Surprise, surprise! Oh wait, no it’s not. Streetsblog USA is reporting that Congress is getting ready to pass the 35th extension to the current federal transportation funding bill. Yes, 35th. The House passed a five month extension initially but the Senate moved forward with a six-year bill. Then the House decided on a three month extension instead for some reason and the Senate caved and agreed to it.
One condition of this agreement is that House leaders swore that they will work on a long-term bill as soon as they return from an August break. In the meantime, seven states have stopped construction projects worth almost $2 billion because of uncertainties at the federal level.
The three month extension expires Oct. 29, so around Oct. 1 we’ll start the countdown to another extension.