Release: Mayors/Policy Leaders Release New Playbook For Infrastructure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Yusef Robb, Accelerator for America, 323-384-1789
‘AMERICA’S NEW PLAYBOOK FOR INFRASTRUCTURE’ CALLS FOR FEDERAL OVERHAUL; SAYS INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT ESSENTIAL FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY, REDUCING SYSTEMIC INEQUALITY THROUGH GOOD JOBS THAT BUILD COMMUNITY WEALTH
Los Angeles, CA Mayor Eric Garcetti; Dayton, OH Mayor Nan Whaley; Phoenix, AZ Mayor Kate Gallego; Rep. Karen Bass; Waterloo, IA Mayor Quentin Hart; Oklahoma City, OK Mayor David Holt; and Chattanooga, TN Mayor Andy Berke Released and Discussed Playbook Today During Online Forum. Watch HERE (replay video will be uploaded by 2pm PT / 5pm ET). Read Playbook HERE.
America’s New Playbook for Infrastructure a Project of the ‘New Partnership on Infrastructure,’ led by Accelerator for America and including WSP USA, City Possible, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Meridiam NA, ACEC Research Institute, and HNTB
June 23, 2020 — The New Partnership on Infrastructure released “America’s New Playbook for Infrastructure” today. The Playbook goes beyond a call for significant investment in our nation’s infrastructure and urges an overhaul of how infrastructure is financed by the federal government. The Playbook states that for stimulus legislation to be most effective, we must align local government needs with broader federal macroeconomic stability goals and overhaul how we fund infrastructure in our country by moving toward a system that incentivizes aligned local, state, and federal investment. By empowering local governments — which are most attuned to local needs and priorities — with more autonomy, infrastructure investments can be developed alongside national policy objectives.
The Playbook was guided by the following principles:
We must not only recover, but rebuild and reimagine a stronger, more equitable, and more resilient nation.
Local innovation, aligned with federal policy, can and must be the driving force in economic recovery through community-serving infrastructure.
Growth in small and minority-owned businesses will support community wealth building and break cycles of racial inequity.
Funding for locally-focused and well-paying jobs will grow America’s workforce and maximize the impact of federal dollars quickly.
Accelerated development of transportation electrification, broadband, and resilient water infrastructure will prepare us for the decades ahead.
“Justice for all is only possible when all Americans have access to economic security. That is the fundamental principle behind this Playbook and its call for infrastructure investment to be an essential component of our nation’s recovery policy,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, CA, who co-founded and is Advisory Council Chair of Accelerator for America, which leads the Partnership. “Infrastructure investment can and should play an essential role in not just recovering from the current crisis, but building a future that is far better than the pre-COVID status quo.”
The Playbook offers specific and actionable recommendations that are uniquely informed by interviews with Mayors and appointed officials on the front lines. These interviews have all taken place since March, making the Playbook uniquely ready for this moment.
“We need a federal grant and regulatory system that prioritizes action over compliance when it comes to building and maintaining our infrastructure,” said Mayor Nan Whaley of Dayton, OH.
“We have to keep investing now, both for the future, and because so much of our economy is counting on local government to make these investments,” said Mayor Kate Gallego of Phoenix, AZ
“Instead of trying to build back exactly what we had, how do we build back a fairer place, one that has more opportunities for more people?” said Mayor Andy Berke of Chattanooga, TN.
“Recovery must include everyone. We need to make sure opportunities and access are available to all,” said Mayor Quentin Hart of Waterloo, IA.
The New Partnership on Infrastructure considers infrastructure investment as essential to accelerating our nation’s economic recovery and generating the local opportunities and community wealth necessary to break generational cycles of inequality. Each $1 billion of investment in infrastructure creates more than 22,000 jobs — typically well paid and typically union jobs — that provide long-lasting careers and support strong local economies.
The New Partnership on Infrastructure was originally announced in February, as presidential candidates came together at a forum in Las Vegas, NV to present their infrastructure visions for the country (see this article written by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt). It was immediately re-tooled after the COVID-19 crisis hit and is even more relevant now.
In addition to research and analysis from the Partnership’s members, the Playbook was shaped through interviews with:
Mayor Adler, Austin, TX
Mayor Berke, Chattanooga, TN
Dan Carol, Milken Institute
Angela Castro, RTC of Southern Nevada
Henry Cisneros, Connect SA
Mayor Cognetti, Scranton, PA
Kevin DeGood, CFAM
Radhika Fox, US Water Alliance
Mayor Gallego, Phoenix, AZ
Mayor Hart, Waterloo, IA
Aj Hermann, Office of Mayor Lucas
Mayor Holt, Oklahoma City, OK
Mayor Keller, Albuquerque, NM
Darren Kettle, Ventura Co. Trans. Commission
Mayor Kling, Nampa, ID
John Langmore, Transit for Austin
Shoshana Lew, CDOT
Mayor Lucas, Kansas City, MO
Lynn Peterson, Oregon Metro
Matt Petersen, Los Angeles Transportation Electrification Partnership
Sophie Shulman, CDOT
Will Toor, Colorado Energy Office
City Clerk Anna Valencia, City of Chicago
Phil Washington, LA Metro
Stephanie Wiggins, MetroLink
Mayor Whaley, Dayton, OH
Raymond Wolfe, San Bernardino Co. Trans. Authority
The Playbook’s recommendations:
Establish a national training center for workforce development and apprenticeship programs for infrastructure.
Declare in any economic stimulus bill that federal competition rules do not prohibit innovative job creation incentives such as USEP and local hire in procurements for all infrastructure projects.
Incentivize state and local agencies to hire growing small and medium sized businesses.
Create and expand federal grant incentives that drive innovation and put people to work.
Require federal stimulus grant applicants to identify project procurement efficiencies and direct executive branch agencies to partner with recipients in re-engineering processes to achieve these efficiencies.
Reduce the burden of environmental review processes without compromising environmental stewardship.
Provide technical assistance to project sponsors, a federal fast-track process for P3s, and expand the use of subsidized debt.
Incentivize voluntary state-local road transfer programs.
Clear regulatory hurdles that restrict the ability of cities to install fiber.
Empower local jurisdictions to access federal emergency relief funds for betterments.
Establish an outcome-based NPDES permitting process by adopting an adaptive management regulatory approach.
Provide long-term operational funding support through stimulus dollars and by reintroducing a federal revenue-sharing program.
Focus recovery dollars first on State of Good Repair.
Provide pre-development funds and technical assistance to support “shovel-worthy” projects.
Provide catalytic federal support for state and local bond issuance and refinancings.
Increase utilization of federal credit programs through refinancing.
Expand the scope of and refine federal discretionary grant programs.
Increase direct regional funding.
Establish an infrastructure planning council at the federal level to coordinate the many agency policies, regulations, and funding programs.
Increase funding and eligibility for already successful federal broadband programs.
Support the proactive development of resilient and sustainable infrastructure projects with accelerated depreciation.
Expand federal tax incentives and funding for electric vehicle purchases.
Establish a list of pre-approved federal variance activities and expand applicability of previously approved variances.
Increase WIFIA’s administrative and financial capacity.
Establish national complete streets design principles.
Expand installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
ABOUT ACCELERATOR FOR AMERICA
ACCELERATOR FOR AMERICA finds and develops solutions to economic insecurity and shares them with cities to create national change from the ground up. It was co-founded by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Rick Jacobs in 2017 around the idea that while Washington is broken and has, in fact, been broken for some time, change is still needed and can be made at the local level. The Accelerator has since developed community wealth-building tools that are being used by more than 60 cities nationwide, and it has helped local communities generate $22 billion in funding for transit and transportation infrastructure through local ballot initiatives. It developed a financial assistance model to help people who lost income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that is being adapted by 11 cities nationwide. www.acceleratorforamerica.org
###