The more than $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed on Friday, Nov. 5 will bring much needed help to Maryland, according to this statement from the White House.
Recently released state-level data demonstrates that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will deliver for Maryland. For decades, infrastructure in Maryland has suffered from a systemic lack of investment. In fact, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Maryland a C grade on its infrastructure report card. The historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will make life better for millions of Maryland residents, create a generation of good-paying union jobs and economic growth, and position the United States to win the 21st century.
Specifically, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will repair and rebuild roads and bridges with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians. In Maryland there are 273 bridges and over 2,201 miles of highway in poor condition.
Since 2011, commute times have increased by 5.1% in Maryland and on average, each driver pays $637 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system. Based on formula funding alone, Maryland would expect to receive $4.1 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $409 million for bridge replacement and repairs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act over five years.
Maryland can also compete for the $12.5 billion Bridge Investment Program for economically significant bridges and nearly $16 billion of national funding in the bill dedicated for major projects that will deliver substantial economic benefits to communities.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will also:
• Improve healthy, sustainable transportation options for millions of Americans. Marylanders who take public transportation spend an extra 66.3% of their time commuting and non-White households are 2.7 times more likely to commute via public transportation. 23% of transit vehicles in the state are past useful life. Based on formula funding alone, Maryland would expect to receive $1.7 billion over five years under the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to improve public transportation options across the state.
• Build a network of EV chargers to facilitate long-distance travel and provide convenient charging options. The U.S. market share of plug-in electric vehicle (EV) sales is only one-third the size of the Chinese EV market. The President believes that must change. The bill invests $7.5 billion to build out the first-ever national network of EV chargers in the United States and is a critical element in the Biden-Harris Administration’s plan to accelerate the adoption of EVs to address the climate crisis and
support domestic manufacturing jobs. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Maryland would expect to receive $63 million over five years to support the expansion of an EV charging network in the state.
Maryland will also have the opportunity to apply for the $2.5 billion in grant funding dedicated to EV charging in the bill.
• Help connect every American to reliable high-speed internet. Broadband internet is necessary for Americans to do their jobs, to participate equally in school learning, health care, and to stay connected. Yet 11% of Maryland households do not have an internet subscription, and 2% of Marylanders live in areas where, under the FCC’s benchmark, there is no broadband infrastructure. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Maryland will receive a minimum allocation of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state, including providing access to the at least 148,000 Marylanders who currently lack it. And, under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, 1,042,000 or 17% of people in Maryland will be eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit, which will help low-income families afford internet access.
• Prepare more of our infrastructure for the impacts of climate change, cyber attacks, and extreme weather events. From 2010 to 2020, Maryland has experienced 31 extreme weather events, costing the state up to $10 billion in damages. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, based on historical formula funding levels, Maryland will expect to receive $7.9 million over five years to protect against wildfires and $15.9 million to protect against cyberattacks. Marylanders will also benefit from the bill’s historic $3.5 billion national investment in weatherization which will reduce
energy costs for families.
• Deliver clean drinking water to every American and eliminate the nation’s lead service lines and pipes. Currently, up to 10 million American households and 400,000 schools and child care centers lack safe drinking water. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, based on the traditional state revolving fund formula, Maryland will expect to receive $844 million over five years to improve water infrastructure across the state and ensure that clean, safe drinking water is a right in all communities.
• Improve our nation’s airports. The United States built modern aviation, but our airports lag far behind our competitors. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, airports in Maryland would receive approximately $158 million for infrastructure development for airports over five years4
Over the coming days and weeks, we will expect to receive additional data on the impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in Maryland.