Congressman Pat Ryan Introduces "REPAIR Infrastructure Act" to Repair, Expand, and Enhance Critical Hudson Valley Infrastructure

Congressman Ryan's "Restoring Essential Public Access and Improving Resilient (REPAIR) Infrastructure Act" renews and increases funding for the Reconnecting Communities Program; without this legislation, the program originally funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will expire

The Reconnecting Communities Program (RCP) helps reconnect communities separated by ill-conceived transportation and infrastructure barriers, ensuring our neighborhoods are vibrant, safe, and accessible for Hudson Valley families

Kingston was awarded an RCP planning and design grant this year to reconfigure US Route 9-W, which bisects the city, cutting off community access for residents and limiting transportation options

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Pat Ryan introduced the "Restoring Essential Public Access and Improving Resilient (REPAIR) Infrastructure Program Act." The bill would reauthorize and expand the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Reconnecting Communities Program as the REPAIR Infrastructure Program. The program works to help reconnect communities separated by ill-conceived transportation and infrastructure barriers, ensuring more neighborhoods are vibrant, safe, and accessible for Hudson Valley families.

Kingston was awarded an RCP planning and design grant this year to reconfigure US Route 9-W, which bisects the community. This grant funding will ease mobility for Kingston residents and bring new housing and economic opportunities throughout the current 9-W corridor.

The legislation is led by Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester, Jeff Merkley, and Raphael Warnock in the Senate, and is co-led by Congressman Shomari Figures in the House.

"Hudson Valley families and commuters deserve cohesive, safe neighborhoods, connected to good schools, high-paying jobs, and local businesses. That's exactly what my bill does, " said Congressman Pat Ryan. "Whether it's improving the safety of a dangerous highway crossing, like 9-W in Kingston, working to prevent pedestrian and cyclist deaths at roadway intersections, or making access to our community spaces easier for everyone, the REPAIR Infrastructure Act is going to deliver the safer, more accessible Hudson Valley all of our families deserve."

"As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, it is important to me that we prioritize making investments in enhancing and modernizing transportation infrastructure in our communities," said Congressman Figures."The Trump Administration recently cancelled a 36.6 million dollar Reconnecting Communities Grant in Montgomery. I am committed to seeing that funding restored, and I'm proud to join my Democratic colleagues in the Senate to make sure other communities in Alabama have the opportunity to access this same funding."

"We are thrilled that Congressman Ryan is introducing legislation that would reauthorize and expand on a much-needed funding stream, which will help Kingston build crucial housing, create jobs, and allow us to reinvest in a neighborhood that was negatively impacted by Urban Renewal," said Kingston Mayor Steve Noble."The REPAIR Infrastructure Act would do just that- repair a wrong that was done in the 1960s by helping us reconnect our neighborhoods and mending vital infrastructure. The benefit of this program in Kingston is immeasurable."

"Reauthorizing the REPAIR Infrastructure Program is vital for the City of Poughkeepsie, helping us reconnect neighborhoods and ensure residents can safely access daily needs like grocery stores and childcare," said Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers."This investment supports our ongoing efforts to modernize streets, utilities, and public spaces, while expanding equitable access to opportunity for all. We thank Rep. Ryan for championing this program and giving cities like ours the tools to create lasting, meaningful improvements."

"The City of Port Jervis has benefited from federal funding to make rail crossings safer for our community and to ensure people can get to where they need to go safely," said Port Jervis Mayor Steve Cicalese. "As we have seen first-hand how this funding can work to improve health and safety, we support the introduction of the REPAIR Infrastructure Act, that would reauthorize a version of the Reconnecting Communities Grant Program and connect people to jobs, essential services, and economic opportunity.

"When my colleagues and I were shaping what would become the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, I made sure it included significant funding for communities to correct historic injustices that resulted from past infrastructure policies. Now, the time has come to reauthorize and expand that program," said Senator Blunt Rochester. "Over the last four years, the Reconnecting Communities Program has proven successful, including critical work done in Delaware. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance the REPAIR Infrastructure Act and invest more of this critical funding into communities across our nation."

"We applaud Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, Senator Jeff Merkley, Senator Raphael Warnock, and Representative Pat Ryan for stepping up to continue the work of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program to heal historic harms caused by divisive infrastructure," said Beth Osborne, President and CEO of Smart Growth America."The work of reconnecting communities has brought significant economic and community benefits to the places that have pursued it. By providing additional funding and greater flexibility, the REPAIR Infrastructure Act would allow more communities, from our most rural towns to urban centers, to build transportation systems that better serve the people who live there. Moreover, this legislation is crucial to help set the tone in Congress for what the upcoming surface reauthorization must prioritize: safety, connectivity, and rethinking how, why, and for whom we build transportation infrastructure."

The Reconnecting Communities program awards are designed to re-establish routes between communities that were cut off by overbuilt transportation infrastructure built decades ago, during the era of urban renewal. This overdevelopment left entire neighborhoods cut off from accessing essentials like grocery stores, medical centers, and places of worship.

Between fiscal years 2022 and 2024, there was an average of $4.6 billion in unmet funding requests for the Reconnecting Communities Program. During the same period, there were nearly 1,500 applications from communities in all 50 states for projects eligible under the REPAIR Infrastructure Act, demonstrating a desire for this funding across the nation.

Ultimately, DOT has funded 257 projects in 47 states. Those projects have helped communities redesign streets, spur economic development, address outdated highways, improve multimodal access, and enhance transit options.

The "REPAIR Infrastructure Act" would:

• Reauthorize the REPAIR Infrastructure program out of the Highway Trust Fund at $3B per fiscal year from 2027 through 2031.
• Codifies language to ensure REPAIR Infrastructure projects promote economic development, increase access to daily destinations, prioritize community involvement, and prevent displacement.
• Adds explicit eligibility for REPAIR Infrastructure projects to existing highway formula programs.

The "REPAIR Infrastructure Act" is endorsed by Smart Growth America, the American Society of Landscape Architects, America Walks, the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), the Environmental Law & Policy Center, the League of American Bicyclists, the Living Streets Alliance, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Rails to Trails Conservancy, Safe Routes Partnership, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and a national coalitionof 74 additional organizations.

Full text is available here.

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