ASCE Congratulates Mayor Pete Buttigieg on DOT Nomination
December 15, 2020
The following statement comes from ASCE Executive Director Tom Smith: We applaud President-elect Biden’s nomination of Mayor Pete Buttigieg as the incoming Secretary of the Department of Transportation. We are eager to work with DOT and incoming Secretary Buttigieg to modernize our nation’s transportation systems and to make sustainable infrastructure a central component of our......
Pandemic Slowing Clean Energy Jobs & Energy Efficiency Growth
December 07, 2020
ASCE’s recent COVID-19 Status Report notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing energy infrastructure challenges, delaying some investments in the short term and costing nearly half a million Americans working in renewable energy their jobs. According to a new analysis by BW Research Partnership, the clean energy sector has grown less than 1% over......
Civil Engineers Give West Virginia’s Infrastructure a “D” in 2020 Report Card
December 03, 2020
On Wednesday, the West Virginia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the 2020 Report Card for West Virginia’s Infrastructure, the Section’s inaugural report card. West Virginia civil engineers gave five categories of infrastructure an overall grade of a ‘D,’ meaning the state’s infrastructure is in poor condition, with many elements approaching......
Pennsylvania Approves Emergency Bond Measure to Keep DOT Open
December 02, 2020
Shortly before Thanksgiving, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, or PennDOT, announced hundreds of ongoing projects in the state, as well as future projects, would be stopped or delayed on December 1st without immediate action from the state legislature to authorize the agency to borrow $600 million. Fortunately, shortly after PennDOT raised alarm about the impending......
November 24, 2020
*Kevin Longley, Alexa Lopez, and Maria Matthews contributed to this blog As 2020 comes to a close, ASCE Government Relations is thankful for its wonderful community of 150,000 members who work diligently to ensure the safety, efficiency, and modernization of our nation’s roads, bridges, drinking and wastewater systems, utilities, and more every day. The work......
November 23, 2020
One year ago, global leaders from mayors to civil engineers and engineering organizations joined forces to identify the biggest barriers to infrastructure adaptation and resilience, and to understand how the engineering community could act as a catalyst for action, which came to fruition as the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI). Leaders from across the......
New Study Elevates Street Programs Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
November 19, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted very aspect of our lives. From our ability to see friends and loved ones to our once daily commutes, what once had been regular activity has quickly changed and our new travel behavior. As a result, transportation authorities have implemented several policies to promote social distancing, cycling, and walking in......
Senate Appropriators Introduce Fiscal Year 2021 Spending Bills
November 12, 2020
While the House passed their bills earlier this year, Senate Appropriators this week introduced all 12 spending bills for fiscal year (FY) 2021. These spending bills come as Congress enters the lame-duck session and need to avert a potential government shutdown as we near the December 11 deadline. While House Appropriators included COVID-19 supplemental funding,......
What does a Biden-Harris Administration Mean for Infrastructure?
November 12, 2020
The weeklong 2020 election marathon ended Saturday, November 7 when former Vice President Joe Biden was elected as the projected 46th president of the United States, with Senator Kamala Harris to serve as the next Vice President. This historic election took place at a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, with COVID-19 cases soaring across......
Infrastructure Wins on the Ballot
November 05, 2020
While states still count votes to determine the Presidency and control of the Senate, what has become clear is that infrastructure investment remains a priority for voters. After some uncertainty over whether the COVID-19 pandemic would affect plans for infrastructure investment ballot measures, many states and localities did stick with their plans to bring many of these......