Date:  Thursday, December 03, 2009

Contact: Lloyd Brown, Communications Director, 360-705-7076

Washington Transportation Secretary attends Pres. Obama’s jobs summit, participates in infrastructure investment breakout session

OLYMPIA – With most highway construction projects wrapped up for the winter, it is clear that investments by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act have helped maintain and create jobs in Washington State.

The Washington State Department of Transportation this week released updated Recovery Act employment and payroll numbers that are reported monthly to the US Department of Transportation. Washington’s workers earned $10.9 million in payroll for 284,192 hours of work in October. Since the Recovery Act was passed in February, workers have logged more than 1 million hours on Washington stimulus projects, earning nearly $40 million in wages.

“Transportation infrastructure investments are helping the economy recover,” said Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond, participating today in President Barack Obama’s Jobs Summit at the White House. “The State of Washington is putting the money and jobs where they are needed most. Approximately $336 million, or 70 percent, of our Recovery Act highway funding will be spent in 28 counties federally defined as economically distressed. Nationally, more than a thousand projects have been completed, and thousands more are underway. More importantly, private and public sector jobs have been saved or created.”

Hammond last week received an invitation to attend President Obama’s forum on Jobs and Economic Development, Dec. 3, at the White House. She will also participate in a breakout session on infrastructure investment as part of the nation’s economic and employment recovery efforts.

“It is an honor to be invited to the White House to represent Gov. Gregoire, the Legislature and Washington’s contractors and workers who have shown how transportation investments can make a difference in our economy,” Hammond said. “Today I will continue urging a rapid decision on additional infrastructure investment to create and sustain even more jobs.”

On Monday, the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials issued a report that included a “ready-to-go” list of transportation infrastructure projects worth $69.5 billion. Washington State has identified as many as 148 state and local highway projects worth nearly $750 million that could be ready to go in 120 days. Transit agencies have additional investments that are needed and ready to go as well.

“We know that investments in transportation not only provide immediate jobs for the economy, but also provide longer term benefits by preserving roads, shoring up our bridges, repairing or replacing 1950s era concrete interstates and making drivers safer,” said Hammond.

In February 2009, Washington State received $492 million for state and local highway infrastructure projects, along with another $179 million for transit investments. As of Nov. 30, 166 of 182 projects (85 percent) had started construction and 78 of 182 projects (40 percent) were completed.

For more on how Washington State has delivered Recovery Act projects, including employment and payroll data, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/funding/stimulus.

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