A group of Texas mayors is voicing support for the infrastructure bill currently working through Congress. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says negotiations could lead to an agreement and vote by the end of this week.
The bill would include $579 billion in infrastructure work over five years, including $109 billion for roads and bridges, $66 billion for passenger rail and $49 billion for public transit.
"Just like many cities in the United States, Houston's infrastructure needs investment," says Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. "We must look at rehabilitation and reconstruction and building for tomorrow's challenges."
In Austin, Mayor Steve Adler says the bill would include money to expand the city's transit plan, including an expansion of its bus system, construction of light rail and construction of a transit tunnel downtown.
"We're looking for a federal match on that. This may very well speed that up," he says.
Adler also says the bill could provide money to rebuild I-35 through Downtown Austin and submerge the highway, allowing for construction of a park similar to Klyde Warren Park or the planned Southern Gateway Park in Dallas.
Adler and Turner joined the mayors of Lubbock and San Antonio in voicing support for the measure.
Lubbock Mayor Dan Pope is Republican and says both parties should support the measure. He says the bill would allow transportation projects there and also expand broadband internet access in West Texas.
"The bill is not perfect, but I believe we can't allow the pursuit of perfection to get in the very much needed way of progress," he says.
This summer, the mayors of Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington joined 14 other mayors from across Texas signing a letter to Congressional leaders urging passage of the infrastructure bill.
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