On Monday, July 8th, the Georgia Section of ASCE released the 2024 Report Card for Georgia’s Infrastructure at the state capitol building in Atlanta. The report featured 14 categories, receiving an overall grade of ‘C+’. This is the same grade as the 2019 Report Card for Georgia’s Infrastructure. A ‘C+’ grade means Georgia’s infrastructure is in above-average condition but still requires attention. Georgia’s grade is two steps higher than the national average of ‘C-’ in the 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.
The 2024 Georgia Report Card is particularly timely after the water main breaks in Atlanta in early June, which left parts of the city without reliable water service for a few days.
Twelve of the 14 categories evaluated in the Georgia Report Card received grades higher than the national Report Card. Two categories (rail and solid waste) earned the same grade as their national counterparts. These grades show Georgia remains committed to prioritizing its built environment, especially the infrastructure systems that help make Georgia an economic powerhouse. The grade for each category is in the chart below
| Grade | Infrastructure Categories |
| B+ | Ports |
| B | Bridges, Energy, Rail, Schools |
| C+ | Aviation, Drinking Water, Roads, Solid Waste |
| C | Public Parks |
| C- | Stormwater, Wastewater |
| D+ | Dams |
| D | Transit |
Members of the ASCE Georgia Section present the 2024 Report Card for Georgia’s Infrastructure at the State Capitol on July 8, 2024
The release event featured ASCE Members Anita Atkinson and Julie Sechrist, along with Georgia State Representative Vance Smith and Georgia Public Service Commission Vice-Chairman Tim Echols.
Approximately 50 civil engineers from across Georgia spent months compiling and analyzing public information to get an accurate assessment of infrastructure across the Peach State, along with recommendations for how the grade can be improved moving forward.
What’s inside the report card?
The report card highlighted Georgia’s significant investment and increased funding for roads and bridges. Laws like the Transportation Investment Act of 2012 and Transportation Funding Act of 2015 have increased funding for roads by tying the gas tax to inflation. This has allowed Georgia’s roads to become the sixth best in the nation. The condition of Georgia’s bridges also has also improved, with 98 percent in fair or good condition, an increase from 93 percent in 2017 and 78 percent in 2013. Looking forward, road improvements may be threatened due to increasing vehicle efficiency and decreased gas purchases as more people switch to hybrid and electric vehicles.
Georgia’s role in helping America’s economy also got significant attention in the report card. Ports received the highest grade of B+, thanks in part to increased capacity and maintenance projects which will ensure ships are able to load and unload cargo efficiently, helping get goods in and out of the United States.
Georgia’s airports also play a significant role in the state’s economic success, with an annual economic impact of $73 billion, most of it from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The state has increased investment in aviation systems, and pavement conditions have improved since the last Report Card. However, it is worth noting that this grade decrease is only because public data available during the process of writing the 2019 Report Card significantly overestimated runway pavement conditions. With a clearer assessment of Georgia’s aviation infrastructure, the sector can better serve the state and nation’s air travel needs.
Georgia’s energy system received a ‘B’ grade, compared to a ‘C-’ grade on the Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. Georgia has invested billions in energy grid upgrades and accelerated its transition away from coal-fired power plants to nuclear, natural gas, and solar energy sources. With more people and businesses moving to Georgia and increased energy needs as more companies build new data centers in the state, a reliable and robust energy grid is vital for Georgia’s economic future.
Transit systems, which can help move the workforce necessary to continue economic growth, received the lowest grade on the Report Card with a ‘D’. Georgia’s 93 transit systems are still seeing fewer passengers than before the pandemic and face tough choices as the federal support that helped them weather the pandemic ends.
As Georgia continues to grow, the state’s water systems face higher costs to keep up with the rapidly increasing population. Georgians pay less than the national average for drinking water, and lower bills make it difficult for water utilities to cover the full cost of service, complete preventative maintenance, and grow for the future. Stormwater and wastewater systems also face new and increasing expenses to expand and serve the state’s growing population and increase the resilience of existing systems which are facing more frequent extreme weather events.
How can Georgia raise its infrastructure grade?
The recommendations to raise the grade inside the report include
- Deliver dedicated state transit funding: Establish a robust, sustainable, and reliable state-level transit funding source to address the annual $1.7 billion additional funding need and reinstate the motor fuel tax exemption for public transit agencies.
- Set responsible, resilient utility rates and user fees: Pursue utility rate increases to fully account for the full cost of service, including capital, maintenance, and operating needs. This should include life-cycle costs, materials, labor, inflation, and resilience upgrades necessary for extreme weather.
- Expand safety funding and oversight in dams and roads: Amend the Georgia Safe Dams Act to implement “Significant Hazard Potential” dams and increase funding to reduce the backlog of classification of dams. Improve traffic safety with state and local funding for designing and constructing “complete streets” with robust enforcement.
- Invest in new electricity generation and a resilient grid: State and local authorities should fund and facilitate new forms and greater scales of energy generation. Retrofits and new connections in the energy grid will ensure resilience to extreme weather and a backbone supporting population and business growth.
- Increase funding and coordination of intermodal freight projects: Additional state funding would develop projects in Georgia’s Statewide Freight and Logistics Plan more quickly to capitalize on increased goods movement. Coordinate with regional and local communities where freight movements create benefits and burdens for nearby stakeholders.
What’s next?
With a new report card out, Georgia ASCE members will use it to advocate for improved infrastructure across the state – and help local and state lawmakers better understand Georgia’s infrastructure needs.
We’d like to thank each ASCE member in Georgia who contributed to the 2024 Report Card for Georgia’s Infrastructure
Leadership
- Anita Atkinson
- Rick Boudreau
- Jeffrey Chiu
- Stephan Durham
- Kat Gurd
- Julie Secrist
- Rebecca Shelton
- Shaukat Syed
- Stefka Vacheva
Authors/Contributors
Aviation
- Nathan Coyle
- Susan Smith
Bridges
- Raj Aanand
- Rachel Dicke
- Wes Hunt
- Sri Jonnalagadda
- Katie Kelly
- Stefa Vacheva
Dams
- Bobby Sauer
- Santanu Sinharoy
Drinking Water
- Paula Feldman
- Ben Moss
- Steve Seachrist
Energy
- Anita Atkinson
- David Gattie
- Aidan Deegan
Ports
- Edward Fulford
- Kirk McElveen
- Jeremy Mitchler
Public Parks
- Stu Moring
Rail
- Mark Hitchcock
- Nigel Naipaul
Roads
- Rick Boudreau
- Natalie Branand
- Sonny Kim
- Dustin O’Quinn
Schools
- Shelby Lucas
- Matt Tanner
Solid Waste
- Keith Cole
- Leila Kelly
- Kelen Shostak
Stormwater
- Felix Collazo
- Rachel Jones
- Kelen Shostak
Transit
- Amanda Foard
- Mark Hitchcock
- Cristina Pastore
- Amanda Vandegrift
- Kevin Winger
Wastewater
- Michael Diaz
- Omkar Ghavi
- Wayne Hanie
- David King
- Steve Simpson
- Sudarsan Surange