Overview
On Feb. 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) as a direct response to the economic crisis. The effort is unprecedented and intended to invigorate our economy, create or save millions of jobs and invest in measures that will allow our country to thrive in the future. The ARRA includes measures to modernize our nation’s infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief and protect those in greatest need.
As the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Houston-Galveston region, the H-GAC Transportation Policy Council (TPC) had the responsibility to select projects using AARA funds. In February and March 2009, the TPC approved a list of mobility projects to be funded with ARRA funds and a contingency list of projects to be considered should additional dollars become available.