Author Archive
Alabama Needs a State Dam Safety Program
April 17th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Op-ed by Shelia Montgomery-Mills, President of the Birmingham Branch of the America Society of Civil Engineers. Originally published in the Birmingham News, April 13, 2013. Alabama continues to be the only state in the country without a state dam safety program. We do not know precisely how many dams we actually have, much less their condition. That is unacceptable for our state and unacceptable for Alabama’s security, public safety, and ultimately the economy. This week, Congressman Patrick Maloney (D-NY) introduced the National Dam Safety Act of 2013. The dam safety re-authorization would provide grants for inspections, research, and public awareness to the 49 states that currently have a dam safety program, meaning Alabama is the only state not eligible for any of these funds. As our nation takes this critical step, it should serve as a stark reminder that, when considering dam safety, our state is woefully behind the rest of the country. In the recently released 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers awarded our country’s infrastructure a D+. The 2013 Report Card is a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s infrastructure across 16 sectors and also includes the amount of investment required to make the necessary improvements. The grades are quite similar to those in most education systems, A’s are great and D’s are poor. Updated once every four years, this year’s Report Card found that America’s infrastructure actually went up from a D grade in 2009. The cost to bring all categories up to a B level by 2020 would cost the nation $3.6 trillion between now and 2020. Despite the improvement, a D+ is unacceptable. We must find ways to raise the grade and act now. The 2013 Report Card awarded our nation’s Dams a D. Currently the average age of the 84,000 dams in the country is 52 years old and the total number of high-hazard dams continues to rise. It is important to understand that high-hazard refers to the strong likelihood of significant economic losses and potential loss of human life if a dam fails. To repair just the nation’s aging, high-hazard dams the Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimates that it will require an investment of $21 billion. While the 2013 Report Card paints a poor picture for the country, it paints an even worse scenario for Alabama in the category of dams. In our state, we cannot begin to calculate our needs because we have no entity responsible for accounting for this critical infrastructure. Alabama’s state legislature should at the very least act to take an inventory of dams in the state and assess their potential risk to life and property. How can Alabama hope to build a 21st century economy when we do not have the regulations in place to secure and protect our communities and neighborhoods? Many states did not enact legislation for dam safety until loss of life and significant property and infrastructure damage occurred. Dam failures have occurred in Alabama, many more near failures have occurred than anyone can account for. Without regulations in place, there is no requirement to report the incidents. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to act before a major disaster occurs. We should learn from the experiences of other states and act swiftly to protect our citizens as well as our economy. Strong infrastructure is linked to a strong economy. Better roads and bridges mean businesses can move goods more efficiently, decreasing costs, and reducing prices. More capable businesses create greater profits, which in turn creates new jobs and opportunities for economic growth. Companies want to do business in states with reliable infrastructure. If they have to worry about roads being closed, ports being unable to move their goods, or the energy grid failing, then businesses will take their jobs elsewhere. And when a dam fails, critical infrastructure is put into jeopardy, costing businesses and Alabamians thousands, while also putting the public at a great, and arguably unnecessary, risk. The state of Alabama is not keeping pace with other states, and the fact that we do not even have the regulatory processes in place to account for our state’s dams is unacceptable. We must take the next step in at least knowing where all of our dams are located and determine their condition. This will by no means change our fortunes overnight, but it will at the very least allow Alabama to compete on the same level as the rest of the country.
Obama FY14 Budget Proposal Focuses on Infrastructure
April 12th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
President Obama released a federal budget plan for Fiscal Year 2014 this week that calls for spending of $3.77 trillion. The budget plan would reduce the federal deficit by $1.8 trillion over 10 years, the White House said. The FY 2014 budget proposal includes $50 billion for infrastructure investments, including $40 billion to cover what are called “Fix it First” projects; to invest in repairing highways, bridges, transit systems, and airports nationwide; and to provide $10 billion for competitive programs to encourage innovation in completing high-value infrastructure projects. “The budget invests in repairing our existing infrastructure and building the infrastructure of tomorrow, including high-speed rail, high-tech schools, and power grids that are resilient to future extreme conditions,” the White House added. “These investments will both lay the foundation for long-term economic growth and put workers back on the job now.” The president’s budget would reduce spending on other infrastructure, including programs designed to finance improvements to wastewater and drinking-water systems. The budget also seeks to restructure the current Highway Trust Fund by renaming it the Transportation Trust Fund and adding a dedicated funding source for rail. In regards to the Highway Trust Fund solvency, the budget proposes transferring $214 billion over six years to handle the issue and pay for increased outlays in the transportation bill after MAP-21 expires. This could set up the next reauthorization with funding levels 25% higher than its predecessor. However, there is no indication of how the expanded Trust Fund would remain solvent for the long term. The budget plan also includes $40 billion for rail over the next five years, focused on creating new corridors and improving current networks, including Amtrak. As part of the changes, the budget once again proposes to move Amtrak out from under the annual appropriations cycle and instead allow it to receive grants from the new transportation trust fund. For fiscal 2014, Amtrak would receive $2.7 billion, a large increase over last year’s $1.3 billion appropriation. The budget would also allocate $6.6 billion to the Federal Rail Administration, a large increase from the $1.7 billion it received in fiscal 2012. The Federal Aviation Administration would see a small increase under the FY 14 proposal with the President proposing $16.4 billion versus the $15.8 billion enacted last year. However, the capital grants program sees a cut in the Obama proposal with $2.9 billion for the Airport Improvement Program, compared with the $3.4 billion it received in FY13. To account for the cuts, large hub airports would be able to increase the non-federal Passenger Facility Charge; however there is no language on how much these fees can or should be increased. In a statement this week, ASCE Presdient Gregory E. DiLoreto, P.E., P.L.S, D.WRE, praised the 2014 budget proposal and its focus on investing in America’s transportation infrastructure: “The American Society of Civil Engineers applauds President Obama’s continued push for robust transportation funding, including $50 billion in immediate investments to address highway repair and construction, airports, rail projects and other transportation initiatives. “While this proposal certainly is a step in the right direction to bolster investment levels in transportation, it’s critical that the administration put forth a clear road map with long-term funding solutions. “In the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, we awarded our country a D+. Transit, roads and aviation all received a dismal grade of D. These grades are unacceptable for our nation and must be backed by dedicated funding sources and innovative solutions at all levels of government if we hope to see improvements. “It’s time for all leaders from all parties to invest in America’s future to assure we have a strong foundation for an ever-changing 21st century economy.”The Panama Canal Expansion and Commerce
April 10th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing this afternoon on the expansion of the Panama Canal and the effects that the expansion will have on freight movement in the United States. The issue is one that ASCE has been discussing in depth over the past few months, because the economic impacts could be severe. During the hearing Chairman Jay Rockefeller strongly stated that the United States has “grown accustomed to an ad-hoc approach to maintaining our surface transportation network”. He went on further to state that “this lack of planning and shortsighted thinking doesn’t reflect what our country truly needs: A strategic, long-term vision for rebuilding our transportation system.” Rockefeller finished his opening remarks declaring that without a vision and the ability to make tough choices, that the U.S. will end up burdened with “inadequate infrastructure” as the rest of the world continues investing. With the scheduled expansion of the Panama Canal by 2015, the average size of container ships is likely to increase significantly, affecting the operations at most of the major U.S. ports that handle containerized cargo and requiring both sectors to modernize. Needed investment in marine ports includes harbor and channel dredging, while inland waterways require new or rehabilitated lock and dam facilities. To remain competitive on a global scale, U.S. marine ports and inland waterways will require investment in the coming decades beyond the $14.4 billion currently expected. ASCE reports that with an additional investment of $15.8 billion between now and 2020, the U.S. can eliminate this drag on economic growth and protect:- $270 billion in U.S. exports
- $697 billion in GDP
- 738,000 jobs in 2020
- $872 billion in personal income, or $770 per year for households
Obama Expands on Infrastructure Plans
April 8th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
President Obama used ASCE’s 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure several weeks ago at the Port of Miami to make a renewed push for increased infrastructure investment. The President has been pushing for a more complete set of infrastructure proposals for years and even included the message in his State of the Union this past January.
Photo credit: Wikipedia
- A $10 billion infrastructure bank focused on national and regional significance, headed by an independent, bipartisan board.
- America Fast Forward bonds, which would build off the success of Build America Bonds. The bonds would be structured to benefit investors, including pension funds that do not benefit from traditional tax-exempt debt, but the administration says its proposal is close to being revenue-neutral.
- An increase in the cap on certain private activity bonds. In particular, no cap on the amount issued for water projects and a $4 billion increase up to $19 billion for highway and freight facilities. The bonds could also be used for privately owned airports, port facilities, and mass-transit commuting facilities.
- A plan to make foreign pension plans tax exempt for infrastructure and other real property assets. Gains on those investments are now taxable at a 35 percent rate, while domestic pension funds are exempt from such taxes. As a result, big pension funds are not investing in the United States according to the administration.
- An additional $4 billion injection into TIGER grants and the TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) program in FY 2014. Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant funds were already expanded by MAP-21.
House and Senate Pass Budget Resolutions for 2014
April 2nd, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Capitol (Photo credit: rpongsaj)
Sections and Branches Lead the Way on the 2013 Report Card
March 29th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
This March, ASCE released the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure in a brand new format as a tablet and smart phone app during the annual Congressional Fly-In. ASCE members from all 50 states participated in taking the infrastructure message to Capitol Hill and shared the Report Card with their Members of Congress. Members have also been actively continuing to share the Report Card in their local areas by:- Assisting as spokespeople with TV and newspaper interviews like KARE in Minnesota and KIRO in Seattle
- Updating their State Report Cards in 19 states so that local information is available for policymakers and the public
- Working with ASCE to write op-eds and letters to the editor about local or state infrastructure like in the Tennessean and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Updating their websites to include links to the Report Card website and their State and Regional Report Cards
- At your next meeting, discuss how your Section can use the Report Card to highlight pressing issues in your state or region, and let us know how we can help. The ASCE team who puts together the Report Card is available to answer your questions and work with you on using the message to start conversations at the state and local level so email us at reportcard@asce.org.
- Ask your Board to share the Report Card with their professional networks like LinkedIn and social networks like Facebook with a short story about the infrastructure problems they tackle every day in their jobs.
- Hold an infrastructure solutions event with other infrastructure stakeholders in your area or have a Section program featuring one of the Report Card Success Story winners from your area; tips and best practices for these events are available on the Report Card Outreach Toolkit.
Tags: congress, economics, infrastructure report card
No Comments »
ASCE State Sections Continue Legislative Efforts
March 29th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
We are highlighting two states that have made a legislative push in the last week: New York and Maryland. ASCE issued a Key Alert this week to members in New York asking them to contact legislators in support of SB 3942 which would protect engineers from legal liability when they are performing pro bono services at the scene of a natural disaster. The bill has been referred to the Veterans, Homeland Security, and Military Affairs Committee. ASCE’s Maryland Section testified recently in support of a transportation funding bill, HB 1515, that passed the House last week. If enacted, the state’s gas tax would be indexed to inflation, and a sales tax on the wholesale price of gas would be phased in gradually. The bill is now pending in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. ASCE Sections continue to make their voices heard!DeFazio Tackles the Eternal Question…How to Fund the Highway Trust Fund?
March 27th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
With each passing day we are getting closer to September 30, 2014, the day when MAP-21, the legislation funding surface transportation programs, will expire. Therefore, even though Congress just passed a surface transportation bill last summer, work already must be underway on the next bill. However, before Congress can pass another surface transportation reauthorization, a new, long-term, sustainable, funding mechanism must be identified for the Highway Trust Fund. Therefore, Members of Congress have been working on innovative solutions to the age old problem, with innovative solutions continuing to come out from Members on both sides of the aisle. One of the more recent proposals comes from Peter DeFazio (D-OR), the Ranking Member of the Highways and Transit subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and he does touch upon the federal gas tax. The draft proposal would increase the federal gas tax by about one cent each year, by indexing the current 18.4 cents-per-gallon tax to inflation in construction costs and to increases in auto fuel efficiency standards. According to DeFazio’s office, tying the gas tax to the consumer price index would bring in about $50 billion over 10 years, while tying it to the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Cost Construction Index would yield $150 billion over the same period. The resulting revenue would then be used to back the issuance of $100 billion in bonds that would be paid off in 10 years. At this time the Obama administration has asked DeFazio to provide more details on his proposal and other Members of Congress are listening. Earlier this year Obama once again asked Congress to provide an additional $50 billion for roads and bridges, but has not suggested sources for the money. The DeFazio proposal could potentially provide some of the much needed revenues for the Highway Trust Fund. Next, Chairman of the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Bill Shuster (R-PA), has looked at the proposal and maintains his stance that all funding options for the Highway Trust Fund remain on the table. The concept is interesting and ASCE does support both raising the gas tax and indexing it to inflation. We will have to wait and see if the idea is included in a new surface transportation reauthorization as Congress begins work later this year.The Grades Are Out!
March 19th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
The new ASCE 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure is now available at www.infrastructurereportcard.org and as a tablet and phone app on the iTunes and Google Play stores.
Every four years, ASCE issues the Report Card which evaluates conditions and investment needs for major sectors of infrastructure — including roads, bridges, drinking water systems, ports, mass transit, and the electric grid. This year’s Report Card covers 16 infrastructure categories, and it’s being released as a digital application (or “app”) that includes videos, interactive maps, and other multimedia tools. For the first time, the 2013 Report Card provides information for all 50 states, including examples of initiatives and innovations that are making a difference. For example, Oklahoma created a plan to replace or rehabilitate over 950 structurally deficient bridges between 2013 and 2020. Philadelphia implemented a program to improve resiliency and address combined sewer overflows using green infrastructure, capable of capturing water from all but the most severe storms.
Be the first to get the new Report Card at www.infrastructurereportcard.org, and just as importantly, share the grades in your social and professional networks via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter! We hope everyone will be able to use this great product to get even more people involved in the conversation around our nation’s infrastructure.
Tags: infrastructure, infrastructure report card, social media
4 Comments »
Vermont Section Supporting Transportation Funding Plan
March 15th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
ASCE’s Vermont Section has been active over the last week in support of a proposed transportation funding plan that includes an increase in the state’s gas tax. The Section sent a letter last week to the Governor, legislative leaders and members of the House and Senate Transportation Committees in support. Additionally, ASCE has issued a key alert on the proposal, asking members to contact legislators in support of the proposal. The $32 million revenue package was approved this week by the House Transportation Committee by a 10-0 vote. The bill moves next to the House Ways and Means Committee, which reviews all tax proposals. Read more: Burlington Free Press 3/13/13Tags: infrastructure, legislation, transportation
No Comments »
