Build Back Better

Where Will San Diego Spend Money From Federal Infrastructure Law?

President Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure agreement into law this week, but how will those funds trickle down to San Diego?

NBC Universal, Inc.

The $1 trillion infrastructure agreement was signed into law by Pres. Joe Biden on Monday, and now the federal government will send that money to local and state governments to fix things like crumbling roads and bridges.

In San Diego, county leaders expect to spend the money on everything from fixing roads to investing in the expansion of the Mid-Coast Trolley.

"I think there are a lot of opportunities around preparing for climate resiliency," San Diego County Board of Supervisors chair Nathan Fletcher said. "You know, the impacts of climate change are real, and they could impact people in a very meaningful and significant way so, whether we’re preparing for floods or for wildfires."

San Diego mayor Todd Gloria said he anticipates that a lot of the money will go to the San Diego Airport Authority to replace Terminal 1 at the San Diego International Airport and to MTS to improve both the trains and cars they use, and, potentially, increase the frequency of its services. He said it's imperative that local leaders work together and not against one another in order to advocate for San Diego to get the federal funds.

"My office is having conversations with the county of San Diego, with SANDAG, with other regional partners, to make sure that we’re coordinating to make sure that we’re maximizing our ability to bring those dollars back here," Gloria said. "We don’t need to be competitive with one another. We need to make sure that we’re competing against other cities."

Gloria said he also expects some of the money to go the Port of San Diego and to fortifying the Del Mar Bluffs for train travelers.

Contact Us