politics

What’s in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill?

Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

After months of negotiations, the House passed a $1.2 trillion bill that includes $550 billion in new federal spending to rebuild the nation’s aging infrastructure. “We did something that’s long overdue, that has long been talked about in Washington, but never actually been done,” President Biden said in remarks from the White House, joking that infrastructure week was finally accomplished. The White House projects that the investments will add, on average, about 2 million jobs per year over the coming decade. Here’s a breakdown of what’s included in the bipartisan plan, which Biden is expected to sign into law soon.

$110 billion for roads, bridges, and other major projects

These funds will go toward rebuilding and repairing roads and bridges, with a focus on factoring in the effects of climate change and safety considerations for cyclists and pedestrians. This total includes $40 billion specifically for the replacement, repair, and rehabilitation of bridges, which the administration calls “the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system.” Another $17.5 billion will go toward other major projects that are too large for standard funding programs.

The bill also puts $1 billion toward reconnecting communities that were divided by transportation projects. This includes the funding of “planning, design, demolition, and reconstruction of street grids, parks, or other infrastructure.”

$11 billion for traffic safety programs

The plan will also create the “Safe Streets for All” program to help decrease the number of crashes and deaths associated with roadways and driving, particularly those involving pedestrians and cyclists.

$39 billion for public transit

This money, which the administration says is the largest-ever federal investment in the country’s transit system, will be used to “repair and upgrade aging infrastructure, modernize bus and rail fleets, make stations accessible to all users, and bring transit service to new communities.” It will also increase transit accessibility for individuals with disabilities and the elderly, and provide for the replacement of buses and other transit vehicles with versions that produce zero emissions.

$66 billion for rail

The plan includes funding for several aspects of America’s railways: $22 billion in grants to Amtrak, $24 billion toward modernizing the Northeast Corridor, $12 billion in federal-state partnership grants for intercity rail including high-speed rail, $5 billion for rail improvement, and $3 billion to improvements in grade crossing safety.

$7.5 billion for electric vehicle infrastructure

This funding will go toward the administration’s goal of building a nationwide network of chargers for electric vehicles, both along highways and within local communities.

Additionally, the plan invests $2.5 billion for zero-emission buses, $2.5 billion for low-emission buses, and $2.5 billion for ferries.

$17 billion for ports and $25 billion for airports

The investment will help address backlogs for repairs, reduce the level of emissions and congestion near these areas, and help pursue low-carbon and electric technologies.

$50 billion for water infrastructure

The package will direct money toward making the country’s water infrastructure more resilient against the effects of climate change, such as droughts and floods, and also cyberattacks.

The bill will also put $55 billion toward clean drinking water by replacing all of the country’s lead pipes and services lines.

$65 billion to broadband internet

This amount will be used to increase broadband access across the country by building new infrastructure. It will also support efforts to fund lower cost broadband by “requiring funding recipients to offer a low-cost affordable plan,” and create a permanent program to help low-income households have better access to broadband internet.

$21 billion for environmental remediation

This will fund the clean up of brownfield and Superfund sites in communities, as well as capping orphaned gas wells and reclaiming abandoned mines.

$73 billion for electric infrastructure

The bill provides money for upgrades to the electrical grid, including miles of new transmission lines and investments into clean-energy projects. It also creates a Grid Deployment Authority, a new federal entity within the Energy Department that will “finance and encourage the development of high-voltage transmission lines,” according to the White House.

This post has been updated.

What’s in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill?