highway trust fund | 2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure

This Week in Infrastructure: The Cascading Effect of Aging Infrastructure

December 19th, 2014 | By: Olivia Wolfertz

Photo credit: SnaPsi Сталкер

As the weather changes and our infrastructure continues to be neglected, issues and disruptions are increasing. Infrastructure collapses, like the water main break in DC, remind us that failing infrastructure is fragile and unpredictable—and should be continuously maintained to help prevent a crisis. On Tuesday in Washington, D.C., a 12-inch water main ruptured below ground, flooding three subway lines and damaging the streets above it. According to DC Water, the pipe was 61 years old, a relatively young pipe among a system with a median age of 79 years. Some pipes in the system even date back to the Civil War era. DC’s drinking water infrastructure requires $1.6 billion in upgrades over the next 20 years and the sewer system needs $2.5 billion in fixes. There are 240,000 water main breaks per year and one every two minutes in the United States because of aging pipes. The DC water main break, which affected both the metro rails and streets above, shows the domino effect of one piece of infrastructure’s impact on others. DC is not the only place where aging infrastructure has shouted for investments. This week, the Nevada Section of ASCE released its state Report Card, where the overall grade was a C-. The report points to the state’s great transportation and infrastructure needs to be discussed in next year’s legislation session. In an op-ed piece from Vermont, the author called for stronger dam legislation, citing the Report Card for Vermont’s Infrastructure’s data. Due to increasing visible need for infrastructure repair, more and more states are taking action to fund infrastructure projects through various measures. In Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled a 12-year, $12 billion transportation proposal, which would be paid for with fees and a new carbon pollution charge. States like Michigan, Tennessee and North Carolina are also pushing for transportation funding at the state level. Though action on the state level to increase infrastructure funds is encouraging, the best thing for our nation and our economy is to fix the Highway Trust Fund and increase the national gas tax to match inflation.

Tags: dams, highway trust fund, infrastructure, infrastructure report card, state report cards, water, water infrastructure
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This Week in Infrastructure: All the Reasons to Fix the Trust Fund

December 12th, 2014 | By: Olivia Wolfertz

Photo Credit: Steven Pisano

Reports on transportation investment and its overall benefits to the economy provide incentive for Congress to #FixTheTrustFund as state lawmakers make their own push for infrastructure investment. On Tuesday, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) released the 2015 Bottom Line Report, which thoroughly evaluated our nation’s transportation investment needs in relation to our overall economy. According to the report, an estimated $163 billion annually over a six-year period is needed to fix our aging surface transportation. Currently only $83 billion is invested in roads and bridges and only $17.2 billion is invested in public transit. These dramatic investment discrepancies underscore the need for immediate action. Not only does investing in our public transportation benefit those who use it, but such investment also supports our economy by creating jobs. The study from the Transportation Construction Coalition, “Approximately 62 percent of the jobs created from federal highway and mass transit investment are outside the construction industry—service industries such as business, education, health.” Likewise, “every $1 in federal highway and mass transit investment increases the nation’s GDP between $1.80–$2.00.” As ASCE has been saying for years, investing in federal highway and mass transit will reap benefits beyond improving our daily commutes. A recent article in online publication, Mobility Lab, indicated that aging infrastructure also impacts the real-estate market, as road and transit conditions affect where renters and homeowners choose to live. Due to Congress’ lack of progress in fixing the Highway Trust Fund, several states are addressing their infrastructure needs by considering gas tax increases. NPR cited a growing number of Republicans across the country who are realizing that raising the gas tax may be the key to funding infrastructure. In Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder is calling on lawmakers to double Michigan’s gas tax over time to raise more than $1 billion. Gas tax increases are also on the table for states like Georgia, New Jersey, Utah, South Carolina and South Dakota. With gas prices are at their lowest level in four years, states are motivated to seize this opportunity to raise money while they can. Though action on the state level to increase infrastructure funds is encouraging, the best thing for our nation and our economy is to fix the Highway Trust Fund and increase the national gas tax to match inflation. To learn more about what’s happening in your state and our country, download our newly updated 2013 Infrastructure Report Card app for your Android/iOS Tablet. A smart phone version will be available soon.

Tags: gas tax, highway trust fund, infrastructure investment, infrastructure report card
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This Week in Infrastructure: Final Push in 2014 for Highway Trust Fund Fix

December 5th, 2014 | By: Olivia Wolfertz

Power failures, drivers frustrated with abysmal road conditions and increased media attention to our nation’s aging infrastructure have rattled Americans and driven more states to pursue raising their gas tax as a way of fixing the Highway Trust Fund. This past Tuesday, a massive power failure left large sections of Detroit in darkness. According to the 2013 Report Card, our energy infrastructure scored a D+, largely due to the fact that the nation’s transmission and distribution systems, including 400,000 miles of electricity lines, have long outlived their life spans and desperately need maintenance. Much of the energy infrastructure dates back to the World War II era and some of it was constructed in the 1880s. According to the Yuma Sun paper, Detroit is in the midst of a $200 million upgrade to the power grid to help modernize it. If it takes $200 million to properly upgrade the power grid to one city, it is going to be a “tremendous undertaking to modernize the nation’s power grid.” ASCE would like to see partnerships at the state, local and federal levels to make these repairs happen. At the federal level some bipartisan cooperation around the gas tax has increased despite Congress being in the lame-duck session. As reported in The Hill, Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) joined together, standing alongside a life-sized cutout of President Reagan, to reiterate support for the 1982 gas tax and to inspire lawmakers to raise the gas tax before the next Congress. ASCE supports this bipartisan proposal to raise the federal gas tax indexed with inflation and hopes it will continue to gain momentum. Meanwhile, an increase to the gas tax continues to be a topic of conversation. The White House Business Roundtable referenced Andy Herrmann’s interview on 60 Minutes in the context of needing a sustainable funding solution to our nation’s infrastructure as soon as possible. Even President Obama weighed in this week on the state of the nation’s infrastructure when he said, “It makes no sense that we have a first class economy with a second class infrastructure.” In comparison with countries like China, our infrastructure puts us to shame. Congress is running out of time this year to pass meaningful legislation to #FixtheTrustFund. Let’s hope they decide not to once again kick the can down the road and into 2015.

Tags: 2013 Report, gas tax, highway trust fund
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ASCE Past President Flies Over Pittsburgh on 60 Minutes

November 24th, 2014 | By: Becky Moylan

ASCE Past President Andy Herrmann flew over the “city of bridges” with 60 Minutes’ Steve Kroft to highlight America’s aging bridges in a segment that aired Sunday, Nov. 23. Falling apart: America’s neglected infrastructure Herrmann was among several experts interviewed for the piece, including former Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). While each guest brought different experiences, they all agreed on one thing: the need for increased funding. One in nine bridges in the U.S. are structurally deficient and the gas tax, last increased in 1993, simply cannot fully-fund a 2014 transportation network. As Herrmann said, “It all comes down to funding.” It is now up to Congress to #FixTheTrustFund with a long-term, sustainable funding solution that will address our aging infrastructure.

Tags: bridges, highway trust fund, Report Card for America's Infrastructure, roads
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This Week in Infrastructure: Thankful for Ramped-Up Media Interest in Infrastructure Renewal

November 21st, 2014 | By: Olivia Wolfertz

With holiday travel underway and harsh weather already arriving in some regions, the state of our nation’s highways will become even more apparent as thousands of Americans take to the roads to visit family and friends during the Thanksgiving holiday. However, our current D+ in infrastructure and lack of sufficient funding for the Highway Trust Fund don’t promise improvement without Congress taking intentional measures to provide long-term, sustainable funds. Every year, drivers sit idling in traffic for 34 hours longer than they need to because of unnecessary congestion. Congestion is not only aggravating it also costs Americans approximately $101 billion each year in wasted gas. The media recognize that Band-Aids and temporary fixes to the nation’s surface transportation will no longer suffice. More and more media coverage is making the case for a long-term, sustainable funding solution and advocating for increasing revenues. A recent article from USA Today stated that funding our highways should be among Congress’ top five priorities for the year’s end. And the public overwhelmingly agrees. According to a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, Americans indicated they support increased infrastructure investment for roads and highways even more strongly than tax reform. “This issue affects every community, every user of our system, whether they’re driving, whether they’re using transit in some way,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, “And I don’t see how we can get through this in a good way as a country without Congress coming to the table and actually passing a long-term transportation bill.” Media coverage in Tennessee, Delaware and Wisconsin each highlighted their state’s need for lasting solutions to revitalize their aging infrastructure. And this past week, ASCE members in Montana released their state’s inaugural Infrastructure Report Card, giving Montana an overall infrastructure grade of C-. With winter weather bearing down, increased holiday travel and growing media attention, including ASCE Past President Andy Herrmann’s Nov. 23 interview with 60 Minutes focusing on our nation’s deteriorating infrastructure, Congress should act now to #FixtheTrustFund.

Tags: highway trust fund, Report Card for America's Infrastructure, state report card
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ASCE Past President Andy Herrmann To Talk Infrastructure with 60 Minutes

November 21st, 2014 | By: Becky Moylan

This Sunday, Nov. 23, ASCE Past President Andrew W. Herrmann, P.E. SECB, F.ASCE, will discuss the state of our nation’s bridges during primetime TV on CBS’ 60 Minutes via a helicopter tour of Pittsburgh. 60 Minutes Video – The roads and bridges Americans drive on every day are in dire need of repair or replacement As the Highway Trust Fund heads once again toward insolvency, 60 Minutes chronicles the need for increased investment across the U.S. with interviews from former Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Rep. Earl Blumenauer. Each with a unique perspective on infrastructure, all these guests will echo the same message: #FixTheTrustFund with a long-term, sustainable funding solution. Host a viewing party, set your DVR, and tell your friends and family to tune in at 7:30 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT to see ASCE tell the story behind our nation’s bridges.

Tags: 60 minutes, bridges, highway trust fund, infrastructure, Report Card for America's Infrastructure, roads
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This Week in Infrastructure: SOS for Depleting Infrastructure Funds: The Time to Act is Now!

October 24th, 2014 | By: Olivia Wolfertz

With the elections a little under two weeks away, a recent drop in oil prices and a current D+ report card in infrastructure, now is an opportune time for America to focus on transportation and infrastructure funding. The Highway Trust Fund is not only crucial for funding roads, bridges and transit, but necessary for states to partner in funding transportation projects. Our country needs to invest $3.6 trillion to make the necessary improvements in our infrastructure by 2020 with a current budget forecast of $2 trillion that leaves a $1.6 trillion gap. So what is the connection between declining oil prices and the trillion dollar gap in federal funding? According to USA Today, raising gas taxes while the prices are lower would be “the most painless way to begin addressing a problem that cannot be avoided much longer.” With gas prices down about 15 percent nationwide, Americans are paying an average of $3.14 a gallon, which is about 20 cents per gallon cheaper than this time last year. Despite legislators’ adversity to implementing a gas tax increase, the realization that we can pay now or pay more later is starting to be more widely recognized. This year six legislatures, including Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Rhode Island, Texas and Wisconsin, have placed actions on the November ballot to increase spending on roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure. States like Texas are proposing to transfer a portion of the state’s oil and gas production tax revenues to the State Highway Fund. Likewise in New Jersey, State Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox said, “Anyone who thinks we’re going to get this done without a tax is just mouthing”. Governor Chris Christie, initially opposed to raising a gas tax, has warmed up to the idea given the urgency of funding shortages. Unless we increase the gas tax to match 2014 inflation, slightly raising the gas tax alone will not provide enough funds to build the roads and rails necessary to foster economic growth. While ASCE supports raising the gas tax as a significant measure to generate funding, we recognize that a variety of measures are needed to provide long-term, sustainable funding that will #FixtheTrustFund.

Tags: 2013 State Report Card, Gax tax, highway trust fund
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21-Year-Old Gas Tax Rate Still Holding Up America’s Roads & Bridges

October 1st, 2014 | By: Becky Moylan

The following is a statement from Randall (Randy) S. Over, P.E., F.ASCE, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), regarding the 21^st anniversary of the last federal gas tax increase: “Today the federal gas tax’s 18.4-cent rate turns 21. While this is a rite of passage for American college students, this milestone is a sad reflection on Congressional inaction when it comes to our transportation system. According to the Consumer Price Index many household prices have nearly doubled in the past 21 years.

A loaf of bread cost: 1993: $0.75, 2014: $1.39.
A pound of coffee: 1993: $2.50, 2014: $5.16.

“Meanwhile, without an increase to the gas tax, it has lost 38 percent of its purchasing power. “We elect our lawmakers to make the tough decisions. However, modernizing our nation’s infrastructure has taken a backseat to partisan politics. America’s more than 600,000 bridges do not have time for such antics. In the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, our roads, bridges, and transit received mediocre grades of a D, C+, and D respectively. These disappointing grades are no surprise. We are trying to fund 2014 infrastructure using 1993 dollars. Because of a lack of political will, the Highway Trust Fund—the federal fund that pays for roads, bridges, and transit—is heading toward insolvency once again. “Even though Congress hit the snooze button until May 2015, there is still an opportunity for the 113^th Congress to pass a bill that provides a long-term solution for transportation infrastructure funding. With these short-term gimmicks, states are unable to effectively plan future projects to modernize our aging roads, bridges, and transit. Americans deserve better. This Congress still has the opportunity to fix the Highway Trust Fund, by passing a long-term bill with a sustainable funding solution before the end of the year. Our economic future depends on reliable infrastructure with reliable funding—not band-aids and duct tape.”

Tags: bridges, gas tax, highway trust fund, roads, transit
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ASCE Applauds U.S. House T&I Committee’s Bipartisan Report on Public-Private Partnership

September 17th, 2014 | By: Becky Moylan

The following is a statement from Randall (Randy) S. Over, P.E., F.ASCE, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) regarding the U.S. House of Representatives’ Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s special panel report, Public-Private Partnerships: Balancing the Needs of the Public and Private Sectors to Finance the Nation’s Infrastructure, on the use of Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) to improve the nation’s infrastructure: “Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) are a valuable form of financing for infrastructure projects. They have proven effective in projects across multiple sectors of infrastructure, as evident in the report released today. Similar to last week’s Infrastructure Investment Summit hosted by the Obama Administration, which ASCE members attended, bipartisan conversations like this one are crucial in ensuring we are leveraging all the potential dollars available to modernize our nation’s infrastructure. This special panel’s efforts indicate strides are being made in the dialogue. “ASCE agrees with the report’s assessment that P3s are not the silver bullet to address our nation’s infrastructure investment deficit. The nation needs a boost in traditional funding, as well. In the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, our nation received a D+ GPA. That grade indicates we have a large investment need; one that requires leadership on all levels on government. The U.S. Congress must continue to strive for sustainable, long-term funding sources to improve and maintain our infrastructure. It should begin by addressing the Highway Trust Fund’s insolvency before the end of this year. By doing so, Congress will shorten the uncertainty for states as they plan transportation projects.”

Tags: highway trust fund, P3s
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Summer Travel Boom as Americans Hit the Road

September 5th, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card

After being cooped up inside for what was in some parts of the country the coldest and snowiest winter on record, it appears based upon latest data from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that Americans traveled on our roadways in force this spring and early summer. Vehicle miles traveled (VMT), a common measure of roadway use, hit its highest level in six years between July 2013 and June 2014. The first half of 2014 saw the fourth-highest mileage number ever since the FHWA first began collecting VMT information nearly eight decades ago. While dipping VMT has had its benefits for transit ridership and environmental air quality, the uptick is particularly good news for the ailing federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which provides state and local governments with money for transportation. A decrease in VMT during the end of 2007 following the Great Recession came at a time when highway and transit spending was exceeding revenues in the HTF. Since 2010, as the economy has improved, VMT has been slowly inching upward. However, this latest FHWA data suggests that VMT and the gasoline taxes that are collected remains a viable way to generate user fees for the HTF to dedicate towards transportation improvements. The real problem appears to be the annual decrease in purchasing power of user fees as a result of Congress’ inability to raise rates in order to maintain necessary federal investments in infrastructure. Congress should be encouraged by this latest report on the health of American mobility and use it as an opportunity to #FixTheTrustFund.

Tags: gas tax, highway trust fund, transportation, VMT
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