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On Wednesday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a bill that would provide $284 billion for federal transit, highway and road safety projects through 2009.

The Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (H.R. 3) would appropriate $52.3 billion for the Federal Transit Administration. The full House is expected to vote on the legislation — which would replace the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) — next week.

"[The bill] addresses the ever-growing challenges of congestion and safety, while continuing to improve freight mobility and public transportation," said Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.), chairman of the Highways, Transit and Pipelines subcommittee, in a prepared statement.

Since it expired in September 2003, TEA-21 has been extended six times. The most recent extension expires May 31.