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Archive for the ‘Accountability’ Category

Gov. Ed Rendell: Rebuild our Infrastructure

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
By Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell
Most schools are out for a summer break after final grades were toted home in students’ backpacks throughout the country. Around the same time, America got its infrastructure report card — and the results aren’t good.

Imagine sitting around the kitchen table reviewing Junior’s grades. His last report card shows a cumulative average of D. As a family, parent, teacher or community, wouldn’t we do all we could to try to help this student improve? Of course we would.

It’s the same with the state of the country’s infrastructure. Consider some of these “grades,” as reported in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ most recent infrastructure report card: transit, D; energy, D+; dams, D; bridges, C; aviation, D; drinking water, D-; hazardous waste, D; schools, D; and wastewater, D-.

I’d say this defines our infrastructure situation as one in crisis.

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Bridges getting better, but still a LONG way to go

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

The House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit met on Wednesday to discuss bridge inspection in the U.S. (a responsibility of the Federal Highway Administration).  According to James Oberstar, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman , “With over one-half of our bridges built before 1964, it is increasingly important that we have […]

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Highway Safety Improvement Program

Monday, July 12th, 2010
Executive Summary p1

AMERICAN TRAFFIC SAFETY SERVICES ASSOCIATION
Based on economic values developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the savings from society from preventing a single traffic fatality is $6.1 million. Using this figure, calculations indicate that every $1 million increase of HSIP funds obligated results in an annual savings of approximately $42.7 million in societal costs to the United States (i.e. a benefit/cost ratio of 42.7 to 1).

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Iona College Hosts Infrastructure Conference

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

On April 8th, 2010, Iona College in New Rochelle, NY hosted the conference, “Confronting the Crisis: Solving Our Regional Transportation Infrastructure Issues.” Steve Anderson, Managing Director, InfrastructureUSA.org talked with some of the speakers:
Thomas DiNapoli, Comptroller, State of New York
Brother James Laguori, President, Iona College
Stanley Gee, Acting Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation

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Regional Plan Association (RPA) addresses infra issues at Regional Assembly 2010 in NYC, April 16th

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
REGIONAL ASSEMBLOY 2010

REGIONAL ASSEMBLY 2010: INNOVATION & THE AMERICAN METROPOLIS
“The Regional Assembly is New York’s premier public policy event, bringing together several hundred top business, civic, philanthropic, media, and government leaders from across the metropolitan region and nation. Each year the Assembly focuses on a priority issue. This year, we examine how the innovative spirit and creativity of urban America can build and sustain a better future for our cities.”

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Delta Urbanism in New Orleans: Before

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP
Overnight, Hurricane Katrina’s low barometric pressure and high winds sucked up a dome of gulf water and blew it north and northwestward into the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Louisiana deltaic plain. Shallow coastal depths reverberated the vertically churning water upward, further heightening the dome-shaped, landward-moving surge. Under natural conditions, hundreds of square miles of wetlands would have absorbed or spurned much of the intruding tide. But a century of coastal erosion had cost the region precious impedance, while a labyrinth of man-made navigation, oil, gas and drainage canals served as pathways for the surge to penetrate inland…

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Healthy, Equitable Transportation Policy: Recommendations and Research

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

POLICYLINK
In St. Louis, MO, major cuts in bus service this spring left workers, students, disabled people, and elderly residents stranded and feeling bereft. Stuart and Dianne Falk, who are both in wheelchairs, told CNN they no longer would be able to get to the gym or the downtown theater company where they volunteer. “To be saddled, to be imprisoned, that is what it is going to feeling like,” Stuart Falk said…

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INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE SUBJECT ON WNYC RADIO’S BRIAN LEHRER SHOW – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13TH, 10:30AM

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Tune in to the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC at 10:30AM on Wednesday, January 13th, to hear InfrastructureUSA’s own Managing Director, Steve Anderson, and Governor Edward G. Rendell (D-PA), co-founder of the infrastructure coalition Building America’s Future. Join them for a discussion of America’s infrastructure and the need for public engagement.

The Brian Lehrer show airs weekdays at 10AM on 93.9 FM and AM 820; rebroadcast Tuesdays through Saturdays at midnight on AM 820. You can also listen to it live on the WNYC web site.

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Bertha Lewis, ACORN CEO and Chief Organizer, on Infrastructure-Spending Transparency

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

“Any programs that invest in our infrastructure must come with extensive public comment and oversight. Without accountability, the potential for nepotism, corruption, and waste saps the impact of the projects in the communities that desperately need them.”

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Dear Friends,

 

It is encouraging to finally see clear signs of federal action to support a comprehensive US infrastructure investment plan.

 

Now more than ever, our advocacy is needed to keep stakeholders informed and connected, and to hold politicians to their promises to finally fix our nation’s ailing infrastructure.

 

We have already engaged nearly 280,000 users, and hoping to add many more as interest continues to grow.

 

We require your support in order to rise to this occasion, to make the most of this opportunity. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to InfrastructureUSA.org.

 

Steve Anderson

Managing Director

 

SteveAnderson@InfrastructureUSA.org

917-940-7125

InfrastructureUSA: Citizen Dialogue About Civil Infrastructure