‘REPAIR Infrastructure Program Act’ introduced

On Dec. 12, Congressman Pat Ryan introduced the “Restoring Essential Public Access and Improving Resilient (REPAIR) Infrastructure Program Act.” The bill would reauthorize and expand the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Reconnecting Communities Program as the REPAIR Infrastructure Program, which would work to help reconnect communities separated by ill-conceived transportation and infrastructure barriers, ensuring more Hudson Valley neighborhoods are safe and accessible.

“Hudson Valley families and commuters deserve cohesive, safe neighborhoods, connected to good schools, high-paying jobs, and local businesses. That’s exactly what my bill does,” Ryan said. “Whether it’s improving the safety of a dangerous highway crossing, like 9-W in Kingston, working to prevent pedestrian and cyclist deaths at roadway intersections, or making access to our community spaces easier for everyone, the REPAIR Infrastructure Act is going to deliver the safer, more accessible Hudson Valley all of our families deserve.”

The legislation is led by Lisa Blunt Rochester, Jeff Merkley, and Raphael Warnock in the Senate, and is co-led by Congressman Shomari Figures in the House.

“We are thrilled that Congressman Ryan is introducing legislation that would reauthorize and expand on a much-needed funding stream, which will help Kingston build crucial housing, create jobs, and allow us to reinvest in a neighborhood that was negatively impacted by Urban Renewal,” Kingston Mayor Steve Noble said. “The REPAIR Infrastructure Act would do just that- repair a wrong that was done in the 1960s by helping us reconnect our neighborhoods and mending vital infrastructure. The benefit of this program in Kingston is immeasurable.”

“The City of Port Jervis has benefited from federal funding to make rail crossings safer for our community and to ensure people can get to where they need to go safely,” Port Jervis Mayor Steve Cicalese said. “As we have seen first-hand how this funding can work to improve health and safety, we support the introduction of the REPAIR Infrastructure Act, that would reauthorize a version of the Reconnecting Communities Grant Program and connect people to jobs, essential services, and economic opportunity.

The Reconnecting Communities program awards are designed to re-establish routes between communities that were cut off by overbuilt transportation infrastructure built decades ago, during the era of urban renewal. This overdevelopment left entire neighborhoods cut off from accessing essentials like grocery stores, medical centers, and places of worship.

Between fiscal years 2022 and 2024, there was an average of $4.6 billion in unmet funding requests for the Reconnecting Communities Program. During the same period, there were nearly 1,500 applications from communities in all 50 states for projects eligible under the REPAIR Infrastructure Act, demonstrating a desire for this funding across the nation.

Ultimately, DOT has funded 257 projects in 47 states. Those projects have helped communities redesign streets, spur economic development, address outdated highways, improve multimodal access, and enhance transit options.

The “REPAIR Infrastructure Act” would:

* Reauthorize the REPAIR Infrastructure program out of the Highway Trust Fund at $3B per fiscal year from 2027 through 2031.

* Codify language to ensure REPAIR Infrastructure projects promote economic development, increase access to daily destinations, prioritize community involvement, and prevent displacement.

* Add explicit eligibility for REPAIR Infrastructure projects to existing highway formula programs.

The “REPAIR Infrastructure Act” is endorsed by Smart Growth America, the American Society of Landscape Architects, America Walks, the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), the Environmental Law & Policy Center, the League of American Bicyclists, the Living Streets Alliance, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Rails to Trails Conservancy, Safe Routes Partnership, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and a national coalition of 74 additional organizations.