Infra Views

View the newest Infra Views posts »

State of the Cities Report

Tuesday, November 25th, 2014
CITIES USED IN THE 2014 SAMPLE

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES
Increasing population growth in cities not only leads to greater citizen demand on local government but also creates an entire new ecosystem in which local governments must respond and adapt. In a world where the only constant is change, a mayoral focus on future opportunities and challenges is imperative. City leaders need to grapple with and understand how decisions today can help create socially cohesive places years into the future where the benefits of growth enhance quality of life for all residents.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags:
Posted in Infra Views, Policy, Urban Planning

Comments Off on State of the Cities Report

Star Power: The Growing Role of Solar Energy in America

Thursday, November 20th, 2014
Figure ES-1. Solar Electricity Technical Potential Compared with Electricity Consumption

ENVIRONMENT AMERICA
Nationally, solar PV capacity increased at a rate of 77 percent per year from 2010 to 2013. If solar installations continue to increase at less than one-third of that annual rate of growth (22 percent) between 2013 and 2030, America would have enough solar energy to generate 10 percent of its electricity.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , ,
Posted in Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Infra Views, Sustainability

Comments Off on Star Power: The Growing Role of Solar Energy in America

Climate Change & Resilience: Recommendations to the President

Tuesday, November 18th, 2014
High tide flooding in Broward County, Florida. Photo Credit: Paul Krashefski.

PRESIDENT’S STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL LEADERS TASK FORCE ON CLIMATE PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE
At state, local, tribal, and territorial levels, leaders are making bold decisions on ways to invest in more resilient infrastructure, revise land use, update building codes, and adjust natural resource management and other practices to improve the resilience of their communities to climate impacts. The Federal Government has a critical role to play in supporting these efforts by ensuring that Federal policies and programs incorporate climate change, incentivize and remove barriers to community resilience, and provide the information and assistance communities need to understand and prepare for climate risks.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , ,
Posted in Aging Infrastructure, Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Infra Views, National, Smart Grid, Smart Growth, Sustainability

Comments Off on Climate Change & Resilience: Recommendations to the President

Virginia: Local Government Funding and Financing of Roads

Monday, November 17th, 2014
Figure 2. Local Funding Sources for Highway Projects Nationally, 2003-2012. The data used for this figure were compiled from the data in Table LGF-1 in the 2003-2012 editions of Highway Statistics (Federal Highway Administration, n.d.).

VIRGINIA CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION INNOVATION & RESEARCH
…the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has historically funded, constructed, and maintained all public roads. With the exceptions of Alaska, Delaware, North Carolina, and West Virginia, this is in contrast to other states, which have state oversight of primary roads but local control of and funding responsibility for secondary (or county) roads…This has spurred some localities to seek ways to obtain local funding to continue their priority projects.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Funding, Infra Views, Local

Comments Off on Virginia: Local Government Funding and Financing of Roads

Computer and Internet Use in the United States

Thursday, November 13th, 2014
Figure 3. Percentage of Households by Type of Internet Subscription: 2013

UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU
As part of the 2008 Broadband Data Improvement Act, the U.S. Census Bureau began asking about computer and Internet use in the 2013 American Community Survey (ACS). Federal agencies use these statistics to measure and monitor the nationwide development of broadband networks and to allocate resources intended to increase access to broadband technologies, particularly among groups with traditionally low levels of access. State and local governments can use these statistics for similar purposes. Understanding how people in specific cities and towns use computers and the Internet will help businesses and nonprofits better serve their communities as well.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , ,
Posted in Broadband, Infra Views, National, Technology, Telecommunications

Comments Off on Computer and Internet Use in the United States

Mapping Freight: The Highly Concentrated Nature of Goods Trade in the United States

Tuesday, November 11th, 2014
Figure 2. Top 1 Percent of Trade Corridors Based on Value, Domestic Corridors Only, 2010

METROPOLITAN POLICY PROGRAM
BROOKINGS INSTITUTION
Each year, the United States moves over $20 trillion in goods weighing over 17 billion tons between hundreds of metropolitan, non-metropolitan, and international regions. It does so using an extensive network of freight assets: over 4 million miles of highways, local roads, railways, navigable waterways, and pipelines; hundreds of seaports and airports; and thousands of intermodal facilities to tie the network together. Without this network, it would be impossible for regional economies to trade goods and reach their full economic potential.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Highway, Infra Views, National, Policy, Roads

Comments Off on Mapping Freight: The Highly Concentrated Nature of Goods Trade in the United States

Options For Increasing Surface Transportation Revenue

Monday, November 10th, 2014
Policy Optimality Considerations for Federal Revenue Options ($ in billions)

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS (AASHTO)
In an attempt to provide a viable solution to the surface transportation funding debacle, this post offers a matrix of dozens of possible methods of funding surface transportation in the U.S., including the few that are already being implemented along with the many that have yet to be explored.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , ,
Posted in Funding, Infra Views, National, Policy, Tax

Comments Off on Options For Increasing Surface Transportation Revenue

Understanding Bikesharing Trends During a Period of Rapid Expansion

Friday, November 7th, 2014
Figure1: IT-based public bikeshare systems

MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Biking, Infra Views

Comments Off on Understanding Bikesharing Trends During a Period of Rapid Expansion

Rising Waters, Rising Threat: How Climate Change Endangers America’s Neglected Wastewater Infrastructure

Thursday, November 6th, 2014
The frequency of extreme precipitation events in the United States is increasing

CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS
As climate change strains aging sewer systems around the country through increasingly severe weather and sea-level rise, the resilience of wastewater infrastructure is becoming a critical public and environmental health issue for communities and municipal and state governments.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , ,
Posted in Aging Infrastructure, Climate Change, Environment, Infra Views, National, Wastewater

Comments Off on Rising Waters, Rising Threat: How Climate Change Endangers America’s Neglected Wastewater Infrastructure

Chicago: Waste Management – Unrealized Environmental & Economic Benefits for Chicagoland

Wednesday, November 5th, 2014
Figure 1. Average Total Costs of All Waste Management Components for 20 Municipalities in the Chicago Metro Region

DELTA INSTITUTE
The Chicago Metropolitan Region’s waste management statistics lag behind national averages. Currently, Cook County residents produce 7 pounds of waste per day compared to the average American who generates 4.4 pounds of waste per day, and Cook County’s 29% (excluding Chicago) recycling rate trails the national average of 34%. Concerned by Cook County’s above-average waste generation and below-average recycling rate, Delta Institute sought to determine the existing conditions of the region’s waste management system and its associated environmental and economic impacts.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Infra Views, Solid Waste, Sustainability

Comments Off on Chicago: Waste Management – Unrealized Environmental & Economic Benefits for Chicagoland

« More Infra Views posts
View the newest Infra Views posts »
Follow InfraUSA on Twitter Facebook YouTube Flickr

CATEGORIES


Show us your infra! Show us your infra!

Video, stills and tales. Share images of the Infra in your community that demands attention. Post your ideas about national Infra issues. Go ahead. Show Us Your Infra!  Upload and instantly share your message.

Polls Polls

Is the administration moving fast enough on Infra issues? Are Americans prepared to pay more taxes for repairs? Should job creation be the guiding determination? Vote now!

Views

What do the experts think? This is where the nation's public policy organizations, trade associations and think tanks weigh in with analysis on Infra issues. Tell them what you think.  Ask questions.  Share a different view.

Blog

The Infra Blog offers cutting edge perspective on a broad spectrum of Infra topics. Frequent updates and provocative posts highlight hot button topics -- essential ingredients of a national Infra dialogue.

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