In November 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act authorized over $1.2 trillion for rebuilding and renovating America’s infrastructure. Combined with other COVID-era relief packages, trillions of dollars are now flowing to transform and repair our region’s roads, bridges, buses, and trains. IIJA funding is set to shape the trajectory and progress of crucial infrastructure improvements across our region’s three states. So where is the money going? Is it going to projects helping cities, improving livelihoods, or promoting health equity?
Over $180 billion has been allocated to states and territories so far, with a little over $16.3 billion already awarded in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Although the federal government has worked to share data related to these allocations, ambiguity surrounding where certain projects will be delivered and which communities they will serve remains. RPA used existing data and award announcements to assess local priorities by examining the distribution of project types, the number of projects in each category, and the total funding allocated.
This blog post is the first in the series to track how the funding from IIJA will be allocated and whether or not it is likely to improve the quality of life for residents of the tri-state area. More projects will be added in the coming months as funding opportunities become grant awards and as formula funds become specific projects. With more large-scale projects in communities that really need support gain funding and momentum to modernize and improve our cities, towns, villages, and communities, we will be sure to see the positive effects on public health, the economy, and the environment, ensuring that everyone can have the opportunity to live full healthy lives regardless of who they are or where they live.
Based on the existing subcategories, here are some highlights on where the infrastructure money has gone in the three states:
Roads and Bridges
It is no surprise that roadways, bridges, and other major projects clocked the most funding. In all three states, a majority of IIJA funding has been allocated to Road and Bridges projects: $5.1 billion (NY), $2.9 billion (NJ), and 1.5 billion (CT), which comprise 55%, 61%, and 68% of the total awards in each state, respectively.
Highlight: New Jersey was awarded $3.2 billion for roads, bridges, roadway safety, and major projects. $25 million was awarded to the New Jersey Department of Transportation through the RAISE program , which helps communities build transportation projects that have significant local or regional impact and improve safety and equity. The project, Raising a Resilient Route 40, is set to construct the elevation of one of Atlantic City’s main evacuation routes for vehicles and pedestrians which would relieve the economic burden of flood evacuation, especially for lower-income users who would be forced to take the Atlantic City Expressway Toll Road as an alternative route in an extreme flooding event.
Additionally, funding related to addressing the Cross-Bronx Expressway has been granted to NYC. NYC DOT will study the potential for decking the highway, which has long been a source of noise and air pollution for communities in the Bronx. The plan will utilize community engagement to best identify opportunities to reconnect neighborhoods that were abruptly divided by the construction of the expressway 50 years ago. This grant, which was jointly submitted by the NYC Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene, Transportation, and City Planning—as well as the New York State Department of Transportation—is a start towards a potentially ambitious capital project that could improve health outcomes in the borough.
Public Transportation
Much-needed funding for public transportation follows with $2.3 billion (NY), $877 million (NJ), and $270 million (CT), which comprise 25%, 18%, and 12% of the total awards in each state, respectively.
Improving public transit is a key to health equity. Dependable world-class transit services help reduce greenhouse emissions, improving air quality for communities. New York will receive $11.2 billion over the next five years to improve, repair, and upgrade public transportation options across the state. New Jersey Transit was awarded $191 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) fundsto boost its capital program this year.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) will receive $29.6 million to retrofit three stations on its Metro-North Railroad Waterbury Branch commuter rail line. These retrofits will allow these stations to ensure safety and accessibility to all passengers and will “provide more equitable service and increase access to jobs.”
NJ Transit, the PANYNJ, and MTA all received accessibility program grants that were all made possible through IIJA funds. The New Jersey Transit Corporation will receive funds that will allow for ADA accessibility for riders traveling between northern New Jersey and southern New York on the Anderson St-Hackensack and New Bridge Landing stations on the Pascack Valley Line. The MTA will utilize funding to bring accessibility to four stations in Brooklyn and the Bronx: Myrtle Avenue, Norwood Avenue, Avenue I, and Burnside Avenue. Finally, IIJA funding will allow for Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) Corporation to assess for potential ADA upgrades on four stations in Manhattan, which would clear the way for those stations to be accessible to all.
It is crucial to note that many public transportation systems across the country experienced substantial operating budget deficits which were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In early 2021, relief came in the form of the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) , which provided funds that were used to cover the operating costs of many transit systems. IIJA funds are designated for use in capital construction projects only, not for running the existing system itself. This means that many of these transportation systems, including the ones we depend on for service to the tri-state region, face a fiscal cliff. This could mean severely reduced service which would be detrimental to people who depend on public transportation.
Electric Vehicles, Buses, and Ferries
The United States hosts a national network of EV chargers and the largest investment in domestic manufacturing of batteries and the critical minerals that power them. Funding for such projects totals as follows: $132 million (NY), $40 million (NJ), and $27 million (CT).
In the RPA region, $116 million has been allocated to the MTA for the purchase of 230 battery-electric buses. More clean-running electric buses on our streets will allow for the decommissioning of older diesel buses, which have a negative impact on people’s health and are a contributing factor to exacerbating climate change. . People in the communities buses run through are exposed to diesel soot, which contains toxins. Exposure to diesel soot pollutants causes a myriad of health problems for people in the communities buses run through. The electrification of the MTA’s bus fleet is a much-needed step in the right direction to address both health equity and climate justice.
Both New Jersey and Connecticut have received grant funding to jump-start bus electrification programs. RPA brought attention and dialogue to these opportunities last year in a virtual event, The Path to Clean, Electrified Buses in the Tri-State Region.
Water
Water infrastructure in our country is woefully under-invested. Lead pipes, water main breaks, PFAS contamination, and failing wastewater management systems put communities across the country at risk. To address this, $426 million (NY), $168 million (NJ), and $76 million (CT) will be distributed to address drinking water, wastewater, water reuse, conveyance, and water storage infrastructure.
Highlight: According to Connecticut’s Department of Public Health, 3,000 children under 6 years old were reported as lead poisoned in 2020. Over a third of those children lived in New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, New London, and Hartford, which are among Connecticut cities and towns with over 20% of households living under the poverty line. This makes welcome news that Connecticut is slated to receive about $30 million in each of the next five years to find and replace lead pipes in those places.
It should be noted that the IIJA requires “socially vulnerable” areas to be priorities for lead pipe replacement. The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, uses Census data, such as socioeconomic level, housing conditions, access to transportation, and racial and ethnic minority status, to identify communities that need more resources to thrive. It is a relief that the focus of the funding benefits the members of our region who are more vulnerable to health inequities.
Clean Energy and Power
It must be a priority to upgrade our power infrastructure to deliver clean, reliable energy. With extreme weather becoming more and more common, investments to achieve a zero-emissions future and upgrades to the power grid will be made possible through IIJA money. To address this, $437 million (NY), $103 million (NJ), and $55 million (CT) have been awarded to each state.
In Bridgeport, Connecticut, the Bridgeport Port Authority Operations and Maintenance Wind Port Project has been awarded $10.5 million to design and construct a wind port in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Greenways, Cycling, Walking, and Complete Streets
Although it is difficult to track how much of the federal funding has gone to cycling and walking projects, some bright spots have emerged.
NYC received $7.5 million last year in RAISE funding to expand the greenway network. These funds will be dedicated to filling gaps in NYC’s greenway network and improving connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists. In Connecticut, funding for three projects in the state has been enabled through IIJA funding that will connect the existing trail network in the state. This will improve pedestrian safety and bike trails to the bus rapid transit line, CT Fastrak.
Infrastructure and Indigenous Nations in the Region
It is important to note that IIJA will provide more than $13 billion in funding to directly support federally recognized Tribal communities. Tribal Nations are eligible to apply for discretionary, formula, and other funding. The region is home to active tribal nations, such as the Ramapough Lenape Indian Nation, Shinnecock Nation, and Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribe to name a few.
The Shinnecock Indian Nation was awarded a $1.14M grant to provide comprehensive roadway infrastructure planning and design services for the nation’s existing roads. These improvements will upgrade roads with a complete streets framework which will improve safety for all users.
A Reminder on Prioritizing Health equity
The Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act was passed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic with the intention of directing resources to disadvantaged communities. Over the last two years, our failing infrastructure shone a spotlight on how the built environment can and will negatively impact one’s ability to live the healthiest life possible, as well as recover from illnesses. Thankfully, more resources than ever before have been made available to improve the nation’s roads, bridges, broadband, public transit, and more.
