Engineers Give U.S. Infrastructure A 'D'

(AP)  America's roads, public transit and aviation have gotten worse in the past four years. Water and sewage systems are dreadful. The basic physical backbone of American society is barely above failing, a report by top engineers says.

It'll cost $2.2 trillion to fix America's ailing infrastructure, according to highlights of a report being released early, just as the House of Representatives readies its first vote on President Barack Obama's call for a massive economic stimulus spending package.

The country's roads, dumps, dams, bridges, schools and rail systems need lots of that money, say the engineers, who would get a piece of the pie in working on the repairs. Government officials are already aiming billions of dollars at those physical needs as part of what at the moment is a $825 billion economic stimulus package. But the engineers say that's not enough.

Overall, the American Society of Civil Engineers gives the U.S. physical backbone for everything from schools and parks to dams and levees a D. That's the same overall grade as the last time the group gave a report, in 2005, but it really is slipping from a "high D" to a "low D," said report chairman Andrew Herrmann.

Herrmann, an engineer with the New York firm Hardesty & Hanover, said his group is issuing the highlights of the report - the full document won't be out until late March - "to be relevant ... investing in our infrastructure will create jobs."

Of the 15 areas the engineers looked at, three got worse and only one got better. The three that worsened were all transportation oriented: aviation dropped from a D+ to a D; so did public transit; and America's intricate roadway system potholed from a D to a D-. Only the energy system improved, from a D to a D+.

In 2005, the engineers said it would cost what would be $1.7 trillion in current dollars to fix what's broken. Now the pricetag is up to $2.2 trillion.

"That just goes to show that waiting has cost money," Herrmann told The Associated Press on Tuesday evening. "We haven't made any progress in four years. If my kid came home with 11 Ds and 4 Cs, I know I wouldn't be happy."

America's solid waste system was the only C+ on the report card. Bridges got a C; parks and rail systems managed C-. The only D+ plus was for energy. Solid Ds went to aviation, dams, hazardous waste, schools and public transit. The worst grades, D-, went to drinking water, inland waterways, roads and sewage systems.

"That absolutely makes sense," said Granger Morgan, head of Carnegie Mellon University's engineering and public policy program and an expert who wasn't part of the 28-engineer panel that handed out the grades. Morgan said just traveling the world shows that American infrastructure, especially in transportation, "is certainly not in the same league as parts of the developing world and parts of Europe."

But just because the federal government is handing out lots of money and society's physical backbone needs plenty of repairs, that doesn't automatically mean the government should spend most of its dollars on things such as new roads and power plants, Morgan said. Often, building newer roads doesn't fix congestion, yet building better public transit would pay off more, he said. And spending on energy efficiency more than physical power plants makes sense, he added.

"One really needs to make these choices on a bit of solid engineering economics as opposed to emotion and rhetoric," Morgan said. "We've got an enormous pent-up need. The only message is: `Let's be careful to the extent that we can in the manner we spend the money."'

And even though the pricetag to fix America's physical needs is $2.2 trillion over five years, it's really only half that bad because $1.1 trillion of that is already being spent or planned, Herrmann said. The biggest "gap" between what's being spent or planned and what's needed is an additional $548.5 billion in roads and bridges, the report said. Second is $189.5 billion for public transit.

"Do you realize we're driving on a lot of roads that were built during the Eisenhower Administration," Herrmann said.

The report, the first one issued since Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, added America's 100,000 miles of levees as a new area of failing infrastructure. Levees, which hold back floodwaters, get a D minus grade, with the report saying, "The risk to the public health and safety from failure has increased."

[awillabq]

Instead of bailing out more banks and offering loans to people who might not be able to repay them. Lets give them a shot at a job rebuilding the Nation''s infrastructure and energy base. Natural gas and oil drilling and a fast moving pilot program to look at what appears to be a "safe" hepyrion nuclear reactor design" to cover the transition to the alternatives. Quit pointing fingers and trowing stones. Enough talk. Lets get to work!

[tincup356]

The problem is that this country allows our congressman to act to provide them with money/power over providing to the country. This means DEMOCRATS and REPUBLICANS. Niether party is better than the other.

Question to you democrats. Where is the money going to come from to fix these problems when your own party has clearly shown that it will spend *** loads of money on useless programs and on groups that help promote your ideas. Do you guys even understand the meaning of the words fiscal responsibilities.

Question to the Republicans. Where are we going to get the money when your supporting free trade to other countries that have differing values of labor costs. No us jobs cause of this means no income to the government.

If you think 1 party is better than the other then you are part of the problem. They both serve each other not the people. People can post the all praises for President Obama all they want but it still doesn''''t change things. You need to fix congress before we get any real change.

Posted by patocc at 12:48 PM : Jan 28, 2009.....you sure got it nailed on the head,,,,personally I think they are committing TREASON.

[barbaram99]

That don''t supprise me. We have lived in alot of states in 25 years. bush has made a mess of this nation. That''s right. There are roads,bridges etc unsafe. Nobody cares...We should,

[tincup356]

All our problems exist because of over 40 years of lobby dollar tainted legislation from BOTH parties. These so called honorable representative of the people are a flat out joke....They have only harloted out their representation and very clearly gone against the oath they took to protect the constitution and represent the people,,,,,These bailouts are robbery....nothing less than a congresspiracy with corporate America to destroy the middle class. This all need to be brought to a screeching halt....they are trading lobby dollars for billions ,,,and it will never help the people or the country NEVER.

[excoachken]

Sorry patoc, ithappened because the moron in the White House was too stupid to take corrective action, but he is not nearly as stupid as those who are now trying to re-write history for his alibi.

[patocc-2009]

Isn''''t it enough that, with GW, they GAVE us this economic disaster,
-----------------
Sorry to say this but your a moron if you believe this. This was going to happen no matter who was President. Please use the time to do research instead of taking your time to post your 1-sided political hacking views.

[patocc-2009]

The problem is that this country allows our congressman to act to provide them with money/power over providing to the country. This means DEMOCRATS and REPUBLICANS. Niether party is better than the other.

Question to you democrats. Where is the money going to come from to fix these problems when your own party has clearly shown that it will spend *** loads of money on useless programs and on groups that help promote your ideas. Do you guys even understand the meaning of the words fiscal responsibilities.

Question to the Republicans. Where are we going to get the money when your supporting free trade to other countries that have differing values of labor costs. No us jobs cause of this means no income to the government.

If you think 1 party is better than the other then you are part of the problem. They both serve each other not the people. People can post the all praises for President Obama all they want but it still doesn''t change things. You need to fix congress before we get any real change.

[rushlimpdrug]

These would be foreign engineers since
America produces mostly prizoners.

[cusefan21]

It''s been a D for decades because it has not been kept up the Federal Government, who under the Eisenhower Administration built the highway system for primarily to be use by the military thats what it was made and designed for but now with so many cars on the roads and every American driving it seems they took away from it''s intended purpose.. You want to get money to fix roads you reinstall toll booths along the highway system on every highway and charge from station to station that will get back money to fix roads or why not a 50 dollar increase in ones car insurance for a federal road upkeep tax yes i know it sucks it''s another tax but how many would miss 50 bucks compared to paying daily on toll roads again

[cusefan21]

It''s been a D for decades because it has not been kept up the Federal Government, who under the Eisenhower Administration built the highway system for primarily to be use by the military thats what it was made and designed for but now with so many cars on the roads and every American driving it seems they took away from it''s intended purpose.. You want to get money to fix roads you reinstall toll booths along the highway system on every highway and charge from station to station that will get back money to fix roads or why not a 50 dollar increase in ones car insurance for a federal road upkeep tax yes i know it sucks it''s another tax but how many would miss 50 bucks compared to paying daily on toll roads again