NYC and OKC Mayors to Lead Mayors on Infrastructure Advocacy Day

In a bipartisan effort led by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who chairs The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Cities of Opportunity Task Force, and USCM Second Vice President Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, nearly 30 mayors will travel to Washington, D.C., on May 13 to urge Congress to enact a long-term renewal of the federal transportation law, that significantly increases investment in our roads, bridges, and transit.

Current federal transportation funding — Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) — is set to expire on May 31.

The mayors will also hold a press availability on Wednesday at 1pm on Capitol Hill Capitol Hill at Area 10 to demonstrate their bipartisan support for a long-term MAP-21 renewal and report out on meetings with Congressional lawmakers.  Specifically, the mayors are calling for a long-term MAP-21 renewal, with increased resources and more locally-directed funding to address the growing needs in cities where populations are steadily rising.

Mayors will highlight the critical importance of investing in and modernizing America’s infrastructure systems, which are essential to our economy, and explain that the country’s outdated roads, bridges, transit, ports, airports, water, energy, and broadband systems remain a drag on our national recovery – and present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to drive job and wage growth, manufacturing, trade, and global competitiveness.