Page:American Jobs Plan State Fact Sheet AR.pdf/1



For decades, infrastructure in Arkansas has suffered from a systemic lack of investment. The need for action is clear. The American Jobs Plan will make a historic investment in our nation’s infrastructure.

ROADS AND BRIDGES: In Arkansas there are 663 bridges and over 6,700 miles of highway in poor condition. Since 2011, commute times have increased by 3% in Arkansas and on average, each driver pays $671 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. The American Jobs Plan will devote more than $600 billion to transform our nations' transportation infrastructure and make it more resilient, including $115 billion repairing roads and bridges. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Arkansans who take public transportation spend an extra 31.7% of their time commuting and non-White households are 3.8 times more likely to commute via public transportation. 27% of trains and other transit vehicles in the state are past useful life. The American Jobs Plan will modernize public transit with an $85 billion investment. RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE: From 2010 to 2020, Arkansas has experienced 32 extreme weather events, costing the state up to $10 billion in damages. The President is calling for $50 billion to improve the resiliency of our infrastructure and support communities’ recovery from disaster. DRINKING WATER: Over the next 20 years, Arkansas’ drinking water infrastructure will require $7.4 billion in additional funding. The American Jobs Plan includes a $111 billion investment to ensure clean, safe drinking water is a right in all communities. HOUSING: In part due to a lack of available and affordable housing, 168,000 renters in Arkansas are rent burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent. The President proposes investing over $200 billion to increase housing supply and address the affordable housing crisis. BROADBAND: 27% of Arkansans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds. And 54% of Arkansans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. Even where infrastructure is available, broadband may be too expensive to be within reach. 20% of Arkansas households do not have an internet subscription. The American Jobs Plan will invest $100 billion to bring universal, reliable, high-speed, and affordable coverage to every family in America. CAREGIVING: Across the country, hundreds of thousands of older adults and people with disabilities are in need of home and community-based services. The President’s plan will invest $400 billion to help more people access care and improve the quality of caregiving jobs. CHILD CARE: In Arkansas, there is an estimated $350 million gap in what schools need to do maintenance and make improvements and 35% of residents live in a childcare desert. The American Jobs Plan will modernize our nation’s schools and early learning facilities and build new ones in neighborhoods across Arkansas and the country. MANUFACTURING: Manufacturers account for more than 15% of total output in Arkansas, employing 164,000 workers, or 12.8% of the state’s workforce. The American Job’s Plan will invest $300 billion to