Transportation Policy (TEA-21)

Often overlooked, transportation policy plays a crucial role in shaping the economic status and job prospects of workers, while enhancing the condition and development of communities and neighborhoods across the nation. In a time of limited job growth, one of the most important aspects of federal transportation policy is its potential for job creation. It is estimated that $1 billion in federal transportation investment will create approximately 47,500 jobs throughout the economy within the first year. This includes jobs in areas such as heavy construction, building materials, and durable goods manufacturing. The current jobless recovery has had a disproportionate impact on the Hispanic population. In March of 2004, the Latino community faced a 7.4% unemployment rate as compared to the 5.7% rate for the overall population. The number of unemployed Latinos topped 1.4 million last month. Meanwhile, nearly two million Latinos in the U.S. are employed in the construction field alone, and Hispanics continue to add thousands of new workers to the labor force each month.

Though not commonly viewed as a “Latino” issue, federal transportation policies may have enormous implications for Hispanic workers and the neighborhoods where they reside. Like other Americans, Latinos care about living in safe and healthy communities and getting a chance to find good-paying jobs; aims that can be accomplished through the development of effective federal transportation policies.

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