House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Leaders Unveil the INVEST in America Act
June 04, 2020
With the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act set to expire on September 30, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), released text of the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act, a key component of the Moving Forward Framework that House Democrats,......
June 03, 2020
The following is a statement by K.N. Gunalan “Guna.” Ph.D., P.E., President, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in response to the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee’s 2020 surface transportation infrastructure bill, the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act: “The INVEST in America......
May 16, 2020
The following is a statement by K.N. Gunalan “Guna,” Ph.D., PE, President, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) on the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act: “We are pleased that the recently passed House COVID-19 relief bill, the HEROES Act, recognizes that the nation’s transportation and water infrastructure sectors have been seriously......
Mississippi’s Infrastructure Gets a ‘D+’; Grades Unveiled in Virtual Press Conference
April 14, 2020
The ASCE Mississippi Section released the 2020 Report Card for Mississippi’s Infrastructure this morning in a virtual news conference, announcing grades and solutions for 14 infrastructure categories. Due to the ongoing spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and risks posed by large gatherings, the Section held the press conference virtually. Speakers included Jennifer Sloan Ziegler, Ph.D.,......
New Bridge Data Support Subpar 2017 Grade
April 13, 2020
The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has released its annual Bridge Report based on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) 2019 National Bridge Inventory. ARTBA’s Bridge Report confirms the “C+” grade given in ASCE’s 2017 Infrastructure Report Card. Both reports illustrate that while the overall number of bridges deemed structurally deficient is decreasing,......
State DOTs Request $50 Billion In Emergency Relief Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
April 08, 2020
As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take hold over our nation, state departments of transportation (DOT) are beginning to see a dramatic revenue loss as Americans stay in quarantine. To combat these losses, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) urged Congress this week to provide $50 billion in......
Highway Trust Fund Remains in Trouble
February 05, 2020
As we approach the expiration of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, both the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Congressional Budget Office (CBO)have issued reports highlighting the long-term financial health of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). First established in 1956, the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) is the federal fund that pays for bridges, roads,......
Colorado’s Infrastructure Earns a Mediocre Grade of “C-”
January 30, 2020
Colorado’s roads and bridges are sitting better than the national average, but funding is being stretched to modernize infrastructure with a growing population. Today at the Colorado State Capitol, the Colorado ASCE Section unveiled the full report card, giving 14 categories of infrastructure an overall ‘C-.’ Infrastructure categories included aviation, roads, bridges, energy, schools, hazardous......
Where do the 2020 Presidential Candidates Stand on Infrastructure?
January 24, 2020
As we inch closer to the caucuses, Democratic candidates are running out of time to release tangible policy solutions which focus on the issues that are most critical to the majority of Americans. One of those issues, which 90 percent of Americans support, continues to be the condition of our nation’s infrastructure. So far, four......
SMART Infrastructure Act Puts Public Safety At Risk
January 09, 2020
Bipartisan legislation is hard to come by these days in Congress, which is why the Sustainable Municipal Access to Resilient Technology in Infrastructure, or SMART Act, may look good at first glance, however; this bill could do more harm than good in terms of moving America’s infrastructure into the 21st century. Engineers design, build, and......