?EUR??,,????'??We applaud the Senate leadership, committee chairs, and individual senators who worked so hard over the past few weeks to assemble an economic recovery bill that includes $45.5 billion for transportation,?EUR??,,????'?? said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials.

?EUR??,,????'??We encourage the two chambers to swiftly craft the final bill so state departments of transportation can move forward on making smart investments that will generate hundreds of thousands of desperately needed jobs in communities all across this country and provide better infrastructure that will facilitate future economic growth.?EUR??,,????'??

The announcement that conferees have reached agreement on an economic recovery package is welcome news for state transportation departments. The package includes more than $40 billion for transportation investment, and state DOTs stand ready to put that money to work creating jobs and improving the nations transportation network.

?EUR??,,????'??We let them know we can deliver!?EUR??,,????'?? said Secretary Allen Biehler of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. ?EUR??,,????'??States had estimated in December that states could produce more than 5,000 highway projects valued at $65 billion and creating 1.8 million jobs. The economic recovery bills now in conference provide roughly half of that for highways, but if we can deliver one million jobs, that?EUR??,,????'???s serious stuff.?EUR??,,????'??

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood invited the state transportation leaders to meet with him and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to discuss the transportation component of the economic recovery package.

Deborah Miller, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Transportation, said, ?EUR??,,????'??We?EUR??,,????'???re not doing business as usual. We are pledged to get our jobs out there as quickly as possible.?EUR??,,????'??