The Senate has finally voted to advance the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Here\u2019s how the $1.2 trillion package will fund roads, bridges, water clean up, and broadband internet.<\/b>
\nIt\u2019s finally infrastructure week. At least according to a Wednesday tweet from President Joe Biden announcing that a bipartisan group of senators had finally hashed out an agreement on an infrastructure package, months after the administration first unveiled its framework for a potential plan. Hours later, the infrastructure deal cleared a major hurdle in the Senate, with the chamber voting 67-32 to advance the bill. The package, which is expected to carry a $1 trillion price tag, includes \u201c$550 billion in new federal investment in America\u2019s infrastructure,\u201d according to the White House\u2019s fact sheet. Lawmakers are still engaged in talks about the various details of the plan and the legislative text has yet to be released, so the facts and figures may change before the bill reaches Biden\u2019s desk. Here\u2019s what\u2019s currently included in the deal. These funds will go toward rebuilding and repairing roads and bridges, with a focus on factoring in the effects of climate change and safety considerations for cyclists and pedestrians. This total includes $40 billion specifically for the replacement, repair, and rehabilitation of bridges, which the administration calls \u201cthe single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system.\u201d Another $17.5 billion will go toward other major projects that are too large for standard funding programs. The bill also puts $1 billion toward reconnecting communities that were divided by transportation projects. This includes the funding of \u201cplanning, design, demolition, and reconstruction of street grids, parks, or other infrastructure.\u201d The plan will also create the \u201cSafe Streets for All\u201d program to help decrease the number of crashes and deaths associated with roadways and driving, particularly those involving pedestrians and cyclists. This money, which the administration says is the largest-ever federal investment in the country\u2019s transit system, will be used to \u201crepair and upgrade aging infrastructure, modernize bus and rail fleets, make stations accessible to all users, and bring transit service to new communities.\u201d It will also increase transit accessibility for individuals with disabilities and the elderly, and provide for the replacement of buses and other transit vehicles with versions that produce zero emissions. The plan includes funding for several aspects of America\u2019s railways: $22 billion in grants to Amtrak, $24 billion toward modernizing the Northeast Corridor, $12 billion in federal-state partnership grants for intercity rail including high-speed rail, $5 billion for rail improvement, and $3 billion to improvements in grade crossing safety. This funding will go toward the administration\u2019s goal of building a nationwide network of chargers for electric vehicles, both along highways and within local communities. Additionally, the plan invests $2.5 billion for zero-emission buses, $2.5 billion for low-emission buses, and $2.5 billion for ferries. The investment will help address backlogs for repairs, reduce the level of emissions and congestion near these areas, and help pursue low-carbon and electric technologies. The package will direct money toward making the country\u2019s water infrastructure more resilient against the effects of climate change, such as droughts and floods, and also cyberattacks. The bill will also put $55 billion toward clean drinking water by replacing all of the country\u2019s lead pipes and services lines. This amount will be used to increase broadband access across the country by building new infrastructure. It will also support efforts to fund lower cost broadband by \u201crequiring funding recipients to offer a low-cost affordable plan,\u201d and create a permanent program to help low-income households have better access to broadband internet. This will fund the clean up of brownfield and Superfund sites in communities, as well as capping orphaned gas wells and reclaiming abandoned mines. The bill provides money for upgrades to the electrical grid, including miles of new transmission lines and investments into clean-energy projects. It also creates a Grid Deployment Authority, a new federal entity within the Energy Department that will \u201cfinance and encourage the development of high-voltage transmission lines,\u201d according to the White House.<\/p>\n