In seeking to help President Joe Biden shovel money out of the U.S. treasury as fast as possible, congressional Democrats have attempted to define almost anything as “infrastructure.”
But the $715 billion INVEST in America Act, which passed the House on a party-line vote earlier this month and is now under consideration by the Senate, does contain some infrastructure projects.
Take House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s district.
The San Francisco Democrat’s constituents, if the bill is enacted, stand to receive $13.7 million for two projects.
One is to keep people from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge; the other is to help pave one mile of road in an industrial area of Pelosi’s district.
When considering the first one, known as the Golden Gate Bridge Physical Suicide Deterrent System Project, think trapeze artist.
It’s a big net.
According to the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, the suicide-deterrent system is a “physical barrier between a person and the water below.” The district describes the “barrier” as “marine grade stainless steel netting attached to structural steel net supports placed 20 feet below the sidewalks and extending out 20 feet over the water.”
The district also reports that this is a $211 million project that, funded in part by federal grants, began in 2018, was expected to be done in January 2021, and now won’t be finished until 2023.
On average, the agency notes, 30 people a year die by jumping from the bridge.
Meanwhile, Pelosi’s other earmark is $7.2 million to pave one block of a street. Yes, block.
In the bill, the project is known as the Quint-Jerrold Connector Road.
According to the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, the project has an overall price tag of $19.5 million.
“The proposed design facilitates local vehicle and truck travel and pedestrian access, featuring one traffic lane in each direction and a sidewalk on the west side,” the authority says in a description of the project. “The project will also upgrade street lighting and install new landscaping in coordination with adjacent properties.”
A “fact sheet” about the project does not spell out the length of the new road. But a photo showing the proposed route indicates it will span about a block of an industrial neighborhood.
Your tax dollars at work, America.
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