On November 19, the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee's bipartisan leadership on unveiled its visionary six-year, $375 billion plan for the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), which funds the nation's highways, bridges and transit systems.

The T&I Committee's plan for the revitalization of America's roadways and bridges addresses an issue that has become an increasingly grave concern to the American public in recent years. Traffic congestion has cost American motorists time and undue stress — the average commuting American worker loses a week and a half of productive time each year. The gridlock has become a significant impediment to the economy as well.

In fact, it is estimated that the economy incurs a $67 billion deadweight loss each year that is directly attributable to traffic delays. Other negative externalities include 55.7 billion gallons of wasted fuel and increased greenhouse gas emissions caused by vehicles idling in traffic jams. The impact on safety has also been staggering. More than 42,000 Americans died on the nation's highways last year alone — the most since 1990.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that $375 billion is needed simply to begin improving the physical conditions and performance of the nation's existing surface transportation system, making this plan a necessary stepping stone to the achievement of a surface transportation system consistent with the requirements of a growing and mobile population.

Every $1 billion of federal investment in our nation's transportation infrastructure directly or indirectly supports up to 47,500 jobs. Although several economic indicators have recently shown signs of improvement, employment numbers are still lagging behind. A recent economic study conducted by Global Insight, Inc. indicated that the plan would increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $290 billion over the next six years, adding $21 billion to equipment investment by American businesses and putting $129 billion more in disposable income directly in the pockets of consumers.