Transit funding impasse could cost Mass. $500m a year

“These infrastructure projects are incredibly important to America, and they are incredibly important to Massachusetts,’’ Patrick said before ducking into a private meeting with the president. “They are jobs right now, but also a platform for economic growth out into the future.’’

Unless the transportation funding measure is extended, the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon will automatically expire, eliminating a large chunk of revenue for transit and transportation projects in Massachusetts and across the country.

“At a time when a lot of people in Washington are talking about creating jobs, it’s time to stop the political gamesmanship that can actually cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs,’’ the president said.

House Republicans said that the president was using “scare tactics’’ and that they back an extension of transportation funding but only if additional spending is offset by cuts.

“Aside from the president today, no one has suggested the highway bill will be allowed to expire,’’ said Brendan Buck, spokesman for House Speaker John A. Boehner.

But some Tea Party-backed Republicans have signaled they want to eliminate the gas tax and cut transit investments.

The battle lines are reminiscent of those that spurred a partisan faceoff last month over funding for the Federal Aviation Administration, an imbroglio that cost the federal government $30 million a day in airline fees, halted projects, and necessitated the furloughing of workers.

The Obama administration has proposed a measure that would include spending more than $550 billion over six years on high-speed rail, highway, and other projects. But that plan, part of the president’s 2012 budget, has gone nowhere.

Instead, Congress has passed incremental measures that maintain funding at existing levels, roughly $54 billion per year, transportation officials said.

The head of the House Transportation Committee, Representative John Mica, a Florida Republican, said yesterday he is open to another temporary measure.

“In the interest of getting Americans back to work and moving vital transportation legislation, Republicans are committed to working with the president and congressional Democrats,’’ he said.

Donovan Slack can be reached at dslack@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @DonovanSlack.