Unlocking Affordable Housing Act, which aims to help developers access loans to build housing where transit already exists, which will increase the housing supply and lower costs for Americans. 
• The Paving the Way for American Industry Act, which would help level the playing field for American manufacturers and keep taxpayer dollars invested in American workers — including the Muskegon workers who manufacture the yellow paint used on roads across America.
• The SAFE Transit Act, which would cut red tape and streamline federal transit projects. 
• The RISING TIDES Act which would task the Transportation Research Board with evaluating innovative hull designs and the use of alternative materials and technologies to strengthen waterborne transit systems. 

Congresswoman Scholten also introduced the following amendments and will continue to support these commonsense policies:

• Safe Routes to School - This policy would reduce the non-federal cost share for states that hire a full-time Safe Routes to School coordinator from the current 20 percent down to just 5 percent.
  • This mirrors the language in Congresswoman Scholten’s Kids on the Go Act. 
• Corridor ID Transparency - This policy would ensure transparency in the Corridor ID program by requiring reporting requirements.
• Invasive Species Infrastructure Investments - This policy would ensure that projects aimed at preventing the movement of invasive species are eligible under the National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Program.
• Cutting Red Tape to Build Critical Infrastructure - This policy would convert unused rights-of-way, like interstate medians, into assets that can be used for energy generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, and broadband infrastructure. 

A video of Congresswoman Scholten discussing the bill is available here. 

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