This morning, President Trump released his “Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America” and “An American Budget” for the next fiscal year (FY19). In response, Geoff Anderson, President and CEO of Smart Growth America, issued the following statement:
“Yet again, today’s infrastructure and budget proposals fall short of meeting President Trump’s repeated promises to fix America’s crumbling infrastructure and expand economic opportunity for all Americans.
“While the president calls for new resources for rural communities to support brownfields and broadband, he simultaneously proposes draconian funding cuts to critical federal programs that these local communities depend on, including HOME Investment Partnerships, Community Development Block Grants and the TIGER competitive transportation grant program.
“Both of these proposals fail to recognize that the 21st century movement of people and goods requires a multimodal and interconnected approach that leverages both public and private sector investment and innovation. When rural manufacturers supply transit parts to metropolitan transit systems, that are in turn used by nurses, teachers, and other workforce professionals to travel between their jobs in urban centers and walkable suburban neighborhoods, everyone wins.
“It’s time to get serious about rebuilding America. We need a budget and infrastructure plan that recognizes the strategies and best practices to help America’s interconnected cities, towns, and rural communities accomplish just that.
“We look forward to working with Congress to create a budget and infrastructure package that fixes our broken infrastructure and transportation system, reduces housing and transportation costs for average Americans, and reconnects America to be competitive in this 21st century economy.
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Smart Growth America is the only national organization dedicated to researching, advocating for and leading coalitions to bring better development strategies to more communities nationwide. From providing more sidewalks to ensuring more homes are built near public transportation or that productive farms remain a part of our communities, smart growth helps make sure people across the nation can live in great neighborhoods.