AASHTO Journal, 22 March 2013
The condition of America’s infrastructure has improved slightly since 2009, according to the latest Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The Report Card, released every four years, provides an overall look of the nation’s current infrastructure conditions and needs. After compiling data, grades are assigned to various infrastructure categories and recommendations on how to raise them are made. Grades are given based on a set of criteria: capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience, and innovation.
The report card identified slight gains in the areas of roads, rail, and bridges, earning a grade of D+, up from a D in 2009.
“A D+ is simply unacceptable for anyone serious about strengthening our nation’s economy; however, the 2013 Report Card shows that this problem can be solved,” said ASCE President Gregory E. DiLoreto, P.E., in a statement. “If we want to create jobs, increase trade, and assure the safety of our children, then infrastructure investment is the answer.”
Sixteen categories are explored in the 2013 ASCE Report Card, seven of which are transportation-related. The most positive improvements were in the categories of rail (which went from a C- in 2009 to a C+ in 2013 due largely to improvements made possible through private investment), bridges (which improved from a C in 2009 to the current C+ due to the reduction in the number of structurally deficient bridges), and roads (which went from a D- in 2009 to D in 2013, due in part to the use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds and private investment). Other transportation-related grades include:
- Aviation: D. ASCE gave aviation the same grade as 2009, as the system is still struggling to meet demand (as shown through the $22 billion cost of congestion and delays in 2012).
- Inland waterways: D-, the same grade as 2009, as many portions of the waterways have still not been updated since the 1950s.
- Ports: C. This is a new category this year and received mediocre marks, stating that more attention must be paid to this category as the Panama Canal is expanded.
- Transit: D, unchanged from 2009. Transit agencies still struggle to balance more customers with less funding.
The report card shows that roughly $454 billion is needed each year through 2020 to address the infrastructure needs of the nation, while only about $253 billion is expected. That creates a funding gap of $201 billion each year.
“This Report Card accentuates the need for a long-term, sustainable funding source for surface transportation moving forward,” said AASHTO Executive Director Bud Wright. “By connecting greater investment in transportation projects to measurable improvements in efficiency and connectivity, the report demonstrates why infrastructure investment is key to our future economic prosperity.”
The ASCE 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure is available here. The Report Card is also available as a mobile application through the Apple Store or on Google Play.