Saying Stimulus Money Is Flowing, Obama Unveils 2,000th Transportation Project

Under pressure to show the government's speed and efficiency in getting out funds from the $787 billion stimulus package, President Barack Obama emphasized today that, with the 2,000th transportation project just approved, the government effort is "coming in ahead of schedule and under budget." But in a nod to the careful line that he and other officials must walk in emphasizing speed versus quality in stimulus spending, he also hastened to say that the money is being spent responsibly.

"Some thought it would take months to get to this point," Obama said, speaking at the Department of Transportation with Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. "But we approved these 2,000 projects in just 41 days." As well as spending money quickly, Obama emphasized, the government is saving more money than it thought it would. Because of fierce competition for jobs, bids have been, on average, about 15 to 20 percent lower than engineers anticipated, according to reports from state departments of transportation.

Obama said the 2,000 projects that have been approved will reduce congestion, which is estimated to cost almost $80 billion per year. By the end of next year, he said, highway projects alone would save or create 150,000 jobs, most of them in the private sector.

The 2,000th project that Obama announced today, a $68 million plan to widen Interstate 94 in Kalamazoo County, Mich., is part of the $48.1 billion that the stimulus includes for transportation infrastructure projects. At $27.5 billion, the lion's share of that sum goes to highways and bridges, with $8.4 billion more going to transit and $8 billion to high-speed rail. In addition, $1.3 billion goes to Amtrak, $1.3 billion to airports, and $100 million to shipyards.

Although Obama has sought to keep attention on the stimulus package, his remarks at the department also reflected other priorities on his plate. He came to the Department of Transportation fresh from the Easter Egg Roll, held on the White House lawn, and said that seeing the children having fun there "reminds us of why we do the work we do." And the president took a moment to express his happiness at the safe return of Richard Phillips after a five-day standoff with Somali pirates and his pride in the military and other departments that worked to get the Maersk Alabama's captain home. Obama said that those who commit acts of piracy will be held accountable.

• Read "Obama's Stimulus Dilemma: Spending Billions Quickly Without Waste."
• Read more news on the stimulus.