Pappas Joins New Hampshire Good Roads Association Roundtable

June 17, 2020

Manchester, NH - Yesterday Representative Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined the leadership of the New Hampshire Good Roads Association to discuss the INVEST in America Act and his work fighting for New Hampshire's priorities as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Topics of discussion including updating federal infrastructure funding formulas, studying trading of toll credits, building sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

"This bill speaks to New Hampshire's needs," said Congressman Pappas. "Especially during this crisis, it's important that we move this bill forward quickly and get increased funding to New Hampshire to make critical federal investments in our roads, bridges, waterways, and rail lines. I'm pleased this funding would help meet our need for increased capacity while focusing on making sure our infrastructure is safe and resilient."

The INVEST in America Act will invest more than $1.3 billion in New Hampshire's infrastructure. With $1.2 billion for road projects and an estimated $130 million for transit, this represents more than a 30% increase in federal funding for New Hampshire.

The INVEST in America Act will:

Tackle the massive backlog of roads, bridges, transit, and rail systems in need of repair and replacement.
Make investments in Amtrak and passenger and freight rail in order to create a robust, reliable rail system and to address long-neglected maintenance needs in the Northeast Corridor.
Improve access to Federal funding to help communities around the country undertake transformational projects that are smarter, safer, and made to last.
Build more resilient infrastructure that will withstand the impacts of climate change and extreme weather.
Prioritize carbon pollution reduction, investing in public transit and the national passenger and freight rail network, building out fueling infrastructure for low- and zero-emission vehicles, and deploying technology and innovative materials.

The INVEST in America Act also includes key priorities that Pappas has championed to move New Hampshire's economy forward. This includes legislation Pappas introduced to create a federal grant program that will build bike and pedestrian infrastructure, increased funding for New Start programs, and policies that will result in more resilient infrastructure in the face of a rapidly changing environment. Furthermore, this legislation requires the Federal Highway Administration to work with the states to evaluate the current funding structures and ensure small states such as New Hampshire receive the support they need.