Trump infrastructure plan will favor 'innovation'

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said on Tuesday that the Trump administration's proposal to boost spending on new roads, bridges and other infrastructure will give preference to projects that promise innovation and new technology.

Chao said the administration plans to send out principles for its long-awaited infrastructure spending plan later this fall. The plan is expected to offer an easier path for private investors to finance and profit from public infrastructure projects. Automakers and safety advocates have called for investment to develop infrastructure that can monitor traffic, or help guide autonomous vehicles.

Chao said the Trump plan will provide for competition for federal money. "Those projects that have greater innovation will get a greater share of federal dollars," she said.

Chao appeared in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at a facility where automakers and others are testing technology that allows vehicles to communicate with street lights, or operate autonomously.

(Reporting By Joe White; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)