Author Archive
Moving toward a safe, seamless transportation system
February 19th, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
The following post was written by guest contributor Pete Rahn, Leader National Transportation Practice at HNTB Corporation. It’s time for America to get moving with needed investments in our infrastructure system. A recent survey from HNTB Corporation shows Americans are looking for a new transportation vision and are ready to get behind leaders who have the courage to promote a workable plan paid by user fees. Yet many Americans also believe the issue is only pushed to the forefront after a structural failure (38 percent) or natural disaster (37 percent) has caused destruction. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stay in the news for long. We’ve often seen that played out in the media, whether it’s an emergency closure due to safety concerns, such as the original 80-year-old Lake Champlain Bridge connecting Crown Point, N.Y., and Chimney Point, Vt., in 2009; an accidental impact and resulting damage, such as the collapse of a portion of Interstate 5 over the Skagit River near Mount Vernon, Wash., last year; or the devastation wreaked by modern natural disasters, such as in the Northeast during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Such acute damage and resulting closures threaten communities’ safety and economic healthy, vividly reminding us of the importance of maintaining the nation’s infrastructure.
In fact, nearly 2 in 3 (65 percent) Americans fear a local infrastructure failure will occur within a year, and 1 in 5 (20 percent) are “extremely concerned” about a potential failure. Perhaps more striking for those of us in the transportation industry, 9 in 10 think at least one mode of U.S. transportation needs a spark of innovation and nearly half (47 percent) believe physical infrastructure damage is more likely to be caused by lack of maintenance than age, faulty construction or even a natural disaster.portion of Interstate 5 over the Skagit River near Mount Vernon, Wash., last year; or the devastation wreaked by modern natural disasters, such as in the Northeast during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Such acute damage and resulting closures threaten communities’ safety and economic healthy, vividly reminding us of the importance of maintaining the nation’s infrastructure.
Most Americans want the nation’s transportation network and key infrastructure facilities to be improved, yet we’ve struggled to identify a compelling vision that will drive future state and federal investments and spur future growth. Clearly identifying the risks associated with inaction and underinvestment does resonate with the majority of the country.
Perhaps another, more positive lynchpin for our vision of America’s transportation future is focusing on how we can make all of our transportation options work better as a system, or what we call multimodalism.
Many Americans are unhappy with local transportation options because they don’t work together as well as they should. More than half (53 percent) think it’s difficult to access different modes of transportation. Better scheduling and seamless transferability would push drivers to leave their cars behind and hop aboard transit more often. Nearly 2 in 3 (63 percent) Americans think the modes of transportation in their area need to be more efficient.
We need to get better at preparing for the future before our needs become acute. Envisioning a multimodal system where American’s transportation choices maintain safety and become seamless and sustainable can encourage the support we need to fund vital infrastructure priorities at the federal, state and local levels.
Aging Hudson Symbolizes America’s Infrastructure
February 14th, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Winding up the final leg of his cross country Dire States tour, Dan McNichol made a stop at ASCE headquarters in his vintage Hudson today. Dan’s been on the road since last October sharing the message of America’s aging infrastructure. His 1949 Hudson (nicknamed Mrs. Martin after the original owner) is the perfect metaphor to get the message across. Structurally solid, yet with rust and fading green paint along the edges showcasing years of neglect, you understand that this car has outlived its useful life. It’s functionally obsolete like many of the bridges and roads it’s traveled upon. “The people in Detroit, they get it. They’ve seen the decline.” Dan shared stories of some of the memorable moments along the way with the ASCE staff that came out to meet him. He told us of a small town in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, struggling with a dam that was leaking, driving the water level seriously low. “The town took responsibility for that dam. They taxed themselves and raised the $10 million they needed for the repair.” During his tour, Dan spoke with officials of state departments of transportation, chambers of commerce and many college and university community members. He quoted statistics from ASCE’s Report Card for America’s Infrastructure to help inform his audiences. Dan was inspired by the creativity and enthusiasm of the students, and touched to hear the memories of the old-timers who reminisced about the glory days of America’s infrastructure. He felt strong support to rebuild our infrastructure from everyone he met. Dan’s story is a great way to help promote the impact of civil engineering in our communities. To learn more about the lessons Dan learned along the way, watch his interview below. It’s the first segment in our new 12-part video series, ASCE Interchange. Watch for a new episode each month — see them at asce.org/interchange. ASCE Interchange is brought to you by Contech Engineered Solutions, a leading provider of site solutions for the civil engineering industry. Contech’s portfolio includes bridges, drainage erosion control, retaining wall, sanitary, stormwater and wastewater treatment products. For more info, visit www.ContechES.com or call 800-338-1122 For more tips promoting the Report Card, view the online outreach toolkit. Interested in doing more with the Report Card but want to speak with someone from the Infrastructure Initiatives team before you get started? Email ASCE or call 202-789-7850. Have you tapped into the collective memory in your community? Are there local events where you can help share the story of why we need to come together to restore our nation’s infrastructure? Is there a good symbol in your community you can build the story around?Tags: ASCE Interchange, Dire States, infrastructure, Report Card for America's Infrastructure
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This Week in Infrastructure: The Need for Funding
February 14th, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Several states are responding to the impending reality that this fall the Highway Trust Fund “will have insufficient revenues to meet obligations” unless a sustainable revenue source is found. Among those voicing concerns is Tennessee. As a precaution, TDOT prepared two 2015 budgets: one with federal funding, budgeting $1.8 billion and another without, budgeting $900 million. Minnesota also grappled with the transportation funding gap through a hearing that included testimony from ASCE’s own Brian Pallasch, who spoke on the consequences of underinvestment. Delaware Gov. Markell proposed an increase to the gas tax that would be tied to inflation. Though it was met with criticism from the state legislature, this editorial aptly points out highways don’t pay for themselves. Idaho’s Transportation Department’s Scott Stokes warned that the state relies heavily on federal funding for its department’s budget. Stokes predicted “At current funding levels [bridges] will have to last 120 years, two to three times their expected life,” given the current funding trajectory. Michigan is facing a more immediate funding crisis, due to the frequent snowfall. To put it into perspective, snowplows were needed on the southwest part of the state’s roads for 67 straight days, a doubly costly endeavor because money is needed to fund the plowing and to repair the roads afterward. The Daily Iowan called to raise the state’s gas tax in an editorial, explaining the “tax would generate $230 million annually, money that can be used to substantially upgrade Iowa’s roadways and would close the state’s $215 million annual shortfall in road funds.” On the federal level, Ohio Reps. Tim Ryan and Dave Joyce, called upon their colleagues to revitalize infrastructure and create jobs in the process. The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing Wednesday to consider the best funding options for the Highway Trust Fund. Sen. Boxer said her goal is to have a “five- or six-year bill.” This week demonstrates the need for a sustainable funding source is gaining attention. Now the next step is finding a solution and taking action.Tags: highway trust fund, Idaho, infrastructure, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, surface transportation, Tennessee, transportation
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This Week in Infrastructure: A Call to Action
February 7th, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
This week, ailing infrastructure received a lot of attention. But the data and projections of the Highway Trust Fund served as a call to action. In a special report published by The Hill, ASCE Executive Director Pat Natale explained the necessity of a long-term highway bill. Sen. Warner offered further explanation of the BRIDGE Act, which, if passed, would “help states and localities access billions of additional dollars in private-sector capital that remains parked on the financial sidelines.” As we know, transportation infrastructure is not the only sector in need of funding and repairs. Mary Lyman explained “robust infrastructure investment is absolutely critical” to ensure energy independence. A Senate subcommittee recognized the need for greater regulation of water supplies, to combat events similar to those in West Virginia. This New York Times piece also offers an incentive to implement greater precautions based on experiences with New York City water tanks. Our Past President, Andrew Herrmann sat down with Risk Management Magazine to discuss the high cost of ignoring America’s aging bridges (and all infrastructure). The Washington Post conducted an experiment in the most efficient way to commute, and concluded that currently no one really wins. Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin announced a surplus budget. In response, James Bowen, a Madison, Wis. political blogger, suggested investing in infrastructure based on ASCE’s Wisconsin state facts. Action may not be easy, but as BlueGreen Alliance’s David Foster explains, it is certainly beneficial, as it will bring “big rewards.” Now let’s all get to work on making those “rewards” come true.This Week in Infrastructure: What is the State of Our Union, Really?
February 2nd, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
The Super Bowl (or the first mass-transit bowl as we like to call it) wasn’t the only required TV viewing this week . The State of the Union drew more than 33 million viewers listening to President Obama’s agenda for the country. Here at ASCE, we were pleased that President Obama laid out goals of “rebuilding our roads, upgrading our ports, unclogging our commutes” and hope that Congress responds by finalizing WRRDA and passing a transportation bill. ENR has an excellent overview of the response from the major players of infrastructure. Looking locally, the Detroit Free Press chimed in with ways that a focus on infrastructure could help Michigan. Prior to his speech, our friend Rep. Blumenauer authored his thoughts Monday on how “If we do not act now to maintain and repair our infrastructure, we will face much higher costs in the future, not just for the country, but for families on a daily basis,” echoing ASCE’s concerns from our Failure to Act studies. It seems infrastructure investment was on everyone’s lips this week. The call for investing in infrastructure is timely for many reasons: First:
Beyond that, the recent chemical contamination of West Virginia’s water has led to a larger conversation about water quality and the infrastructure that delivers it and disposes of it.
Also this week, there was also some talk of the power grid’s vulnerabilities (which received a D+ in the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure). Even MetLife Stadium is taking precautions to ensure last year’s blackout is not repeated this Sunday.
Finally, we are going to keep praying for all of our friends in Atlanta. Certainly this was a horrific situation, and hopefully all of us can learn how to avoid such a thing in future.
So, what is the State of Our Union’s Infrastructure, really? I guess you could say we’re working on it.
Tags: congress, infrastructure, President Obama, Super Bowl, wastewater
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Bipartisan Governors Coalition Presses Congress to Act on Transportation Funding
January 31st, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
This week, 17 Governors signed a letter urging congressional members to act to find a long-term revenue solution for the Highway Trust Fund and avoid a potential nationwide transportation funding crisis. The Highway Trust Fund, the funding mechanism that drives our nation’s investment in transportation infrastructure, is facing its fifth revenue shortfall since 2008. Motor fuel and truck excises supporting the Highway Trust Fund have not been adjusted in 20 years. As a result, the trust fund will be insolvent by the end of the year. “If Congress does not act to address this shortfall, we expect Federal support of highway and transit projects led by state transportation departments will cease in October,” said North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory. “Without renewed federal funding, states are left in a very serious financial crisis that impacts public safety and local economies,” McCrory added. Added Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, “Investment in our transportation system is part of the backbone of a strong national economy. The Federal Government should do all it can to avoid the insolvency of the Federal Highway Trust fund. These dollars directly fund construction and maintenance projects, and provide needed construction jobs in states across the country.” On January 14, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin (R-OK), testified before Congress in her capacity as Chairman of the National Governor’s Association and urged Congress to take action. “States need federal funding stability and certainty to pursue long-term planning and project delivery,” said Governor Fallin. “All funding options must be on the table for evaluation because existing resources are no longer adequate,” she added. The following 17 governors signed the letter urging congress to act: Governor Mike Beebe (D-AR), Governor John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Governor Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Governor Patt Quinn (D-IL), Governor Martin O’Malley (D-MD), Governor Mark Dayton (DFL-MN), Governor Steve Bullock (D-MT), Governor Pat McCrory (R-NC), Governor Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Governor Jack Dalrymple (R-ND), Governor John Kitzhaber (D-OR), Governor Tom Corbett (R-PA), Governor Lincoln Chafee (D-RI), Governor Dennis Daugaard (R-SD), Governor Peter Shumlin (D-VT), Governor Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Governor Scott Walker (R-WI). ASCE is an active member of the National Transportation Coalition, a bipartisan group of governors and transportation advocates working together to push Congress to take immediate action on vital federal highway legislation.Tags: congress, Funding, governors, highway trust fund, leadership, transportation
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Statement on President Obama’s State of the Union from the American Society of Civil Engineers
January 28th, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Washington, D.C. — The following is a statement from Randall S. Over, P.E., president of The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), regarding President Obama’s 5th State of the Union address this evening: “Tonight, President Obama reminded us all that ‘America does not stand still.’ Regrettably, for too long, the same cannot be said of America’s infrastructure. As the President spoke this evening on ways to boost our economy and create jobs, he urged Congress to move the Water Resources Reform and Development Act across the finish line and to pass a transportation bill this summer. We strongly agree that these pieces of legislation cannot wait. “For America’s roads and bridges, 2014 must become a ‘year of action.’ If we cannot find a solution for the impending insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund, state transportation departments will face huge cuts in capital funding by the end of this year and fall farther behind with a growing backlog of projects. “No one needs convincing that America’s infrastructure needs work. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gave the nation’s infrastructure a “D+”. We found that unless new investments are made, the nation’s deteriorating surface transportation will cost the U.S. economy more than 876,000 jobs and suppress our GDP by $897 billion by 2020. Because, as the President said, ‘first-class jobs gravitate to first-class infrastructure.’ “Maintaining and modernizing our infrastructure is one of the essential roles of government. From Franklin Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan, building the networks that connect our families and businesses to one another has long been a bipartisan issue. Now more than ever is the year to commit to reliable, long-term funding source for our transportation system.”#####
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 145,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. For more information, visit www.asce.org.Tags: congress, highway trust fund, wrrda
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The Countdown Begins – Our Federal Funding for Transportation May Run Dry Next Year
December 18th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Transportation is a key issue in 2014 as the Highway Trust Fund will be insolvent by 2015 and MAP-21 is set to expire in September. In some states, transportation projects are already being put on hold because of the uncertainty of future federal funding. The UPDATE Act introduced by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) is just one of several current proposals regarding infrastructure funding supported by ASCE. To date, the motor fuels user fee (gas tax) has proven to be an efficient, reliable, and fair method of funding our nation’s surface transportation programs. At present, the federal motor fuels tax generates revenues that are reserved for investment in highway and public transportation improvements through the Highway Trust Fund. However, the 18.4 cents per gallon federal gas tax has not been adjusted since 1993 and has lost one-third of its purchasing power over the last 17 years. According to the Consumer Price Index, the costs of many household items have nearly doubled over the last 20 years. Some examples include:- A loaf of bread: 1993: $0.75, 2013: $1.41
- A pound of coffee: 1993: $2.50, 2013: $5.21
- A new car: 1993: $12,750, 2013: $31,252
Tags: bridges, congress, gas tax, highway trust fund, roads
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An Invitation: ASCE’s Congressional Fellow Program Accepting Applications
December 16th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
“Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried,” said Winston Churchill. It’s safe to say the man had a point. For the past 18 years, ASCE has selected a member as part of ASCE’s Congressional Fellow program and allowed them to work and learn on Capitol Hill. A year later, as most return to their lives as civil engineers, ASCE has gained a member who understands what Congress does, how it does it, and how it works (and why it sometimes does not). Congress, on the other hand, has gained a better understanding of real world issues and perhaps a better understanding of the impact – good and bad – of its actions. Consider this is your invitation to leave the orderly world of engineering behind for a year and be immersed in the decidedly unordered world of the United States Congress. More plainly, in honor of the recent passing of Lou Reed, ASCE is looking for a member interested in taking a walk on the wild side. ASCE’s Congressional Fellow spends one year working as a Congressional staffer. To date, eighteen ASCE members have served as an ASCE Congressional Fellow; all emerged from the experience unscathed, and even, encouraged by their experience. The ASCE Fellows join with more than 30 colleagues from 22 other engineering and scientific organizations to bring engineering and scientific advice to members of Congress. Since its founding by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1973, the Congressional Fellows Program has had several objectives. First and foremost has been to create a cadre of Congressional staffers who understand science and engineering and enhance the capabilities of Congress to deal with those issues. A second objective has been to develop a group of scientists and engineers who understand Congress and who will return to help the science and engineering community improve its ability to impact public policy. The third objective has been to expose members of Congress and their staffs to the ways of thinking in scientific and engineering fields. The final objective has been to make it easier for the general scientific and engineering community to deliver messages to Congress. The Congressional Fellowship is open to any ASCE member who is a U.S. citizen. Factors to be weighed by the selection committee include advanced degrees, registration as a Professional Engineer, involvement in ASCE, public policy experience and professional experience. Additionally, the selection committee must also be sensitive to possible conflicts of interest. If you think you have what it takes, and want to see what Mr. Churchill was talking about, then please apply. It is said that Congress is where extremely smart people work to make something happen and equally smart people work to make sure it doesn’t. As engineers, we like to think that the solution to the equation 1+1 is not negotiable, no matter how hard some may try. So, if are you interested in watching the sausage being made and are ready to dive head first into the very epicenter of our 237 year old experiment in self-government, then you might be ready to be an ASCE Congressional Fellow. The deadline for the 2014-2015 Fellowship is March 7, 2014. Please take the time to learn more about the Congressional Fellows program or contact Martin Hight, Senior Manager, Government Relations at mhight@asce.org.Congress Headed for a Fight on Science
December 5th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Congress appears ready to start of new fight on what until recently has been a largely non-partisan issue. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chair Lamar Smith (R-TX) has circulated draft legislation to reauthorize and replace the America COMPETES Act. Entitled the “Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science, Technology Act of 2013” or FIRST Act, the draft is the reported first of two bills that would reauthorize key civilian research programs of the federal government. The COMPETES Act, or the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act of 2007, was first passed in 2007 and reauthorized in 2010 by large bipartisan margins. The proposed legislation authorizes and directs a wide range of activities of federal agencies and offices including the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation (NSF), essentially the bulk of the nation’s non-medical, civilian research and development. On the Senate side, the Commerce, Space and Transportation Committee held a hearing on November 6th, while no draft legislation has been circulated by the Senate, Senators on both sides of the aisle stressed the importance of research and development and voiced strong support to continuing in the spirit of the COMPETES Act. In contrast, a November 13th hearing of the House Science Committee’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology proved far more contentious. The hearing focused on the draft legislation which contains a proposal that would require the National Science Foundation (NSF) to justify every grant it awards as being in the “national interest”. The provision would require the NSF to document how its basic-science grants benefit the country. The bill defines includes an expansive definition of natural interest that includes six goals: economic competitiveness, health and welfare, scientific literacy, partnerships between academia and industry, promotion of scientific progress and national defense. Those criteria are in line with a ‘broader impacts’ assessment that the NSF already requires scientists to include in their grant applications. But the bill would place an extra requirement on NSF program directors by requiring them to publish justification for each grant award on the foundation’s website. The science, engineering, and technology communities remain concerned that the proposal would disrupt the long time peer-review method of making research grants and replace it with federal employees making grant decisions. Science Committee staffers have told science community groups that the proposed language is necessary to gain support or at least preempt opposition from some conservative lawmakers who object to funding of social science research and some research they see as “silly or unnecessary”. While NSF acknowledges that they need to improve communicating the merits of grants across the board – they stand by their assertion that through the widely accepted peer-review process, NSF funds the best science. ASCE supports a quick re-authorization of the nation’s civilian research and development programs, and joins with science, engineering, and technology organizations, universities, and corporations in expressing concern with the House proposal to alter the peer review method of grant selection. The draft has also been criticized for a lack of vision and merely being a list of items the Majority believes need to be corrected. The bottom line is that the controversy will likely join the long list of issues that progress has slowed or stopped.Tags: COMPETES Act, science
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