Mayor Bill White maintained a poker face as he described how he won a huge hand in the federal transportation funding game.

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Mayors and environmentalists across the state were likewise gleeful over the federal highway bill that Congress approved. The measure, which President Bush promised to sign, includes billions of dollars for transportation projects designed to get Texans out of their cars and on to bikes , buses and trains.

[Out of a $286.4 billion bill there are] $245 million to expand Houston's public transit and another $23 million to make freeways look better. The city will take in another $5.5 million to make it easier to walk and bike around the city.

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Even if there's only a small amount of shopping, going to school, visiting neighbors or going to work that will occur by bike, the 1 or 2 or 3 percent reduction in auto congestion will have a big impact on a system operating at capacity," White said.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/080905_APlocal_transportation.html