Quote:
Originally Posted by Busy Bee
If we're being honest, we need the scale of infrastructure investment in this country that funds new lines to new riders, not just a couple stations. We need a dependable stream of funding for infrastructure (remember the infrastructure bank?) issued on a yearly or bi-yearly basis. The U.S. needs to get real. This infrastructure bill is nothing to sneeze at, I will admit, but when put in context with the absolute deficit of investment in areas like transit and rail over the last 60 years, the scale of investment falls short in its ability to transform the country. While I get that the China comparison is unfair for a number of reasons, least of which their form of government and the fact they are experiencing rapid modernization like we experienced in the first couple decades of the last century, BUT it should not be disregarded just at what scale the Chinese are investing in their infrastructure. In a given year over the last decade, China allocates on average 5% of the total GDP for infrastructure. In 2020, that was 8 trillion! 8 trillion! Compare that to what we just passed (not to mention its a 10 year program!) and what on average is the United States yearly federal allocation for infrastructure: 0.52%
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You make a good point. We do need a dependable stream of infrastructure revenue. If the government can spend that much money on the military, surely we can spend quite a bit on infrastructure each year as well. Regardless, I am looking forward to seeing some new public transit projects that can now be funded, mainly the new State Street station.