Vote for Infrastructure on November 6th!
November 02, 2018
Vote on November 6th It’s officially November, meaning election day is just around the corner. With November 6th days away, take the weekend to map out your voting plan of action. First, find out if you’re already registered to vote then identify your polling precinct and determine how and when you’ll vote. If you aren’t......
Minnesota Earns a “C” in First Infrastructure Report Card
October 10, 2018
On Tuesday, October 9, civil engineers gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol for the release of the first-ever Report Card for Minnesota’s Infrastructure. The Report Card gave the state’s infrastructure an overall GPA of “C” and evaluated and graded nine individual infrastructure categories: aviation, bridges, dams, drinking water, energy, ports, roads, transit, and wastewater.......
September 14, 2018
Today, the House of Representatives passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018, S. 3021. The passage of this bill authorizes key programs and projects that are critical to improving our nation’s water-related infrastructure categories. The 2017 Infrastructure Report Card graded each of these categories; ports received a grade of “C+,” while dams, levees,......
Chairman Shuster Releases Infrastructure Proposal
July 25, 2018
This week, U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) released his long-awaited infrastructure discussion draft. Key components of the plan include fixing the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), investing in transportation and water resources infrastructure, financing innovative projects, and accelerating project delivery. The plan also calls for an increase of 15 cents per......
Congressman Curbelo Introduces Bill to Tax Carbon
July 24, 2018
Earlier this week, Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) introduced H.R. 6463, the Modernizing America with Rebuilding to Kick-start the Economy of the Twenty-first Century with a Historic Infrastructure-Centered Expansion Act, or the “MARKET CHOICE Act.” This bill would amend the tax code to add tax equal to $24 per metric ton of carbon dioxide (CO2), with......
Congress Prepares for WRDA Floor Debate
June 06, 2018
The Senate is expected to vote on S.2800, America’s Water Infrastructure Act, or the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), in the coming weeks after about six months of Committee work, drafting, and negotiation. WRDA proposes continued American investment into infrastructure like dams, levees, and ports. If approved, WRDA will authorize water programs vital to American......
President’s State of Union Lays Out Infrastructure Vision
January 31, 2018
President Trump unveiled his much-anticipated infrastructure plan for the nation in his first State of the Union address last night, asking Congress to produce a bipartisan package that generates at least $1.5 trillion in investment. He put an emphasis on need for federal dollars to be leveraged by state and local government funding, as well......
Engineers Encouraged by President’s Focus on Infrastructure During State of Union Address
January 30, 2018
The following is a statement by Kristina Swallow, PE, President, American Society of Civil Engineers on President Trump’s State of the Union address to Congress on Jan. 30, 2018: “A year into his Presidency, the American Society of Civil Engineers is pleased that President Trump has focused national attention on improving our roads, bridges, and......
Public-Private Partnerships, A Tool in the Toolbox
January 23, 2018
Partnerships between public agencies – federal, state, and local – and private companies are an increasingly popular infrastructure financing policy tool. As public budgets continue to be squeezed; public-private partnerships (P3s) allow planners and policymakers more breathing room to invest. P3s can be an effective financing mechanism through tools such as municipal and private activity......
Federal Investment in Infrastructure: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship
January 12, 2018
America’s infrastructure network is the backbone of our economy. Every day, our roads, bridges, rails, inland waterways, transit systems and more move millions of people and goods from origin to destination. Infrastructure enables us to get to work, school, and leisure activities, and facilitates trade. The role infrastructure plays in supporting the economy and preserving......