Preparing Infrastructure for Autonomous Vehicles
June 14, 2018
On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works held a hearing entitled “Innovation and America’s Infrastructure: Examining the Effects of Emerging Autonomous Technologies on America’s Roads and Bridges.” The hearing explored questions regarding the feasibility and importance of autonomous technologies as it relates to infrastructure. The Senators’ questions were fielded by a......
U.S. Department of Transportation Released Grant Awards
June 13, 2018
Last week, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) attended an invitation only event with U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao announcing the Department’s release of nearly $1.5 billion in grants to fund the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America or “INFRA” program for freight, highway, and bridge improvements created by the Fixing America’s......
States Wrap Up Legislative Sessions For 2018
June 07, 2018
As state legislatures across the country are wrapping up their sessions for 2018, lawmakers in several states acted this year to make investments to address their states’ infrastructure needs. In Colorado, Governor John Hickenlooper (D) signed a major bill to fund transportation infrastructure projects. The legislation calls for periodic transfers from the state’s general fund......
President Trump Releases Much Anticipated Infrastructure Plan
February 12, 2018
The Trump Administration has officially released an infrastructure proposal calling for $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investments, with $200 billion of direct federal spending over the course of 10 years. The federal investment is meant to spur investments from state and local governments and private investors. The proposal is divided into four main parts: funding and......
Analysis of Federal Bridge Data Confirms ASCE Report Card Bridge Grade
February 02, 2018
The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) released its Bridge Report based on the data in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) 2017 National Bridge Inventory database. 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......
December 29, 2017
Between the release of the 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, the implementation of a gas tax in states across the country, and waiting for President Trump’s highly-anticipated infrastructure plan, 2017 has been a full year for ASCE. Take a look at our 5 most read blog posts from 2017: 1. Legislation to Create National Infrastructure Bank Reintroduced......
Driving In A Winter Wonderland: States Prepare Infrastructure For Winter Conditions
December 22, 2017
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Or maybe you’re hoping to escape the cold this holiday season? No matter what your perfect holiday looks like, each winter we turn on our TVs and check our weather apps to see snow and hail coming down across America. These storms create poor visibility for drivers, icy roads, and......
The Transportation of Tomorrow: Self-Driving Vehicles
December 15, 2017
General Motors, Alphabet Inc., and other innovators are racing to the finish line with the latest in transportation technology: autonomous vehicles. This week Florida, Montana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota made headlines for showing interest in this new technology, with some cities heading to the streets for a test-drive. Across the country, we are seeing what was......
Congress Misses Opportunity to Fix Infrastructure, While States Do Their Part
December 01, 2017
The Senate and House tax bills proved to be missed opportunities for fixing the federal Highway Trust Fund, but states are doing their part and investing in infrastructure. The federal Highway Trust Fund, an account used to pay for the federal share of roads, bridges, and transit, has not been raised in 24 years.......
10 Years After the I-35 Bridge Collapse: What’s Changed With the Nation’s Bridges?
August 01, 2017
It’s been 10 years since the I-35 bridge going west over the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring 145 more. The eight-lane bridge was Minnesota’s third busiest, carrying 140,000 people a day. Its failure opened many people’s eyes to the danger of taking our infrastructure for granted and led leaders......