The Articulated Dump

High Speed Rail Requires Californians to Think Long-Term

A newly released analysis that showed the projected cost of high-speed rail has more than doubled - to $98.1 billion - has led some critics to suggest the idea should be scrapped. This would be a huge mistake for a state whose population is expected to grow by more than 10 million in the next two decades.

The California High Speed Rail Authority did exactly what it was asked to do: to make a clear-eyed assessment of the cost estimates, ridership projections and other assumptions behind this ambitious project. It also came up with a more systematic - and somewhat slower and scaled-back - plan for completing the link between San Francisco and Anaheim.

The upshot is that high-speed rail is going to be more expensive to build and more expensive to ride than voters were told in 2008 when they approved a $10 billion bond to get the project rolling.

"This is not a marketing plan, this is not a promotional plan - this is a business plan," said Dan Richard, a former BART director recently appointed to the authority by Gov. Jerry Brown in an attempt to bring fresh eyes and expertise to oversee the project.

"Sticker shock" was the phrase heard around the state Capitol when that business plan was released Tuesday. Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton of Rancho Cucamonga (San Bernardino) called the project a "boondoggle that needs to be derailed."

No one was cheering the dose of reality. But this was a moment for Californians to take the long view. The stresses on our airports and highways are only going to intensify, as is the pressure to reduce carbon emissions. A $98.1 billion outlay for high-speed rail must be measured against the alternative. Creating equivalent capacity with 2,300 miles of highways, 115 new airport gates and four new runways would cost $170 billion - with a far greater impact on the environment, the business plan calculated.

None of the rail authority's numbers should be treated as gospel. They will be subjected to independent scrutiny in the months ahead. But as state Treasurer Bill Lockyer observed, for too long the authority's held a reverence for the "big dream" of high-speed rail but "showed little taste for confronting economic and political realities. That attitude has changed."

The size of the numbers and the magnitude of the challenge should not deter Californians from pursuing this dream. As Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin put it, Interstate 5 was once called too expensive and a "road to nowhere" when its construction began in the Central Valley.

The new business plan addresses one of the provincial concerns on the Peninsula: It proposes to blend the system with an electrified Caltrain, allowing the two train lines to share tracks and minimize cost and disruption. "It saves literally billions," said state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, who had joined Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, and Assemblyman Richard Gordon, D-Menlo Park, in pushing for a blended system.

The planning for a high-speed rail system appears to be moving in the right direction with a business plan that is decidedly more pragmatic, realistic and transparent than anything Californians had been presented to date.

Sticker shock

The High Speed Rail Authority's newly released business plan includes these estimates and recommendations.

-- The cost of a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and Anaheim will be $98.1 billion.

-- The rail line would be completed in 2033.

-- Private investment would need to be raised to cover about 20 percent of the cost.

-- The system would be built in segments.

-- The initial 130-mile stretch of high-speed rail would run from Bakersfield to north of Fresno.

-- Construction of the first segment (which combines state bond money and federal stimulus funds) would begin in October 2012.

-- Cost of a ticket between San Francisco and Los Angeles would be $81 in today's dollars.

This article appeared on page F - 10 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Senate Blocks Infrastrucure Plan - Both Parties Accuse Other of Playing Politics.

Senate to block competing infrastructure plans as quarrel continues over Obama jobs plan

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP - President Obama speaks in front of the Key Bridge, which spans Arlington, Va. and Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011, urging Congress to pass the infrastructure piece of the American Jobs Act.

From AP. Washington: Thursday, November 3, 2011.

Republicans in the Senate Thursday dealt President Barack Obama the third in a string of defeats on his stimulus-style jobs agenda, blocking a $60 billion measure for building and repairing infrastructure like roads and rail lines.

Supporters of the failed measure said it would have created tens of thousands of construction jobs and lifted the still-struggling economy. But Republicans unanimously opposed it for its tax surcharge on the wealthy and spending totals they said were too high.

The 51-49 vote fell well short of the 60 votes required under Senate procedures to start work on the bill. Every Republican opposed the president, as did Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska and former Democrat Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who still aligns with the party.

Obama’s loss was anything but a surprise, but the White House and its Democratic allies continue to press popular ideas from Obama’s poll-tested jobs package in what Republicans say is nothing more than a bare-knuckle attempt to gain a political edge by invoking the mantra of jobs but doing little to seek compromise.

“The truth is, Democrats are more interested in building a campaign message than in rebuilding roads and bridges,” said Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “And frankly, the American people deserve a lot better than that.”

“Their goal is to do everything they can to drag down this economy, to do anything they can to focus attention negatively on the President of the United States in hopes that he can get my job, perhaps, and that President Obama will be defeated,” Reid said. “So let’s not talk about campaign speeches here on the Senate floor. Let’s talk about reality.”

After Republicans blocked Obama’s infrastructure plan, the president’s Democratic allies immediately killed a competing GOP infrastructure plan that would have extended existing highway and transit spending programs and paid for the spending with a $40 billion cut in unspent funding for other domestic programs. The White House opposed the measure over its spending cuts and provisions that would block recent clean air rules and make it harder for the administration to issue new rules.

Obama unveiled his $447 billion jobs plan in September and has launched a campaign-style effort — featuring multiple rallies in states crucial to his reelection bid — to try to get it passed. In votes last month, Republicans blocked the entire $447 billion jobs package and a subsequent attempt by Democrats to pass a $35 billion piece of it aimed at preventing layoffs of teachers and firefighters.

Another political flash point is the way Democrats have sought to pay for Obama’s jobs measures — a surcharge on income exceeding $1 million. The idea enjoys wide backing in opinion polls but is stoutly opposed by Republicans, who say it would hit small business owners and therefore threaten job growth.

With the demise of Thursday’s measure, an announcement could come as early as Friday on what’s the next piece of Obama’s jobs agenda to break out for a stand-alone vote. Democratic aides say the next measure would be legislation to provide a $4,800 tax credit for hiring an unemployed veteran and increasing the tax credit for hiring a veteran with a service-related disability to up to $9,600.

Assemblyman Nestande Announces "There Ought NOT to Be a Law" Contest

 

 

Contractors - who better than you to enter this contest?!

Assemblyman Brian Nestande (R-Palm Desert) announces today his "There Ought NOT to Be a Law" Contest open to those who live in the 64th Assembly District.  Every year the California Legislature introduces thousands of ideas to create new laws.  Many of these bills contribute to the over regulation of California, negatively effecting areas like education and business.  This year Assemblyman Nestande would like to focus his legislative efforts to repealing ineffective and inefficient laws.

"This year I would like to dedicate bills to repealing any laws that would help our state government be more efficient, save taxpayers money and improve our business climate." Nestande said.  "This contest encourages the community to be involved in the legislative process."

The deadline to submit your ideas is November 15, 2011.  Please provide your contact information, a summary in 500 words or less to explain your idea, and provide any attachments for background information.

The winner of the contest will receive a trip to Sacramento to testify at the policy committee hearing in which the bill will be heard in. 

To submit your idea, please visit Assemblyman Nestande's website at asm.ca.gov/64  or you could mail it into his office at P.O Box 94249, Sacramento, CA 94149-0064.  For more information please contact his office at 760-674-0164.

Enough Talk. Construction Industry Needs Action From Legislative Leadership

Same day as Senate and House Leaders Tout Regulatory Reform, Onerous Construction Regulation Goes into Effect  
Most in California may not be aware, but today the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) begins the enforcement of their new regulations for the Construction General Permit (CGP), which inflicts new heavy-handed obstacles related to the monitoring of stormwater discharge on the construction jobsite. Fines for non-compliance reach upwards of $37,000 a day, and this historically burdensome regulation threatens to put many of California’s smaller construction companies out of business for the winter months, if not all together.

Ironically, just hours before the enactment of this regulation and days before the end of session, the Senator Pro-Tem and Speaker stood side by side to announce their plan to implement “significant new regulatory reforms that are key to luring new businesses to California, growing existing business in California, and helping create jobs for Californians.”

This new state CGP regulation for storm water runoff goes well above and beyond federal requirements for clean water, and will place a heavy handed burden on our construction industry – one of the largest job providers in the state – with new hurdles and colossal fines for non-compliance. It will require contractors on projects that disturb over one acre of land to have a “Qualified Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan Developer” (QSD) and a “Qualified Stormwater Pollution Prevention Practitioner” (QSP) to carry out the “Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans” on California’s construction sites.

The process for becoming QSP/QSD certified begins with training classes that typically cost more than $400 and involve 2-3 full days away from the jobsite.  Getting properly certified involves taking an approved QSP/QSD training course offered by a Trainer of Record (ToR) approved by the California Storm Water Quality Association (CASQA).   You must also pass a QSP/QSD exam, proctored by the State or Regional Water Quality Control Board.  And don’t waste your time taking the required QSP/QSD classes if you don’t hold one of the proper pre-requisite certifications, which, if you’re a smaller contractor, it’s likely you don’t have.

What is more, only approximately 10% of those who have completed the QSP/QSD training have passed the exam and been granted certification. For months, both the exam taking and certification process were gridlocked.  So, as of now, the construction industry does not have enough certified individuals to meet the onerous requirements coming down on them, meaning they’ll be forced to hire outside companies – another cost. EUCA and other industry coalitions have requested, begged, and pleaded for the SWRCB to delay implementation for one year in order to allow the construction industry, particularly smaller sized construction companies, to get the proper training and certification. The SWRCB has denied this request.

This new requirement is blatantly bad for business, and it epitomizes California’s regulatory agencies run-amuck. The new permit requirements well-exceed federal regulations and lack the scientific evidence one would think necessary to show that the incredible costs to industry are even worth the environmental benefits (evidence that the SWRCB is not required to demonstrate, of course.)

While Speaker Perez, alongside the Senator Pro-tem, stood in front of cameras, just days before the end of the legislative session, to announce that “with an almost 12 percent unemployment rate in California, there’s no more critical issue to our state than to improve the job market,” up and down our state, contractors are simultaneously trying to wrap their heads, wallets and employees around yet another painful new regulation.

During the press conference yesterday afternoon, Steinberg stated that he’s “often heard from the private sector that there’s a perception state government is too complex, the permit process is too burdensome and that it simply takes too long for businesses to get started and expand in California.”  24 hours later, contractors throughout California are facing yet another frustrating and costly hurdle to working in this state.

The implementation of the new Construction General Permit requirements for SWPPPs is another road block, another unnecessary regulation and another step backwards for California. Any legislator who is serious about tackling regulatory reform, should start here.

 

Jobs Plan and Infrastructure Needs Underscore CA Dilemma

By Dan Walters, Sac Bee.

It was just coincidence that Gov. Jerry Brown unveiled a billion-dollar tax proposal – which he said would improve California's struggling economy – on the same day that the Legislature's budget analyst released a long report on the state's infrastructure crisis.

It was, however, a timely juxtaposition.

Brown was responding to economic woes as politicians often do, with a news conference, a quick-hit plan and assurances that it will make things better.

Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor however, was indirectly telling politicians what they should do to improve long-term prosperity – upgrade transportation, education, water and flood-control systems.

It's very questionable whether Brown's proposal to change the way corporations are taxed, give tax credits to employers for new hires and grant manufacturers a sales tax break can be enacted, since it needs some Republican votes.

Brown and Democratic legislators implied unmistakably that one motive is to show voters that they're feeling their economic pain, while setting up Republicans for blame in next year's legislative elections if they block the tax swap. Brown also wants business support for a tax increase ballot measure next year.

Even were Democrats' motives pure as winter snow in the Sierra, however, and even were their plan to become law, its economic impact is very questionable. Independent studies of employment subsidies, such as the "enterprise zone" program, indicate that their lasting benefits are scant.

California needs more than a new tax gimmick to sustainably recover from recession. We need to make ourselves competitive in a global economy.

Balancing state finances, overhauling an anachronistic tax system, streamlining regulation and improving the education system would reassure potential investors. And so would doing something about our decaying infrastructure.

"Much of the state's infrastructure is aging and needs to be renovated, adapted or improved to meet current and future needs," Taylor's fact-packed report tells us. "Additionally, California will continue to need new infrastructure to accommodate population growth."

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger raised the issue and proposed bond issues to deal with it, but we have the nation's worst credit rating and the cost of repaying bonds already issued or in the pipeline has become a major factor in the chronic budget woes.

Not only do we need to spend tens of billions of dollars on new or improved infrastructure, we also need to spend more on maintaining what we already have – much of it dating back to the governorship of Brown's father. And because of fiscal constraints, we need to find new ways of paying the heavy cost.

It's not as sexy as punching a new tax loophole, but it's the real business of making us competitive again.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/26/3862446/dan-walters-jobs-plan-and-infrastructure.html#ixzz1WSFq1cLm

GPS Is Being Threatened

By Joseph Paiva

In January, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a conditional waiver to LightSquared, a company with ambitions of providing wholesale mobile broadband service. LightSquared has radio spectrum licenses for use in communication satellites and now intends to install up to 40,000 high-powered, land-based transmitters that broadcast in the same band that its communications satellite channels now use. To do this, LightSquared needs approval from FCC to change the way the section of the frequency band allocated for satellite signals is to be used. The conditional waiver already granted allows LightSquared to continue development of the terrestrial network, and it can now broadcast high-powered signals in a section of the band formerly reserved for low-power signals from space.

Unfortunately for GPS, the section of the spectrum, referred to as the L-band, in which LightSquared will provide broadband service is immediately adjacent to the section of the L-band used by GPS. As people listen to their favorite FM radio station as they drive, they may experience interference when another station's transmitter is powerful, or nearby, or both. This is what researchers expect would happen with GPS should LightSquared ever be allowed to go operational. But the problem is much more severe—some estimates put the LightSquared signal at more than one billion times the power of signals from GPS as received by GPS receivers. Are there technical solutions? The fact is that any technical theory at this point is just that—a theory, untested, unproven, and unverified. The laws of physics make solving this problem very difficult. GPS has served us all extremely well for the last 30 years, in part because nearby frequencies have also been preserved solely for space-to-earth communications. Protection of the GPS service for all users has to be the number- one priority in the FCC process.

FCC has mandated GPS interference research. In response, LightSquared, the US GPS Industry Council, and others, are working on this study. One problem created by the FCC conditional waiver is that LightSquared is able to move ahead with its infrastructure development assuming that viable solutions to the jamming issue will be found. For many users of GPS, theoretical fixes may not be sufficient.

What Can Be Done About It?

Stop FCC from issuing a Final Order in favor of LightSquared and prevent repurposing of the section of the L-band immediately adjacent to that used by GPS.

What Can You Do to Help?

Contact your Congressional Leader. Members of the GPS survey community who are concerned by the proposal can send letters, e-mails, or faxes or call on their congressional representatives to contact the FCC chairman directly or the chairman of the Senate and House Commerce Committee. You can also voice your concerns about GPS interference by sending comments directly to FCC at fccinfo@fcc.gov. Don't forget to include FCC File No. SAT-MOD-20101118-00239 in your correspondence.

About the Author

Joseph Paiva, PS, PE, is a consultant to the geomatics industry—practitioners, manufacturers, and developers; educator; and writer. Dr. Paiva's experience includes private engineering, surveying, and mapping consulting practice; university educator; developer; and general manager for two leading geomatics products corporations.

Transportation Spending Is the Right Stimulus

 
China and Brazil are surpassing us with state-of-the-art ports and roads.
By ED RENDELL And SCOTT SMITH

During this time of economic uncertainty and record federal deficits, many question why America should invest aggressively in infrastructure. The answer is simple: Whether it involves highways, railways, ports, aviation or any other sector, infrastructure is an economic driver that is essential for the long-term creation of quality American jobs.

Unfortunately, our position as the world leader in infrastructure has begun to erode after years of misdirected federal priorities. When it comes to transportation, Washington has been on autopilot for the last half-century. Instead of tackling the hard choices facing our nation and embracing innovations, federal transportation policy still largely adheres to an agenda set by President Eisenhower.

As a result, American citizens and businesses are wasting time, money and fuel. According to the Texas Transportation Institute, in 2009 Americans wasted 4.8 billion hours sitting in traffic at a cost of $115 billion and 3.9 billion wasted gallons of gas. Meanwhile, nations around the world are investing in cutting-edge infrastructure to make their transportation networks more efficient, more sustainable and more competitive than ours. These investments have put them on a cycle of economic growth that will improve their standard of living and improve their citizens' quality of life.

Building America's Future Educational Fund, a national and bipartisan coalition of state and local elected officials, of which we are members, recently issued a report on the subject, "Falling Apart and Falling Behind." It offers a sobering assessment of transportation-infrastructure investments in the U.S. as compared to the visionary investments being made by our global economic competitors.

As recently as 2005, the World Economic Forum ranked the U.S. No. 1 in infrastructure economic competitiveness. Today, the U.S. is ranked 15th. This is not a surprise considering that the U.S. spends only 1.7% of its gross domestic product on transportation infrastructure while Canada spends 4% and China spends 9%. Even as the global recession has forced cutbacks in government spending, other countries continue to invest significantly more than the U.S. to expand and update their transportation networks.

China has invested $3.3 trillion since 2000, for example, and recently announced another $105.2 billion for 23 new infrastructure projects. Brazil has invested $240 billion since 2008, with another $340 billion committed for the next three years. The result? China is now home to six of the world's 10 busiest ports—while the U.S. isn't home to one. Brazil's Açu Superport is larger than the island of Manhattan, with state-of-the-art highway, pipeline and conveyor-belt capacity to ease the transfer of raw materials onto ships heading to China.

To get our nation's economy back on track, we must develop a national infrastructure strategy for the next decade. This policy should be based on economics, not politics. Washington must finally pass a reauthorized multiyear transportation bill; target federal dollars toward economically strategic freight gateways and corridors; and refocus highway investment on projects of national economic significance, such as New York's Tappan Zee Bridge across the Hudson, where capacity restraints impose real congestion and safety costs in an economically critical region.

It is also time we create new infrastructure financing options, including a National Infrastructure Bank. Many of these new programs, using Build America Bonds, for instance, can be paid for with a minimal impact on the federal deficit.

The government's continued neglect of infrastructure will consign our nation and our children to economic decline. Rebuilding America's future cannot be a Democratic or Republican political cause. It must be a national undertaking. And if it is, there will be no stopping us. Let's get to work.

Mr. Rendell, a Democrat, was governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011. Mr. Smith, a Republican, is the mayor of Mesa, Ariz., and vice chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Both are members of Building America's Future Educational Fund. A copy of the report can be found at: www.BAFuture.org

Stakes High for California in Coming Highway Debate

 

 

An article from Gannet News Bureau says that when lawmakers return from their August recess, House Republicans want to pass new legislation that cuts funding for transportation programs by 33 percent to 36 percent.  Mica's proposals for surface transportation conform to the 2012 budget outline of Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., which passed the House in April but was rejected by the Senate.  For California, Mica's highway-mass transit plan would mean a reduction of $1.25 billion from the $3.42 billion in federal road money it receives annually and a loss of 43,489 jobs, the Federal Highway Administration projects. Nationwide, highway funding would be cut $14.1 billion and job losses would approach 490,000. For mass transit, California would lose $468 million from its current $1.26 billion a year, resulting in 17,566 jobs lost, the same projections show. Nationwide, the loss to mass transit would be $3.8 billion and 141,000 jobs.
       The Senate bill (Boxer) would hold surface transportation funding at current levels for the next two years. To do that, she must come up with $12 billion in savings from other areas of the federal government to use for the federal Highway Trust Fund. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., has promised to help.  Boxer's bill, not Mica's, has the support of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an organization that normally sides with GOP lawmakers. The AFL-CIO is also backing her.
Read more:  http://www.news10.net/news/local/article/148951/2/Stakes-high-for-California-in-coming-highway-debate


Has Senate Solved Funding Shortfall for its Transportation Proposal?
Sen. Max Baucus says he's found the $12 billion to fully fund the senate transportation proposal, but isn't giving any details yet.
Read more:  http://www.transportationissuesdaily.com/has-senate-solved-funding-shortfall-for-its-transportation-proposal/

15 Startling Facts about America's Infrastructure

Posted by Carinsurance.org.

The infrastructure of a nation is what holds civilization together. It includes roads, water supplies, sewers, electrical grids, and telecommunications — things without which the world might prove a difficult place to navigate. While Americans enjoy a better infrastructure than many places in the world, the reality is that it is outdated, inefficient, and — in many places around the nation — currently crumbling to pieces.

Sadly, things are only going to get worse before they get better, as roads fill with potholes, bridges collapse, and electrical grids brown out with more regularly, all unable to provide for the needs of the populace. If you had any doubts about the sad state of the American infrastructure, read on to learn just how bad things really are.

1. More than 25% of bridges in the United States need significant repairs or are handling more traffic than they were designed to carry.

   This translates to a whopping 150,000 bridges that aren’t up to snuff. In recent years, bridge and overpass collapses have even led to death. One of the most notable of these was the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis, which collapsed in 2007, killing 13 and injuring 145. If bridges are not updated or repaired, these kinds of accidents could become more common.

2. An inefficient, heavily overburdened electrical grid results in rolling blackouts and losses of $80 billion a year.

   In a world that relies heavily on technology for everything from health care to business, losing power can be a big deal. In the past decade, huge blackouts have left much of the Northeast and Florida without power for several days. This costs money, time, and can create unsafe conditions for residents.

3. Over 4,095 dams in America were deemed “unsafe” by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

   This means that they have deficiencies that leave them more susceptible to failure, especially during flooding or earthquakes. The number of dams in the United States that could fail has grown 134% since 1999, and now comprises 3,346 dams nationwide. More than 1,300 of these dangerous dams are considered “high hazard” because their collapse could threaten the lives of those living nearby.

4. More than a third of all dam failures or near-failures since 1874 have happened in just the last decade.

   The rate of failures is increasing at a disturbingly fast rate, as America’s dams age and deteriorate. Can’t remember any recent dam failures? In 2004, 30 different dams in New Jersey’s Burlington failed or were damaged after a period of particularly heavy rainfall.

5. Nearly a third of all highway fatalities are related to substandard road conditions, obsolete road designs, or roadside hazards.

   The Federal Highway Administration estimates that poor road conditions play a role in more than 14,300 traffic fatalities each year

6. By 2035, highway usage (and shipping by truck) is expected to double, leaving Americans to spend an average of 160 hours a year in traffic.

   If you think traffic is bad now, just wait a few years. Over the next quarter-century, experts estimate that traffic on American roads is going to be much, much worse. Commuting between work and home could be a nightmare for many, taking up nearly a week of time over the course of the year. Also, keep in mind that this number is just an average, and in high-traffic urban areas, the estimates are much higher.

7. More than half of America’s interstate miles are at 70% of traffic capacity, and nearly 25% of the miles are strained at more than 95% capacity.

   Americans love their cars, and the roads are clogged with drivers as a result. Much of the interstate system in the U.S. is struggling to keep up with the number of people who use it each day, leading to traffic jams and accidents at much higher rates.

1. It is estimated that over one third of America’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition.

   If you hadn’t already noticed that the streets in your city were littered with potholes and cracks, this stat will let you in on the secret: American roads are falling apart. With many states teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and unable to keep up with maintenance, this situation isn’t likely to change soon.

2. Traffic jams caused by poor transit infrastructure cost Americans 4 billion hours and nearly 3 billion gallons of gasoline a year.

   Highways designed to carry fewer cars that they’re currently managing, poorly timed lights, and awfully-designed transit systems all help contribute to traffic jams. These jams keep drivers on the road for longer, wasting gallon upon gallon of gas and hour upon hour of time

3. A study by the EPA exposed the dirty truth about America’s aging sewer systems: they spill an estimated 1.26 trillion gallons of untreated sewage every single year.

   Not only is this a health and environmental concern, but it’s also a financial one. Cleaning up these spills costs an estimated $50 billion every year.

4. The United States must invest $225 billion per year over the next 50 years to maintain and adequately enhance roads and other transportation systems to meet demand.

   Currently, the U.S. is spending less than 40% of this amount, which will make it impossible to effectively keep up with and expand the transit system.

5. In 2005, U.S. infrastructure earned a D rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers. This was down from a D+ in 2001 and 2003.

   It’s no joke that the infrastructure of the U.S. is getting worse and worse. In some areas, quality of water, electricity, and roads have been compared to those of a developing nation. Major changes need to be made to keep up, modernize, and allow America to remain competitive in the world market.

6. By 2020, every major U.S. container port is projected to be handling at least double the volume it was designed for .

   Imports and exports are major, major business for the U.S., and in the future, this isn’t likely to change. Yet the ports we use to do our trading are going to be seriously overloaded and will need a major overhaul to adequately deal with the number of ships coming in and out.

7. Costs attributed to airline delays related to congestion and outdated air traffic control systems are expected to triple to $30 billion from 2000 to 2015.

   Sitting on the tarmac waiting to take off or deplane isn’t just annoying — it’s costing businesses billions of dollars each year. The amount of time lost or wasted on flights is continually rising, up to 170 total years (15 minutes lost on 1.6 million flights) in 2007 from just 70 years lost in 2003.

8. Railroads are expected to need over $200 billion in investment through 2035.

   Railroads are a viable, if not quick, means of transporting people and goods the world over — but in the U.S., many lines are painfully inefficient and falling apart. While money is being poured into modernizing train systems (most notably high speed rail on some Amtrak lines), much more will be needed to keep pace with the amount of rail traffic in coming years. Not to mention everything it will take to make rail travel an appealing option to notoriously phobic Americans.

 

Happy Anniversary American Highway System!

 

U.S. DOT - America’s Interstate Highway System celebrates 55 years

As President Obama has said, to win the future, we must dream big and build big.  One of the best examples of dreaming and building big in our nation’s history is America’s Interstate Highway System, which marks its 55th anniversary today.

On June 29, 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which established a program for funding and building the new system.  This legislation has been hailed by historians as one of the top ten bills in American history, surpassed only by the Civil Rights Act and Medicare, and the Interstate Highway System has been called the greatest public works project in history. 

 The Act proposed a length of 41,000 miles of limited-access roads linking 90 percent of all cities with populations of more than 50,000, and directed the federal government to distribute $25 billion among the states over 13 years to meet 90 percent of the cost. 

In addition to the original 41,000 miles, several complete Interstate Highways have since been added to the original system, which is currently about 47,000 miles long.

The Interstate Highway System is critical to our economy and our way of life.  Through 10 presidential administrations and 28 sessions of Congress, Americans planned and paved a state-of-the-art highway network that connects people with schools and jobs, and carries products of agriculture and industry to market.

Although the Interstate System accounts for about 1.1 percent of the nation’s total public road mileage, it carries 24 percent of all highway travel.

Every citizen has been touched by this system. That’s because even if they don’t drive on it, every item we buy has traveled over the Interstate System at some point.

Simply put, without modern interstate highways, there would be no modern United States. 

DOT’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) works with states to ensure interstate routes will continue to support America's economic competitiveness in the future.  And just last week, FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez joined state and local officials to break ground on I-269 in north Mississippi, a new interstate highway that will help connect communities in Mississippi to major shipping corridors.

Fifty-five years later, America’s Interstate Highway System continues to shape our economy and way of life, and this Administration is committed to continuing to repair our existing infrastructure while also building new ways to move people and goods.  That’s how we strengthen our communities and our economy.