Last year, President Joe Biden visited the Port of Baltimore in Maryland following the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the bipartisan infrastructure law, touting it as a “once-in-a generation” investment in infrastructure. Now, slightly more than six months later, Maryland is starting to see its share of long-overdue investments in its infrastructure, which have boosted job creation, improved business productivity, eased commutes, and made communities across the state safer.
As of May 2022, the state has already seen more than $1.7 billion in infrastructure funding, and it expects a total of more than $7 billion in federal funding over the next five years for highways, job training, public transit, broadband, airports, and more.
Maryland has announced several allocations of this funding, including:
- More than $340 million in public transit funding
- Nearly $82 million to fix aging bridges, the first installment of a total $400 million in bridge restoration investments over the next five years
- $40 million to help restore the Chesapeake Bay, part of $238 million total slated to be invested over the next five years
- $31.5 million to modernize Maryland airports, part of $158 million total to be invested over the next five years
- $200 million for workforce development training
- $800 million in highway funding
All of Maryland’s members of Congress voted for this infrastructure legislation except for Rep. Andy Harris (R).
This column highlights local coverage of how federal funding delivered by the Biden administration through the bipartisan infrastructure law and American Rescue Plan of 2021 is improving Maryland’s infrastructure and the lives of its residents.
Southern Maryland
“St. Mary’s Regional Airport to get $295,000 from the Federal Infrastructure bill”: “This funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation through the bipartisan infrastructure law, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in November. This funding will help Maryland airports prepare for future growth and better serve their passengers by undertaking a variety of projects to improve the safety and operation of runways and taxiways and expand capacity at airport terminals.” – The Southern Maryland Chronicle, March 15, 2022
Frederick County
“Maryland Senator Discusses Broadband With Residents”: “Officials are still spending the county’s latest allocation of federal COVID assistance, $25 million from the American Rescue Plan Act — $2 million of which will go to expanding broadband in unserved and underserved areas of the county, including areas around Sabillasville and Thurmont. In nearby Rocky Ridge, a project with county and state funding could bring broadband to 135 homes by the end of this year, county officials said. … Van Hollen mentioned during the roundtable that $2.5 million of the county’s ARPA allocation went to the public school system and the YMCA of Frederick County to help connect students to reliable internet. This funding also helped local libraries strengthen their wireless internet connections.” – Government Technology, February 25, 2022
Baltimore
“How Biden’s infrastructure deal could help with a local non-profit”: “Among the guests at the State of the Union was a Baltimore man who works for a local non-profit. The organization called Civic Works deals with clean energy and is expected to benefit from the large bipartisan infrastructure bill passed last year. … He says the money from the infrastructure deal will help Civic Works hire more staff and expand its programs.” – WMAR 2, March 1, 2022
Other areas of the state
“Biden’s infrastructure plan aims to heal racial inequalities. Will it work?”: “One plank of policy addresses the damage wrought by all those mass highway projects in once-vibrant Black communities, after a blitz of building from 1957 to 1977 displaced at least a million people. A trillion-dollar infrastructure law the Biden administration is now implementing includes at least $1 billion set aside to reconnect divided communities like [Baltimore] – a decent start, advocates say, toward righting past wrongs.” –Reuters, February 24, 2022
“President Biden Signs Order On Labor Agreements At Upper Marlboro Union Hall”: “President Joe Biden appeared at an Upper Marlboro union hall on Friday to sign an executive order adding project labor agreements to all federal contracts for construction projects. Such agreements are reached with labor groups before a job is started to establish the terms and conditions of a contract. Biden said the agreements will ensure major projects, such as the ones in the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will come in on time and under budget.” – CBS News Baltimore, February 4, 2022
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