Photo by maxedaperture.

Now that the dust has cleared on the passing of President Obama’s infrastructure package, it’s now time to measure what’s going where locally. It’s important to keep in mind that most of the investments which the stimulus is paying for will not be immediately felt. Rather, the plan is a long term effort to create and save jobs; as such, most upgrades won’t be seen until at least 2010. Additionally, a large number of the funding allocations are difficult to estimate, due to competition for grants and complex funding mechanisms.

That said, there are plenty of encouraging numbers for us Washingtonians — here’s an admittedly rudimentary breakdown (figures taken from the Washington Post):

• The White House estimates that the bill can save and create a total of 12,000 jobs in D.C.
• On a similar note, the bill gives a slight boost to those who have lost their jobs recently as a result of the economic downturn. In the District, about 36,000 people who are currently receiving unemployment benefits due to the recession will get an extra $100 per month; another 9,000 will receive “extended unemployment benefits.”
• Education: D.C. public schools would be entitled to $227 million in funds, enough to refurbish around 34 schools, according to the White House.
• Roads: Around $1.25 billion dollars is dedicated to improving roads and bridges in District, Virginia, and Maryland — which could go to projects like improving roads around Fort Belvoir (as the area prepares for an influx of defense jobs) and improving HOT lanes around the Beltway.
• Transit: D.C.’s stake of the transit and rail funding is $124.9 million; while it’s unclear as to the exact amount they will receive, Metro has already prioritized of $325 million in ready-to-go projects like purchasing trains and maintenance work which could be funded by the stimulus. Virginia and Maryland are also entitled to nearly $300 million in transit and rail funding.
• DHS HQ Construction: The stimulus will kick in $650 million towards the construction of the new Department of Homeland Security headquarters, which will be located on the site of the old St. Elizabeth’s hospital in Anacostia.

The bill also provides plenty of other small allocations of note to the District’s residents: namely, $25 million to the Smithsonian Institution for building repairs and $8 million for the effort “to help weatherize modest-income homes,” in addition to big boosts in Medicare and food stamp funding.

Looks like a pretty good list, although it’s going to be interesting to see where, specifically, those education and transportation funds will be heading. (We’ll be keeping a keen eye on recovery.gov, which is where the Obama administration will supposedly be keeping us updated with regard to the stimulus’ financial oversight.) Where would you like to see stimulus-funded infrastructural improvements in your community?