Washington, DC— Today, the House of Representatives passed HR 3864, the INVEST in America Act. The bill will reauthorize surface transportation projects – including roads, bridges, and mass transit – across the country as well as provide funds for clean water and wastewater infrastructure. Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) voted for the bill, which will provide much-needed funding for several projects in Southwest Connecticut.
“I secured nearly $20 million in transportation projects in this bill for Southwest Connecticut that will cover bicycle and pedestrian improvements, bridge rehabilitation and replacement, and updates to the Stamford Transportation Center,” said Himes. “This funding will have a significant effect in moving these projects toward completion and improving the surrounding communities.”
The projects included in the INVEST in America Act are:
- Bridgeport -- $2,686,000 to update traffic signals and intersections to improve safety and traffic flow around Park Avenue
- Fairfield -- $2,700,000 to fund the majority of the cost to replace the Mill River Bridge
- Greenwich -- $2,530,000 to fund a large portion of the cost to replace the Greenwich Creek Bridge
- Norwalk -- $2,860,000 to fund a majority of the cost of replacing the Five Mile River Bridge
- Ridgefield -- $1,853,120 to fund a majority of the cost for pedestrian and bicycle improvements around the Branchville Transit Station
- Stamford -- $3,500,000 to fund a portion of the large-scale renovation and improvements to the Stamford Transportation Center
- Trumbull -- $1,464,000 to fund a majority of the cost of the rehabilitation of the Route 25 Bridge
- Wilton -- $2,400,000 to fund a majority of the cost of the replacement of the Comstock Brook Bridge
The transportation recipients were selected from projects included on Connecticut’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, which is constituted of priority projects. In many cases, federal funding cannot account for more than 80% of the total cost of these projects.
“Transportation investment helps our economy, improves quality of life, and creates jobs,” continued Himes. “Dollar-for-dollar spending on physical infrastructure makes a big difference for our families and communities, and I’ll continue to fight to fund even more of these projects in the future.”
The bill also contained the Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator, which would finance subnational green banks and provide direct investment to green companies. The Accelerator would be capitalized with $50 billion initially and an additional $10 billion annually for the following five years. Himes has championed green banks on the national and state level, including introducing the National Green Bank Act, which would help get green banks off the ground nationwide.
In Connecticut, the Green Bank has mobilized nearly $2 billion of investment into Connecticut’s clean energy economy, supporting the creation of over 23,000 jobs and reducing the energy burden on over 55,000 families and businesses. In addition, it has generated nearly $100 million in individual income, corporate, and sales tax revenues to the State of Connecticut.
“Green banks are a proven way to bring security and stability to private investment in this sector with huge environmental upside,” continued Himes. “Increasing the federal government’s support for these important institutions will help leverage funds more efficiently and advance projects aimed at creating a cleaner, sustainable future.”
For more information, contact Patrick Malone at Patrick.malone@mail.house.gov.
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