Director Pete Rahn addressed the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works this morning and answered a key question: Is Transportation Important to the Economy?
Pointing to the jobs that have been created with transportation Recovery Act funds, his answer is a resounding "yes." While transportation received six percent of total Recovery Act funds, it created 14 percent of direct jobs saved or created to date.
But you don't just have to take his word for it. The American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials has found workers across the country whose jobs were saved or who went back to work. Their stories show just how investment in transportation benefits all of us.
The Highway Trust Fund has been extended for another 30 days, and it's a welcome relief as DOT workers can get back to the business of improving the nation's economy. But as Director Rahn pointed out to the committee this morning, a multi-year authorization bill is still vital.
Listen to Director Rahn's comments at the hearing here.
