by MSI » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:20 am
March 19., 2013: NY Times: For the first time since they have been conducting their study, the
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has the grade on America's roads, bridges, water systems and energy networks improving to a D+!!
The
ASCE report cites improvements in six areas: bridges, rail, wasterwater & drinking water.
From the report:
- Once every four years, America’s civil engineers provide a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s major infrastructure categories in ASCE’s Report Card for America’s Infrastructure (Report Card). Using a simple A to F school report card format, the Report Card provides a comprehensive assessment of current infrastructure conditions and needs, both assigning grades and making recommendations for how to raise the grades. An Advisory Council of ASCE members assigns the grades according to the following eight criteria: capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience, and innovation. Since 1998, the grades have been near failing, averaging only Ds, due to delayed maintenance and underinvestment across most categories.
Now the 2013 Report Card grades are in, and America’s cumulative GPA for infrastructure rose slightly to a D+. The grades in 2013 ranged from a high of B- for solid waste to a low of D- for inland waterways and levees. Solid waste, drinking water, wastewater, roads, and bridges all saw incremental improvements, and rail jumped from a C- to a C+. No categories saw a decline in grade this year.
The 2013 Report Card demonstrates that we can improve the current condition of our nation’s infrastructure — when investments are made and projects move forward, the grades rise. For example, greater private investment for efficiency and connectivity brought improvements in the rail category; renewed efforts in cities and states helped address some of the nation’s most vulnerable bridges; and, several categories benefited from short-term boosts in federal funding.
For more see the Full Report Card and Executive Summary:
March 19., 2013: NY Times: For the first time since they have been conducting their study, the [url=http://www.asce.org/]American Society of Civil Engineers[/url] (ASCE) has the grade on America's roads, bridges, water systems and energy networks improving to a D+!!
The [url=http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/]ASCE report[/url] cites improvements in six areas: bridges, rail, wasterwater & drinking water.
From the report:
[list]Once every four years, America’s civil engineers provide a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s major infrastructure categories in ASCE’s Report Card for America’s Infrastructure (Report Card). Using a simple A to F school report card format, the Report Card provides a comprehensive assessment of current infrastructure conditions and needs, both assigning grades and making recommendations for how to raise the grades. An Advisory Council of ASCE members assigns the grades according to the following eight criteria: capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience, and innovation. Since 1998, the grades have been near failing, averaging only Ds, due to delayed maintenance and underinvestment across most categories.
Now the 2013 Report Card grades are in, and America’s cumulative GPA for infrastructure rose slightly to a D+. The grades in 2013 ranged from a high of B- for solid waste to a low of D- for inland waterways and levees. Solid waste, drinking water, wastewater, roads, and bridges all saw incremental improvements, and rail jumped from a C- to a C+. No categories saw a decline in grade this year.
The 2013 Report Card demonstrates that we can improve the current condition of our nation’s infrastructure — when investments are made and projects move forward, the grades rise. For example, greater private investment for efficiency and connectivity brought improvements in the rail category; renewed efforts in cities and states helped address some of the nation’s most vulnerable bridges; and, several categories benefited from short-term boosts in federal funding.
[/list]
For more see the Full Report Card and Executive Summary:
[list][url=http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/]2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure on the ASCE[/url]
[url=http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/a/#p/overview/executive-summary]Executive Summary[/url][/list]