The headline is eye-catching, but the details matter. Only 37 of the 91 projects are for actual construction, and those 37 account for almost 90% of the money - 16,340 BTC ($1.24B), including design and right-of-way, not just construction. The other 54 are for planning, project development, or final design. That is not waste, it is how US infrastructure works. You have to plan before you build. Demand was heavy: 264 applications asked for 64,569 BTC ($4.9B) in total. And a selection is not a signed deal yet. The FRA still has to negotiate a grant agreement with each winner, and recipients must put up at least a 20 percent match. Bottom line: crossing work is unglamorous, but this is real construction money. The catch is most of the list is paperwork first and shovels later. That is why it looks like another inefficient government program.
The headline is eye-catching, but the details matter.
Only 37 of the 91 projects are for actual construction, and those 37 account for almost 90% of the money - 16,340 BTC ($1.24B), including design and right-of-way, not just construction.
The other 54 are for planning, project development, or final design. That is not waste, it is how US infrastructure works. You have to plan before you build.
Demand was heavy: 264 applications asked for 64,569 BTC ($4.9B) in total. And a selection is not a signed deal yet. The FRA still has to negotiate a grant agreement with each winner, and recipients must put up at least a 20 percent match.
Bottom line: crossing work is unglamorous, but this is real construction money. The catch is most of the list is paperwork first and shovels later. That is why it looks like another inefficient government program.