Sections and Branches Lead the Way on the 2013 Report Card

This March, ASCE released the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure in a brand new format as a tablet and smart phone app during the annual Congressional Fly-In. ASCE members from all 50 states participated in taking the infrastructure message to Capitol Hill and shared the Report Card with their Members of Congress. Members have also been actively continuing to share the Report Card in their local areas by:

• Assisting as spokespeople with TV and newspaper interviews like KARE in Minnesota and KIRO in Seattle
• Updating their State Report Cards in 19 states so that local information is available for policymakers and the public
• Working with ASCE to write op-eds and letters to the editor about local or state infrastructure like in the Tennessean and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• Updating their websites to include links to the Report Card website and their State and Regional Report Cards

As one of our three key initiatives, ASCE is continually working to raise awareness about the need for infrastructure investment and renewal. The Report Card is a key tool you can use to start conversations with policy makers and the public about infrastructure needs in your community.  Every Section and Branch can take advantage of resources and opportunities to take the message to their area:

1. At your next meeting, discuss how your Section can use the Report Card to highlight pressing issues in your state or region, and let us know how we can help. The ASCE team who puts together the Report Card is available to answer your questions and work with you on using the message to start conversations at the state and local level so email us at reportcard@asce.org.
2. Ask your Board to share the Report Card with their professional networks like LinkedIn and social networks like Facebook with a short story about the infrastructure problems they tackle every day in their jobs.
3. Hold an infrastructure solutions event with other infrastructure stakeholders in your area or have a Section program featuring one of the Report Card Success Story winners from your area; tips and best practices for these events are available on the Report Card Outreach Toolkit.