Innovations in Seismology: Fiber Optics Help Maintain America’s Infrastructure
June 20, 2019
The Seismological Society of America hosted a briefing on June 17 on fiber optic analyses, proving that using fiber optic analyses could be instrumental to the maintenance and safety of America’s infrastructure. Panelists included Herb Wang from the University of Wisconsin- Madison and Nate Lindsay from the University of California, Berkley, and they focused on......
Ohio Legislature Reaches Agreement on Gas Tax Increase
April 04, 2019
Ohio drivers should soon start seeing traffic cones and roadwork signs, thanks to the recently passed Ohio gas tax increase. This small increase, which will cost the average Ohio driver less than $55 a year (depending on driving habits), is roughly equivalent to what one might spend on a daily cup of coffee for a......
ASCE Members in Alaska and Montana Testify on Infrastructure Investment
March 28, 2019
Last weekend, ASCE members testified on the need for infrastructure investment in Alaska as a response to three hearings the Alaska House Finance Committee held in seven communities across the state. These hearings gave Alaskans the opportunity to respond to Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget, which included deep cuts in areas from healthcare to the Alaska......
Civil Engineers Give Hawai‘i’s Infrastructure a D+ on First Report Card
March 07, 2019
The Aloha State’s infrastructure sits in poor condition, mostly due to aging infrastructure, lack of funding, and sea level rise. Today, the Hawai‘i Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the inaugural 2019 Report Card for Hawai‘i’s Infrastructure, grading 11 categories of the region’s infrastructure, resulting in an overall grade point average......
House Panel “Sounds the Alarm” on Infrastructure Investment
February 08, 2019
On Thursday, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee held a hearing focused on the urgent need for a plan that invests in America’s infrastructure. The hearing, “The Cost of Doing Nothing: Why Investing in Our Nation’s Infrastructure Cannot Wait,” was led by U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio, chairman of the committee. Rep. DeFazio began......
Kentucky Grades its Infrastructure: State Earns a “C-”
February 06, 2019
The ASCE Kentucky Section released its 2019 Report Card for Kentucky’s Infrastructure, giving the state a “C-.” Civil engineers examined the state’s aviation (C+), bridges (C-), dams (D+), drinking water (C+), energy (B-), hazardous waste (D), levees (D+), roads (D+), solid waste (B-), and wastewater (C-).The Report Card was released at a press conference in......
Midwest Polar Vortex Impacts Critical Infrastructure
February 01, 2019
This past week, a blast of polar air covered much of the Midwest, closing schools and sending staff home early—causing businesses and restaurants to close shop before the end of the day. Piercing the Midwest with record low temperatures, infrastructure systems were also strained. Rail lines were snapped and gas-fed heaters ran alongside the rails......
ASCE Supports Public Financing Tools to Fund Key Infrastructure Projects
January 31, 2019
This month, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), an ASCE coalition partner and lead of the Public Finance Network (PFN), released a report entitled, “Understanding Financing Options Used for Public Infrastructure.” For well over a century, state and local governments and public entities across our nation have used tax-exempt bonds as a means to provide......
2018 Sees 13 New State & Local Infrastructure Report Cards
December 28, 2018
2018 was a banner year for ASCE State Infrastructure Report Cards! Thirteen state and local report cards were released, each with a set of grades and information on regional infrastructure needs and opportunities. Importantly, these ASCE Report Cards are already yielding results. For example, in California, the 2018 Report Card for California’s Surface Transportation Infrastructure......
New Report Affirms Higher Gas Tax is Needed to Restore Our Interstates
December 07, 2018
On Thursday, December 6, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Committee for a Study of the Future Interstate Highway System, and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) released a congressionally mandated report, “Renewing the National Commitment to the Interstate Highway System: A Foundation for the Future.” Norman R. Augustine, formerly of Lockheed Martin Corporation,......