Washington, D.C. – Congressman Greg Pence, R-District 6, has introduced legislation that seeks to make permanent the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) Initiative, which is aimed at providing for the infrastructure needs of rural communities.
The program was first introduced by the Department of Transportation in 2019. It works to ensure that rural communities get a proportional share of federal funding for infrastructure, including airports, railways, roads and highways. The program will also offer technical assistance for local communities in applying for federal funds.
“Indiana is the ‘Crossroads of America’ – we see billions in commerce come through our state via airports, highways, and railways,” Pence said in a press release. “In rural parts of the country, we are just as dependent, if not more, on reliable, safe and updated infrastructure.”