Henry Cuellar

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Transportation

Investing in Transportation

As your representative in Congress, one of my foremost duties is to help ensure that South Texas receives our fair share of federal funding. Every 5 years Congress passes a major transportation bill to fund national priorities such as highways, mass transit, and infrastructure repairs.

These federal funds may be disbursed in either of two ways: through block funding to government agencies or through direct funding of specific projects.

Each method serves an important purpose. Money provided to agencies accounts for approximately 99% of discretionary federal spending, and it provides for the day-to-day financing of most federal activities. The remaining 1% is directed by lawmakers to specific projects, a practice that dates back for centuries and that allows Members of Congress – who are directly accountable to local voters – to give their communities a voice in federal spending.

Recent Funding for Transporation
The 111th Congress put unprecedented funding towards transportation initiatives through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  The following projects represent only some recent examples of improvements taking place in the 28th thank to the Recovery Act:

County                  Description                                   Total Estimated Cost          Amount Paid

Atascosa               Resurface roadway - IH 37               $5,047,525.86                      $3,942,140.33

Atascosa               Widen roadway - SH16                      $3,807,845.87                      $2,547,308.73

Atascosa               Landscape - SH16                              $175,708.99                         $99,935.85

Bexar                   Construction interchange - US281   $146,337,538.35                 $120,814,636.00

Bexar                  Intersection improvements - US281     $8,102,871.56                      $5,692,062.26

Bexar                   Landscape - SH16                              $334,088.09                         $227,216.77

Bexar                   Landscape - UH410                           $1,506,822.37                      $925,751.40

Bexar                   New roadway lanes                             $5,466,150.00                      $320,840.15

Bexar                   New roadway lanes                             $4,858,800.00                      $503,196.36

Bexar                   Construct bicycle path                       $3,231,102.00                      $66,852.73

Bexar                   Construct pedestrian path                 $3,643,921.45                      $1,062,369.04

Bexar                   New roadway lanes                             $120,970,00.00                   $4,495,126.92

Bexar                   Traffic management technology       $684,585.00                         $520,734.37

Bexar                   Construct bicycle/pedestrian path     $933,525.00                        $252,130.45

Bexar                   LP1604 Improvements                      $7,583,609.41                      $4,269,545.76

Bexar                   LP1604 new roadway lanes              $16,085,424.24                   $6,866,421.27

Frio                      Widen roadway - FM140                   $5,979,711.89                      $3,361,989.43

Frio                      Construct curb and gutter - FM140   $1,258,461.85                      $701,614.79

Guadalupe            Landscape - Seguin                             $1,004,521.22                     $601,103.21

Guadalupe            Repair roadway - IH10                      $3,186,314.31                      $1,867,009.37

Hidalgo                  Business US83 new roadway lanes   $5,910,847.02                      $4,955,214.30

Hidalgo                  New US83 overpass/underpass        $27,604,254.40                   $11,709,686.99

Hidalgo                  Resurface roadway - US83               $7,860,217.96                      $4,206,626.24

Hidalgo                  Widen roadway - Sugar Road           $4,732,678.11                      $3,987,626.79

Hidalgo                  Widen roadway - Conway Ave        $6,564,141.57                      $5,818,011.40

Hidalgo                  Rebuild roadway - FM2071              $1,479,036.79                      $1,163,476.95

La Salle                 Repair roadway - IH35                      $2,293,986.83                      $1,690,930.63

La Salle                 Business IH35 Resurface                  $678,206.09                         $621,506.86

Webb                     Construction of new road - SL20     $71,425,712.17                   $36,176,298.77

Webb                     Resurface roadway - US83               $552,525.00                         $497,142.83

Webb                     Resurface roadway - US83               $3,059,352.66                      $2,055,679.95

Webb                     Resurface roadway - US83               $183,571.96                         $321,623.10

Webb                     Repair roadway - Truck Route         $3,130,966.11                      $1,234,890.86


Priorities for 2012
In the coming year, I look forward to passing Surface and Air Transportation Legislation that will work for Texans.  In addition, I have been working with the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to craft the next Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill. 

The process of creating a successor to the current surface transportation legislation, Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU), is both necessary due to an upcoming expiration and to modernize our formulas for creating an infrastructure network for years to come.

The full text of the SAFETEA-LU legislation can be read here: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/legis.htm

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our district’s priorities for transportation and infrastructure. I appreciate your participation in the legislative process.

 In the coming year, I look forward to passing Surface and Air Transportation Legislation that will work for Texans.  In addition, I have been working with the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to craft the next Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill.  The process of creating a successor to the current surface transportation legislation, Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU), is both necessary due to an upcoming expiration and to modernize our formulas for creating an infrastructure network for years to come.The full text of the SAFETEA-LU legislation can be read here: Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our district’s priorities for transportation and infrastructure. I appreciate your participation in the legislative process.