A New Plan for Fixing the U.S. Transportation System

What stands in the way of a solution to the nation's crumbling, outdated and inadequate transportation infrastructure? Judging from the decades of debate surrounding the issue, the obstacles are immense. Legislators can't seem to agree on a way to fix crumbling roads, bridges and highways, let alone built new infrastructure. The sticking point, as usual, is the argument over how we'll pay for the work. But there are also questions about where the money should go, and how eligible projects should be selected. On this episode, we speak with Beth Osborne, vice president for technical assistance with Transportation for America. A transportation policy veteran, she was formerly acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation. She also oversaw DOT's successful TIGER competitive grant program for infrastructure investment. Now she has a four-point plan for solving the crisis. It's contained in her new report, published by The Century Foundation's Bernard L. Schwartz Rediscovering Government Initiative, which provides a path to funding key transportation projects, while ensuring that taxpayers get a higher return on their investment.