On June 14, 2012, President Obama issued Executive Order (E.O.) No. 13616, “Accelerating Broadband Infrastructure Deployment,” to facilitate wired and wireless broadband infrastructure deployment on Federal lands, buildings, and ROW, federally assisted highways, and tribal and individual Indian trust lands, particularly in underserved communities. The E.O. established and charged the Broadband Deployment on Federal Property Working Group (Working Group) with ensuring a coordinated approach in implementing agency procedures, requirements, and policies related to these topics. The Working Group has just completed their first Progress Report that is available here as well as created a GIS mapping tool and inventory of broadband resources to assist those interested in broadband deployment. The Federal Highway Administration has also published a report on successful broadband deployment in highway rights of way as well as other resources available here.

On May 17, 2013, as part of the Administration’s effort to make America a magnet for jobs by building a 21st Century infrastructure, President Obama will sign a Presidential Memorandum that will modernize the Federal infrastructure permitting process, cutting timelines in half for major infrastructure projects while creating incentives for better outcomes for communities and the environment. By cutting red tape and shaving months, and even years, off the time it takes to review and approve major infrastructure projects, we will be able to start construction sooner, create jobs earlier, and fix our Nation’s infrastructure faster.

WASHINGTON, DC – On October 1, 2012 as part of his We Can’t Wait initiative, President Obama announced that two nationally and regionally significant transit projects in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Cleveland, Ohio will be expedited to put Americans to work building a 21st century infrastructure and providing Minnesota and Ohio with more transportation choices...

WASHINGTON, DC – On September 21, 2012 as part of his We Can’t Wait initiative, President Obama announced that two nationally and regionally significant surface transportation projects in California will be expedited to put Americans to work building a 21st century infrastructure and providing California with more transportation choices...

WASHINGTON, DC – On August 20, 2012 as part of his We Can’t Wait initiative, President Obama announced that four nationally and regionally significant surface transportation projects will be expedited to put Americans to work replacing aging infrastructure and improving the reliability and resiliency of critical highway, transit and rail systems in Maine, North Dakota, Oregon and Washington State...

WASHINGTON, DC – On August 7, 2012 as a part of his We Can’t Wait initiative, President Obama announced that seven nationally and regionally significant solar and wind energy projects will be expedited, including projects in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Wyoming...

WASHINGTON, DC – On July 27, 2012 as part of his We Can’t Wait initiative, President Obama announced that the Atlanta Regional Multimodal Passenger Terminal project will be expedited as a nationally and regionally significant infrastructure project, shaving up to a year off the review timeline for the project...

WASHINGTON, DC – On July 19, 2012 as part of its We Can’t Wait initiative, the Administration announced that 7 nationally and regionally significant infrastructure projects will be expedited to help modernize and expand 5 major ports in the United States, including the Port of Jacksonville, the Port of Miami, the Port of Savannah, the Port of New York and New Jersey, and the Port of Charleston...

In August 2011, President Obama identified 14 High Priority Infrastructure Projects to be expedited through the permitting and review process. Six of these projects have already completed the process, four are in construction, three more will be completed over the next three months, and the remaining projects are on track for expedited review.