The new stimulus bill (aka the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009”) includes $98.3 billion for transportation and infrastructure. The biggest ticket item is $26.7 billion to go to the Federal Highway Administration to give grants to states and local governments to maintain the 160,000-mile National Highway System. Another $8 billion will go to the Federal Railroad Administration to develop high speed rail service, with priority given to intercity services. In addition, $6.9 billion is to flow through the Federal Transit Administration, which issues grants to state and local governments in support of mass transit, with 80% of the funds to go to urban areas.

Stimulus Infrastructure Funding Short-Changes States with High-Unemployment (by Jennifer LaFleur and Michael Grabell, ProPublica)