A consumer watchdog group is blasting transportation officials for failing to push for federal stimulus money to fix bridges and expand mass transit.
The Department of Transportation has produced a $7 billion wish list of projects it wants funded to help stimulate the economy.
The Florida Public Interest Research Group issued a report Monday criticizing the DOT's request as short-sighted.
Most of the money would go to build new highways and expand old ones, with only 10 percent going to bridge repairs and 1 percent to mass transit, said Brad Ashwell, lead advocate for the group.
Transportation leaders missed an opportunity to jump-start mass transit in Florida and to repair existing roads and bridges, he said.
"The problem is our transportation leaders do not have vision," Ashwell said.
The department defended the request. DOT spokesman Dick Kane said Congress requested the stimulus money be tied not to mass transit but highway and bridge projects that can start within 90 to 120 days.
"The whole idea of the stimulus package was to have projects ready to go," he said.
"We already have a state law for bridges," Kane said. "If a bridge is deficient, it's programmed to be repaired within five years."
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