As Congress begins to shape the next surface transportation bill, cities across the nation are advocating for the continuation of direct federal funding opportunities established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021. The National League of Cities (NLC) is at the forefront, urging local leaders to communicate their priorities to Congress before May 23.

The Impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

The IIJA, also known as the bipartisan Infrastructure Law, marked a meaningful shift in the relationship between local jurisdictions and the federal government. It provided manny cities with their first chance to directly apply for federal funds through competitive grant programs. Thes programs targeted critical areas such as street safety and disaster resilience.

NLC’s Call to Action

With the IIJA’s core funding for road maintenance set to expire in 2026, the NLC has issued a call to action, urging city leaders to share their transportation funding priorities with their congressional representatives this month.

Congress changed the game with their infrastructure and transportation investments last time by opening up a lot of competitive grant programs — so many that it really was a heavy lift at the U.S. Department of transportation to get everything out the door — but it’s had a tremendous impact around the country.

Brittney Kohler, NLC’s legislative director for transportation and infrastructure

Ms. Kohler emphasized the growing importance of cities as stakeholders in federal transportation funding, noting that When you look at the number of grants the DOT gives out, [cities] are now their largest stakeholder.

The Local Perspective

While 75 percent of roads are owned by local and county governments, cities have historically received limited direct federal transportation funding. Most funds are channeled through state departments of transportation, with only a fraction reaching cities. Programs like Safe Streets and Roads for All have enabled cities to directly access federal funding for their infrastructure priorities.

We really have benefited over the last few years. This was a unique partnership as the federal partners recognized that cities knew what was best for cities, and that all cities are not alike.

van Johnson, the mayor of Savannah, Ga., and second vice president at the National League of Cities

Savannah, a city with a population of approximately 150,000 and over 16 million annual tourists, received a $9.9 million Safe Streets grant to improve intersection safety. To date, the Safe Streets and Roads for All program has allocated more than $2.9 billion to around 1,600 communities.

NLC’s Priorities for the Next Transportation Bill

The NLC has submitted a list of priorities to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,advocating for:

• Expanded opportunities for cities and regional planning organizations to directly access federal funds.
• Expedited environmental review and permitting for small transportation projects and projects within existing rights of way.

The NLC is also urging local leaders to submit their priorities to Congress by May 23. To facilitate this, the organization has created a form to help local leaders request meetings with their congressional representatives.

The Economic Imperative

Beyond direct funding, the NLC is advocating for sustained investment in transportation and infrastructure. While acknowledging the current political pressure to cut spending,the NLC argues that infrastructure investments yield significant returns.

In testimony before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Austin Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes cited estimates indicating that reducing funding to pre-2021 levels would result in trillions of dollars in unfunded infrastructure needs and increased costs for families.

Infrastructure’s costs far exceed what local governments can raise themselves on their annual balanced budgets. Reducing infrastructure investment from IIJA levels would be a trillion-dollar mistake.

Vanessa Fuentes, Austin Mayor Pro Tem