WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) introduced the Rural Mobility and Access for America Act (S. 3485). The bill would require a fair distribution of highway funds to rural states.
Communities across America have unique and equally important transportation needs. Congress should not lose sight of the value of a national interconnected system of highways that includes access for rural Americans. If we are going to fund projects that decrease traffic in urban communities, we should also support projects that increase access in rural communities. The Interstate 80 corridor is a lifeline that advances commerce, provides access for tourism and connects rural communities. Our bill will ensure that funding for rural highways is not ignored by lawmakers from large, metropolitan areas of the country," said Barrasso.
“Throughout North Dakota and across rural America, our families and businesses rely on safe roadways to stay connected. Just as our urban systems require an upgrade, it is equally important that we meet the needs of our rural transportation systems. At a time when North Dakota’s energy potential has never been greater, this legislation will deliver badly needed investments to shore up our transportation infrastructure, ensuring safe roads to help us fuel the nation,” said Conrad.
Background:
The current House of Representatives highway reauthorization proposal establishes the "Metropolitan Mobility and Access Program" for urban areas with populations of over 500,000. This program would fund projects such as transit and congestion mitigation, but would not provide any funding for mobility and access needs in rural states.
The "Rural Mobility and Access for America Act" requires that a third of "Metro Mobility and Access Program" funding go to rural states. Rural states are defined as having 45 or fewer individuals per square mile of land area or city populations of less than 500,000 individuals.
The bill would provide equal amounts of funding to each rural state. Rural states would also have flexibility to use federal dollars for a variety of purposes, including road construction, rehabilitation, resurfacing, parking facilities and more.