| Infrastructure
Category |
ASCE
2001 Grade |
ASCE 2005 Grade |
Notes on 2005 |
| Roads |
D+ |
D |
Poor road conditions cost U.S. motorists $54 billion a year in
repairs and operating costs--$275 per motorist. Americans spend 3.5 billion
hours a year stuck in traffic, at a cost of $63.2 billion a year to the
economy. Total spending of $59.4 billion annually is well below the $94
billion needed annually to improve transportation infrastructure
conditions nationally.
|
| Bridges |
C |
C |
The percentage of
structurally deficient or functionally deficient bridges decreased
slightly from 28.5% to 27.1%. In other words 160,093 out of 590,570
bridges are still deficient. |
| Transit |
C- |
D+ |
Transit use increased 21%--between 1993 and 2002. In 2002,
total capital outlays for transit were $12.3 billion. The Federal
Transit Administration estimates $14.8 billion is needed annually to
maintain conditions, and $20.6 billion is needed to improve to
"good" conditions.
|
| Aviation |
D |
D+ |
Gridlock has eased but
there are many challenges ahead. |
| Schools |
D- |
D |
The Federal government has not assessed the condition of America's
schools since 1999, when it estimated that $127 billion was needed to
bring facilities to good condition. Other sources have since reported a
need as high as $268 billion.
|
| Drinking
Water |
D |
D- |
Federal funding is less
than 10% of what is needed. |
| Wastewater |
D |
D- |
Aging wastewater management systems discharge billions of gallons of
untreated sewage into U.S. surface waters each year. The EPA estimates
that the nation must invest $390 billion over the next 20 years to
replace existing systems and build new ones to meet increasing demands.
Yet, in 2005, Congress cut funding for wastewater management for the
first time in eight years. The Bush administration has proposed a
further 33% reduction, to $730 million, for FY06.
|
| Dams |
D |
D |
There are more than 3,500
unsafe dams. |
| Solid Waste |
C+ |
C+ |
The nation's operating municipal landfills are declining in total
numbers, but capacity has remained steady due to the construction of
numerous regional landfills. In 2002, the United States produced 369
million tons of solid waste of all types. About a quarter of that total
was recycled or recovered.
|
| Hazardous
Waste |
D+ |
D |
Federal funding for cleanup of the nation's worst toxic waste sites
has steadily declined since 1998, reaching its lowest level since 1986
in FY05. There are 1,237 contaminated sites on the National Priorities
List, with possible listing of an additional 10,154.
|
| Navigable
Waterways |
D+ |
D- |
Of the 257 locks on the more than 12,000 miles of inland waterways
operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, nearly 50% are
functionally obsolete. By 2020, that number will increase to 80%. The
cost to replace the present system of locks is more than $125 billion.
Why is this important? A single barge traveling the nation's
waterways can move the same amount of cargo as 58 semi-trucks at
one-tenth the cost--reducing highway congestion and saving money.
|
Energy
(National Power Grid) |
D+ |
D |
Growth in electricity demand and investment in new power plants has
not been matched by investment in new transmission facilities.
Maintenance expenditures have decreased 1% per year since 1992. Existing
transmission facilities were not designed for the current level of
demand, resulting in an increased number of `bottlenecks' which increase
costs to consumers and elevate the risk of blackouts.
|
| Public
Parks & Recreation |
- |
C- |
Much of the initial construction of roads, bridges, utility systems,
shore protection structures and beaches was done more than 50 years ago.
These facilities are anchors for tourism and economic development and
often provide the public's only access to the country's cultural,
historic and natural resources. The National Park Service estimates a
maintenance backlog of $6.1 billion for their facilities.
|
| Rail |
- |
C- |
For the first time since World War II, limited rail capacity has
created significant chokepoints and delays. This problem will increase
as freight rail tonnage is expected to increase at least 50% by
2020. The freight railroad industry needs to spend $175-$195
billion over the next 20 years to maintain existing infrastructure and
expand for freight growth. Expansion of the railroad network to develop
intercity corridor passenger rail service is estimated to cost
approximately $60 billion over 20 years. All told, investment needs are
$12-13 billion per year.
|
| Security |
- |
Incomplete |
While the security of our nation's critical infrastructure has
improved since Sept. 11, the information needed to accurately assess its
status is not readily available to engineering professionals.
|
| Overall |
D+ |
D |
Total investment needs are
estimated to be $1.6 trillion. |
