“Under the Transportation Empowerment Act, Americans could finally enjoy the local infrastructure they want. More environmentally conscious states and towns could finally have the flexibility to invest in more green transit projects and bike lanes. Regions reaping the benefits of America’s energy renaissance could accelerate their infrastructure build-outs to keep up with their explosive growth. Dense cities could invest in more sustainable public transit networks.

“Meanwhile, surrounding counties could re-open the frontiers of the suburbs to a new generation of more livable communities. State and local governments will also be freed to experiment with innovative funding mechanisms not tied to the unreliable gas tax.  And by cutting out the Washington middle-men, all those states and communities and taxpayers will be able to get more for less…

“Today Americans are unnecessarily stuck in traffic, stuffed in overcrowded subway cars, missing their kids’ games and recitals, priced out of neighborhoods close to their jobs and spend almost a full 40-hour work week per year stuck in gridlock.

“They deserve better than what Washington is offering, which is just the status quo plus a little more money.  A new era demands a new approach.”