Taxpayers are getting a poor return on federal infrastructure investments

Efforts are being stymied by a sluggish federal bureaucracy tied up in its own regulatory quagmire.

The Department of Transportation recently announced the distribution of $5 billion to repair “nationally significant” bridges across the country. Pledging infrastructure investment is one thing, but converting the money into finished projects that benefit American taxpayers is another.

Thus far, the White House has failed to deliver on the latter.

The $1.2 trillion infrastructure package—passed in 2021—is case and point. During the signing ceremony at the White House, President Biden noted, “America is moving again and your life is going to change for the better.”

The rhetoric is welcome as the country’s foundation is seemingly crumbling with major train derailments, bridge collapses, and highway failures grabbing major national headlines. In fact, in the latest report card, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the country’s infrastructure a C-minus.

But fast forward nearly three years and the funding hasn’t made a big impact.

For starters, $460 billion, or less than half of the law’s $1.2 trillion price tag, has been announced. And pledging money to fund, for example, a retrofit of the Golden Gate Bridge or an expansion of the Los Angeles metro system, is only the first step. Given these types of projects will inevitably face mountains of local, state, and federal government red tape, a finished product is well down the road.

In fact, according to reporting from the Daily Caller, few major construction projects connected to the legislation have even broken ground.

A particularly striking failure centers around electric vehicle infrastructure, despite a green revolution being a main pillar of the administration’s agenda. The spending package appropriated $7.5 billion with the goal of building half a million electric vehicle charging stations by 2030. But more than two years later, fewer than 20 have been built.

The lethargic progress is partly a result of a self-inflicted handicap. Shortly after taking office, Biden signed an executive order requiring 40 percent of federal climate and environmental programs to target “underserved communities.”

The executive action also established the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, which sticks its nose into infrastructure projects as if they were social issues. Together, these arbitrary diversity, equity, and inclusion standards delay the progress of everything from electric vehicle charging stations to dams and bridges.

Efforts to elevate labor unions within construction projects also get in the way—prolonging timelines and increasing costs. For example, following the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Biden vowed that work would be completed by organized labor.

The restrictive stance freezes out nonunion contractors that could contribute to the rebuild at a more cost-effective price point. It also inadvertently prioritizes large construction companies over smaller contractors that may be a better fit for completing certain aspects of the work in a timelier fashion.

On paper, the ongoing exercise to restore the country’s infrastructure—ranging from rails to roads—is welcome. But as is too often the case, efforts are being stymied by a sluggish federal bureaucracy tied up in its own regulatory quagmire.

As a result, taxpayers are getting a poor return on their investment.

Jackson Shedelbower is the executive director of the Center for Transportation Policy.