Transportation Infrastructure in Crisis--Talking Points
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August 3, 2007
- Recent events such as the horrific bridge collapse in Minnesota and the steam pipe explosion in New York City have raised troubling questions about the overall state of America's infrastructure. These events should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers in Washington, D.C. and around the nation.
- The nation's transportation infrastructure is in crisis. Without significant repairs and new construction, our aging roads, bridges, and transit cannot begin to handle the growing transportation needs that commuters, emergency responders, truckers and delivery drivers, and law enforcement require on a daily basis.
- To begin facing this enormous challenge, we need to commit adequate resources while finding new and creative ways of financing the new construction and repair of existing roads, bridges, and transit as quickly as possible.
- Policy makers in Congress and the Administration need to recognize the enormous impact that our deteriorating transportation infrastructure is having on the economy and the health and safety of our citizens. We need their strong commitment to address this growing crisis if we are to make the necessary and often difficult financial decisions that will resolve this transportation crisis.
Supporting Evidence
Bridges
- Over a quarter (27.1%) of the nation's 590,750 bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. 1
- Cost of repairing bridges is $9.4 billion annually. 2
- Damaged bridges are a major security and health risk, forcing ambulance, police, fire and rescue squads to was time using alternative routes. Example: In South Carolina, some fire engines are unable to use the unsafe Ben Sawyer Memorial Bridge, requiring an alternative route that adds another 15 minutes to response time. 3
- ASCE 2005 grade: C
Roads
- Congestion-Americans spend 3.5 billion hours a year stuck in traffic, at an economic cost of $63.2 billion a year. 4
- Congestion costs are understated-do not include productivity losses, costs of delayed freight shipments, unreliable freight shipments and environmental and safety costs.
- Consumer costs-Poor roads cost motorists $54 billion in repairs and operating costs—$275 per motorist. 5
- Nation's truckers lost 243 million hours due to congestion in 2004. 6
- Annual spending on transportation infrastructure ($54 billion annually) is far below the $94 billion a year that is needed. 7
- Lane miles of highways have increased 5.3% over the last 24 years
- ASCE 2005 grade: D
- Increased traffic means higher greenhouse gas emissions, endangered eco-systems and damage to habitat and species. 8
Transit
- Transit use increased faster than any other mode of transportation—up 21%—between 1993 and 2002. 9
- Federal investment in transit has declined since 2001. 10
- Capital outlays in 2003 were $12.3 billion, but $14.8 billion needed to maintain existing conditions. 11
- Public transportation reduces U.S. gasoline consumption by 1.4 billion gallons a year-108 million fewer cars filling up with gasoline annually. 12
- ASCE 2005 grade: D+
Sources
1 American Society of Civil Engineers 2005 Infrastructure Report Card
2 Ibid
3 Ibid, statefactsheets[pdf2]
4 Shane statement, p. 2
5 Ibid
6 Federal Highway Administration in Forbes, June 11, 2007
7 Ibid
8 MIT Global Mobility Study, press release, Oct. 33, 2001
9 Ibid
10 Ibid
11 Ibid
