In the wake of federal lawmakers delaying a decision on the future of the Federal Highway Trust Fund, Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner continues the drumbeat calling for more spending on America’s roads and bridges.
As mayor of one of the snowiest cities in America, Miner has the credentials to complain about crumbling infrastructure; how cold, snowy conditions can crack water pipes and create craters in roads. Add to that a cash-strapped city with no extra funds to replace those rotting roads and crumbling pipes.
Those things have added up to a mayor that takes her message to Washington, to complain about delays in replenishing the Highway Trust Fund; to Albany, looking to get more state spending on infrastructure; and to the Clinton Global Initiative, as a member of the infrastructure working group.
Miner’s latest foray was a trip to Washington in May, joining other mayors from across the country, to meet with leaders from the House of Representatives about the transportation bill.
"The good news is that a number of them agreed, and said yes, we have to pay more attention to our infrastructure and we have to do something for our roads and bridges in particular. So I think I’m hopeful we’re going to see some positive signs, and we’re going to see some attention to that,” said Miner.
She admits, though, the funding quandary on the federal level is a tough one. But she doesn’t think it can be dragged out much longer.
"We have really missed the opportunity to do what we did so well after World War II, which is to double down and build up our infrastructure, so we could build an economy that worked for everyone. And for too long, we as a country have failed to do that, and we are starting right now to pay the consequences for that,” said the mayor.
Miner’s next trip in her quest to highlight her message, is a Clinton Global Initiative meeting in Denver later this month, where she will co-chair a meeting on infrastructure.
