What just-passed infrastructure bill might bring for Stanislaus roads, rail, water
Projects in and near Stanislaus County could get substantial funding from the infrastructure bill that finally passed Congress.
The $1.2 trillion package will go to road, rail, water, forest health and other needs across the nation over five years. Decisions await on how exactly to allot the money following President Joe Biden’s expected signature in the coming days.
The legislation adds $550 billion in new investments to already-planned spending over five years.
The new transportation portion includes $110 billion for roads and bridges, $105 billion for passenger and freight rail, $39 billion for other public transit needs, and $15 billion for electric vehicles.
Water infrastructure will get $105 billion, including $1.15 billion for storage projects in the West. Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, was among the lawmakers seeking the storage money.
“This bill is the investment our community needs, and I’m proud to have helped get it done,” he said in a news release.
The bill, HR 3684, passed the House on a 228-206 vote early Saturday, Nov. 6. The Senate had approved it 69-30 in August, much reduced from Biden’s initial proposal in March.
Congress is still wrangling over a separate package that would put $1.75 trillion into education, health care, climate, housing and other areas.
Getting crops to market
Harder supports building Del Puerto Reservoir west of Patterson and expanding Los Vaqueros Reservoir near Brentwood. The bill also could help with canal repair and other California water needs, along with replacing lead pipes around the nation.
The bill puts $25 billion into airports and $17 billion into seaports. The latter could include Oakland and other ports that ship much of the Central Valley’s farm goods abroad.
The measure drew praise from Jamie Johansson, president of the California Farm Bureau Federation.
“This will benefit California’s farmers and ranchers, who are counting on improvements to millions of miles of roadways and waterways to get food to America’s dinner tables and upgraded ports to ship products to international markets,” he said in a news release.
Building up rail
The bill provides $66 billion to make passenger and freight rail more safe and reliable. Some of the money will go to Amtrak to modernize and grow its services.
The Amtrak San Joaquin service is already being expanded thanks to state fuel taxes. It runs mostly between Bakersfield and Oakland by way of Modesto and also has one train a day to Sacramento.
The same $900.5 million in state grants will expand the Altamont Corridor Express with branches to Stanislaus, Merced and Sacramento counties.
The federal bill will provide grants for other rail projects, including high-speed. California is already building its first high-speed segment between the Merced and Bakersfield areas, amid renewed criticism over the cost and timeline.
Bus systems will benefit from the federal bill’s $39 billion for transit. It also will provide a separate $7.5 billion for electric buses and ferries and the same amount for a network of charging stations for various electric vehicles.
The bill directs $40 billion to repairing or replacing bridges. Stanislaus County has completed several major projects over rivers in recent years. Funding is still being finalized for the Seventh Street Bridge in Modesto, where the 1916 span has long been off-limits to semis.
Dealing with wildfire fuel
The bill puts $3.3 billion into tree thinning and other efforts to reduce the wildfire fuel in the Sierra Nevada and elsewhere. This coincides with a major increase in state funding.
The bill has $65 billion to further spread broadband coverage around the nation and provide low-cost plans for some consumers.
“Our rural communities can thrive with expanded broadband and feel protected due to investments in forests that reduce wildfire dangers,” Johansson said.
The bill also invests $65 billion in making electricity more reliable and boosting renewable sources of power.
The package passed with wide support from Democrats as well as some Republican votes, after years of talk about infrastructure.
“Roads and bridges are not political — we all drive on them,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Association in Arlington, Virginia. “A majority in the House realized this ... and did what’s right for the country, not themselves.”
