Mayors to call for metropolitan transportation investments, 9 am May 3

The U.S. Conference of Mayors will release a new survey of its membership focused on metropolitan transportation investments at a Newsmaker at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 3.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed will present the findings and take questions.

Two-thirds of U.S. residents live in metropolitan areas, home to the highest numbers of unemployed, the nation’s worst traffic jams, and its oldest roads, bridges and transit systems, according to the mayors group.

But far less than two-thirds of federal transportation funds are allocated to cities and metropolitan areas, they will argue.

Among the major findings of the Metropolitan Transportation Infrastructure survey: Ninety-eight percent of mayors point to investment in affordable, reliable transportation as an important part of their cities’ economic recovery and growth. Three in five mayors said they would not support an increase in the federal gas tax if federal transportation funding were allocated among programs in the same proportions that it is today.