The Biden administration’s American Jobs infrastructure plan includes $20 billion for a new program to address the racism inherent in highway projects in the past. Transportation veterans say this is necessary, despite criticism from conservative groups.
“There is racism physically built into some of our highways,” U.S. Dept. of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg told theGrio’s April Ryan in an interview last week. Addressing social justice in infrastructure is one of the administration’s key goals, along with addressing climate change, safety and job creation. While some conservative critics scoff at the idea, veterans of transportation policy say the issue isn’t new.