Please note that these jobs are not real jobs and the money is not real money and the stimulus is not stimulus because it does not involve granting tax breaks to wealthy Republicans.
Press Release after the jump.
NEWARK – Gov. Jack Markell unveiled a list of road, transit and pedestrian projects Monday that will be the state’s priorities to receive funding under a federal economic stimulus package.
The projects, totaling $200 million, were selected for their ability to meet federal requirements that the work begin within three to six months, the number of jobs the work will generate and the projects’ economic development potential.
“These projects will create hundreds of jobs and will help our economy – and our neighbors — get moving again,” Markell said during a news conference at the I-95 Toll Plaza, which is targeted to receive $48 million to add high-speed EZ-Pass lanes. “These projects are will improve our transportation system, put Delawareans to work and make Delaware more attractive for economic development in the future.”
Based on economic analysis, the projects are expected to create 1,200 jobs.
“One of the best ways for Delaware to overcome the historic economic challenge we face is to get more people working, and that is exactly what we are going to do,” said Secretary of Labor John McMahon. “We are going to make sure this money pays for projects that will stimulate the economy.”
The projects range from big-ticket items, such as the additional E-ZPass lanes at the I-95 toll plaza and $70 million worth of paving and rehabilitation work, to smaller projects such as traffic-signal and guardrail replacement. Funding is being targeted not just for traditional road projects, but also for transit projects such as a new Dover Transit Center, park-and-ride facilities in Odessa and Rehoboth Beach and a new DART maintenance facility.
The project list also includes money for improvements to Market Street near the Wilmington Riverfront and funding to refurbish the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk.
“These two projects are crucial to our economic infrastructure,” said Alan Levin, director of the Delaware Economic Development Office. “They are going to add to the economic potential of Wilmington and the nation’s ‘Summer Capital.’ These projects will stimulate our economy for years to come.”
The list of projects was announced Monday to allow enough time for the projects to be reviewed by local Metropolitan Planning Organizations and to begin work on obtaining the necessary permits. If Delaware does not begin preliminary work now, the projects may not be far enough along in the approval process when the stimulus bill passes and funding could be lost.
Monday’s list is not final and could change depending upon provisions in the final bill that President Obama signs.
“The timeframes proposed to deliver projects presented several challenges and greatly limited the number and types of projects targeted,” said Secretary of Transportation Carolann Wicks. “The DelDOT team has worked extremely hard to vet all possible road, transit, pedestrian and bridge projects that could be done in the 180-day time period, but the bottom line for us is that we will end up with a package of projects that benefit the entire state.”