ALSOBROOKS INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN TRANSPARENCY FOR STATE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

January 13, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC - As reported in Politico's Morning Transportation, Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) introduced the Transportation Project Accountability Act of 2026, which would strengthen transparency, performance evaluation, and public reporting for major state transportation projects.

Across the country, states invest billions of dollars each year in transportation infrastructure, yet the selection of major projects often lacks transparency. Many statewide transportation improvement programs (STIPs) list projects without clear explanations of why they were chosen, how they advance safety, system reliability, or congestion reduction goals, or whether they ultimately achieved intended benefits. This lack of standardized and public reporting limits stakeholder oversight, weakens long-term planning, and can lead to misaligned investments. The Transportation Project Accountability Act of 2026 addresses these gaps by strengthening transparency and public trust through clear, publicly available performance criteria and by promoting smarter use of taxpayer dollars by tying project selection to measurable outcomes like safety, congestion reduction, and system performance.

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) co-sponsored the Transportation Project Accountability Act of 2026.

"Americans deserve to know how their taxpayer dollars get spent. We need more transparency in how we make critical investments in transportation and how they advance our shared goals, including making our communities safer, reducing congestion, and ensuring transportation is reliable. My Transportation Project Accountability Act of 2026 strengthens public trust and gives everyday Americans the opportunity to know exactly how we are investing in their communities, and whether those investments are delivering real results," said Senator Alsobrooks.

"Proper oversight of transportation projects is critical to protecting taxpayer dollars," said Senator Klobuchar. "Our legislation will help guarantee that state transportation projects are cost effective, safe, reliable, and well-planned by requiring states to publicly justify major projects and establish metrics for success."

"We appreciate Senator Alsobrooks' continued support for the State of Maryland's transportation priorities in the surface transportation reauthorization process," said Maryland Department of Transportation Acting Secretary Kathryn Thomson. "Providing greater transparency and accountability in transportation spending decisions ensures that data drives outcomes that can improve safety, support reliable transportation infrastructure and economic mobility in capital programs. We greatly appreciate Senator Alsobrooks' leadership on this issue."

"Accountability and transparency have never been more important in how states prioritize transportation projects. This bill helps make sure public dollars go to projects that actually deliver," said Evergreen Action Senior Transportation Lead Liya Rechtman. "Now more than ever, states must invest in projects that provide cheap, convenient, and sustainable transportation options-rather than expensive, inefficient investments that bloat budgets without clear public benefits. Requiring real performance standards and public reporting will help ensure transportation investments reflect what communities actually need."

"They say you measure what matters. However, when it comes to transportation, taxpayers have been told again and again that the actual results and performance of public investments do not matter. We need to introduce transparency into the process and hold the largest recipients of federal funding accountable for producing the benefits they promise. The Transportation Project Accountability Act would mark a much-needed and overdue first step toward building a transportation program that is truly accountable to everyday Americans," said Steve Davis, Interim Director, Transportation for America.

The Transportation Project Accountability Act of 2026 requires each state, beginning one year after enactment and annually thereafter, to publish a publicly accessible online report that includes:

• A list of all covered projects selected during the previous year.
• For each project:
  • A performance-based score reflecting alignment with state transportation-plan goals and national performance goals under 23 U.S.C. §150(b);
  • The anticipated benefits tied to national performance goals;
  • The year the project first appeared in the STIP;
  • A brief explanation of why the project was selected and its geographic location.
• A summary and justification of the metrics used to evaluate and score projects.

The Transportation Project Accountability Act of 2026 is supported by the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Transportation For America, and Evergreen Action.

Read the full bill text here.

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