Letter to the editor: Missoulian: Tester effort helps city transportation

Good news. Missoula is about to invest over $60 million in modernizing our transportation network to make it cleaner, more efficient, and safer. Among the necessary work the recent bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will spur are a $39 million federal grant for a facility to support electrifying Mountain Line and a $25 million grant to upgrade streets in the heart of Missoula. Sen. Jon Tester delivered for Montana by finding common interests with colleagues who don’t share all his ideas — mature, responsible governance in a time that’s all too difficult to find. And when Congress stepped up, local officials were commendably prepared to position Missoula to prevail in the competition for the grants. I’m excited to see this happen and grateful to the public servants who made it possible; the work will infuse vitality and foster commerce while continuing the work of making Missoula less reliant on fossil fuels, more livable, and more resilient.

Jason Wiener,

Missoula