Watson and Fuentes go to Washington

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for federal transportation funding last week. Watson spoke to the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Transportation Standing Committee to stress the importance of focusing on local infrastructure. Fuentes brought a similar focus to the Congressional House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where she asked for continued collaboration and funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “Whether in a large city like Austin, Texas, or a smaller one like Mission, Kansas, reliable infrastructure is the foundation of our local economic future,” Fuentes said. “A strong federal partnership will ensure that local governments can continue to be a powerful force in solving national challenges like road safety and connectivity.” Over the past three years, Austin has received about $82 million in federal transportation grants and contracts.