This Week in Infrastructure: Some Attention for the Highway Trust Fund
March 14, 2014
The USDOT now anticipates the Highway Trust Fund balance will dip below $4 billion by July, in the heat of summer road repair season. As the fund continues to decline, the DOT will be slowing its funding programs, limiting the funding dollars states rely upon to help pay for projects though matching dollars. This week......
New Report Shows $1 Spent on Parks Means $10 for Local Economies
March 11, 2014
The National Park Service has released a new report showing the impact of parks on local economies. Here a few of the top level findings of the report: In 2012, the nation’s 401 parks attracted more than 280 million visitors. National parks generated more than $26 billion in economic activity in 2012; visitors spend on......
This Week in Infrastructure: Investment Gets New Advocates
March 09, 2014
What do a comedian, a country music singer, and a businessman all have in common? You may have thought this was a joke, but in fact it’s what happened this week in the news, as the call for infrastructure investment came from some unexpected spokespersons. Comedian Jim Gaffigan assessed Los Angeles’ infamous congestion problems while......
New Report Estimates $200B Needed to Fix America’s Schools
March 07, 2014
After more than a decade, this week the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released an update to the Condition of America’s Public School Facilities report highlighting the condition of America’s school facilities. This report echoed the school facilities findings of the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure and showed the estimated need to bring......
This Week in Infrastructure: Funding Conversations Get a Front Seat
February 28, 2014
Over the past few weeks, stories have been trickling out about the financial cliff the Highway Trust Fund is heading toward, with too few conversations about finding solutions, given the importance of the topic. This week that shifted. President Obama called attention to the Highway Trust Fund and the need for investment during a trip......
State Legislatures Continue to Charge Ahead with Transportation Investment
February 27, 2014
Lawmakers at the state level continue to seek transportation funding solutions. Already early in 2014, several state legislatures are considering proposals to increase revenue or dedicate more funds to transportation projects. While a proposal to increase New Mexico’s gas tax by 3-cents per gallon failed to pass before the legislature adjourned this week, several other......
Statement on President Obama’s Proposed Transportation Plan from ASCE
February 26, 2014
Washington, D.C. — The following is a statement from Randall (Randy) S. Over, P.E., president of The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE): “President Obama’s proposed $302 billion transportation plan is an encouraging step forward in addressing the impending cliff our nation faces this year with the Highway Trust Fund. When the Highway Trust Fund becomes insolvent......
This Week in Infrastructure: Winter Weather Gets People Thinking About the Cost of Underinvestment
February 21, 2014
Perhaps between Disney’s box office hit Frozen and the Sochi Olympics you feel as though you’re living in a winter wonderland. Or perhaps it’s because you actually are, given this year’s record snowfall in cities across the country. In addition to the snow days and need for shovels and boots, this winter has done a......
Moving toward a safe, seamless transportation system
February 19, 2014
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......
Aging Hudson Symbolizes America’s Infrastructure
February 14, 2014
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......