Reps. McDonald Rivet, Bresnahan Introduce Bill to Support Local Roads and Bridges

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) and Congressman Rob Bresnahan (PA-08) introduced the bipartisan Bridges And Safety Infrastructure for Community Success Act (BASICS Act). This bill would help local governments access more federal resources to repair and rebuild roads and bridges.

“In Michigan, we know all too well the difference it makes to drive on safe, well-paved roads. However, local governments that cannot fund necessary upgrades by themselves are too often stuck at the back of the line for federal funding programs, forced to choose between crumbling roads and bridges or massive debt,” said Congresswoman McDonald Rivet. “Congressman Bresnahan and I are putting forward the BASICS Act to fix the problem – cutting red tape and giving local governments the tools they need to help families get around easily and safely.”

“In NEPA, local infrastructure has fallen behind, and when projects are planned, communities wait years for the federal funding needed to break ground and get to work on new roads and bridges,” said Congressman Bresnahan. “Too often, this happens because funding is prioritized for massive, expensive metropolitan projects in cities like Philadelphia or Pittsburgh. The BASICS Act puts decision making back in the hands of local planners, the people who know their communities best. It ensures small, midsized, and rural communities receive their fair piece of the infrastructure funding pie and empowers local leaders here in NEPA to deliver real results like safer bridges and better roads.”

The BASICS Act would amend federal transportation funding programs to make it easier for counties, cities, and towns to access federal dollars for important road, bridge, and safety projects. This would ensure that federal dollars benefit more communities and spur investments in aging, locally owned infrastructure. Specifically, this bill would increase funding for vital transportation programs, continue robust federal investments in bridges, give local communities access to annual bridge and safety funds, and increase funding for planning and design in urban and rural areas.

Representatives McDonald Rivet and Bresnahan are members of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, which has jurisdiction over highways, bridges, mass transit, and railroads.

The BASICS Act is supported by organizations representing the nation’s local and regional governments as well as transportation planning organizations, engineers and public works leaders – including National League of Cities, National Association of Counties, Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, National Association of Development Organizations, National Association of Regional Councils, U.S. Conference of Mayors, American Public Works Association, and the National Association of County Engineers.

“On behalf of all the nation’s more than 25,000 local and regional governments and transportation leaders, we applaud Representatives McDonald Rivet and Bresnahan’s bipartisan BASICS Act that streamlines federal funding to locally selected priority transportation projects in every state in addition to keeping investment flowing for locally owned bridges and planning for the future,” said the endorsing organizations.

“In the Michigan Great Lakes Bay region, our work is guided by the continual goal of moving Saginaw towards a seamless and safe transportation system by bringing communities together around data-driven, regional decision-making that improves safety, preserves existing assets, and expands access to opportunity,” said Demetra M. Manley, the Executive Director of the Saginaw Area Transportation Agency. “The BASICS Act supports this collaborative approach by providing stable, locally driven funding that allows regions to maximize limited resources and advance projects that strengthen quality of life. We appreciate the bipartisan leadership behind this legislation and thank Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet for championing solutions that reflect the needs of communities like ours.”

“With Michigan’s county road agencies responsible for maintaining more than 90,000 miles of county roads and nearly 5,900 local bridges, sustained and adequate federal investment is essential to support the needs of our 10 million residents,” said Stephan Currie, Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Counties. “Federal dollars are most effective when they are guided by local decision-makers who best understand their communities’ needs and priorities. Michigan counties thank Representative McDonald Rivet for her leadership on this bipartisan legislation and call on Congress to include the BASICS Act in the next surface transportation reauthorization bill.”