Infrastructure Expert Says Federal Transportation Bill Leaves Transit In The Lurch

Later this month Congress is expected to give final passage to a six-year, $325 billion transportation bill that will be the first major piece of legislation out of the House of Representatives since Paul Ryan became speaker of the House.

It replaces a series of stopgap funding measures just in time to keep the Highway Trust Fund in the black, but many transportation experts say the federal government continues to under-fund public transit, as well as long-term infrastructure projects.

Robert Puentes, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution who directs the Metropolitan Policy Program’s Infrastructure Initiative, speaks with Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson about the new transportation bill.

Guest

• Robert Puentes, senior fellow with the Brookings Institution and director of the Brookings Metro Infrastructure Initiative. He tweets @rpuentes.

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