A cursory review of the amended American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that is expected to be approved by the Senate early next week suggests that travelers may directly benefit from some of its provisions.
Here’s the full version of the bill. (Click on the fourth option, Amended in Senate.)
For example, the massive $780 billion stimulus bill provides $1.2 billion for the installation of checked baggage explosives detection systems and checkpoint explosives detection equipment. Does this mean we’ll get to carry our liquids and gels through those checkpoints, now?
If you love national parks, you’re in good company. So does the government. It’s earmarked $158 million for the parks, which doesn’t include $55 million for historic preservation and $589 million for construction.
America’s highways get $27 billion and the Federal Aviation Administration gets about $200 million for infrastructure improvements. There’s also just over $1 billion for airport improvements.
Prefer to ride the train? The bill sets aside $2 billion for high-speed rail projects. Public transit projects get $8.4 billion.
If you leave your cell phone at home when you go on vacation and catch up on email at the library, you’ll like this: That $9 billion “Broadband Technology Opportunities Program” includes $200 million for expanding public computer center capacity, including at community colleges and public libraries.
The bill also sets aside $500 million for what it calls “exploration.”
That could be one heck of an adventure vacation.
See anything in the bill that looks interesting? Your comments are appreciated, either by email or directly on the site.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that the Bill is ready to move, now that we have seen some of the more protectionist clauses of “Buy American” taken out of play. That said, there seems to be some more disturbing news on air-travel related protectionism in the form of Chairman Oberstar’s HR831- calling for a review of airline alliances and antitrust. This bill has the potential to do some real damage to much needed international consolidation and airline alliance activity.
Have a look at the bill and it’s analyis more in depth on our blog at http://www.twclimited.com/blog
I enjoy your site, Elliott
$27 billion for highways? That’s barely $500 million per state which won’t go very far.
Federal agencies will need to specify how grant funds will be made available to the States as pass thru to cities, etc., or directly to municipalities. The time from surveys, right of ways, soils testing, design, and construction start to finish has been historically sometimes years in the planning stages. What steps or phases may be skipped to get the job market going will be interesting. Moreover, competitive awards of major State and Federal highways (I-numbers) has a few large or very large construction companies usually from out of State (not within most states), and how will jobs be kept within confines of a State boundaries in that instance. There are too many questions due to uncertainty of skilled laborers and mechanics being trained and ready for apprentice or journeyman level work within the time of award to road and bridge completion. Do I make any sense about the real activity at ground zero so to speak. How may any innovative short cuts help the funds to be used and into jobs for workers? For discussion..