Infra Views

View the newest Infra Views posts »

Assessment of California’s Local Streets & Roads

Tuesday, November 4th, 2014
Breakdown of Road Centerline Miles by Agency

SAVE CALIFORNIA STREETS
Every trip begins on a city street or county road. Whether traveling by bicycle, bus, rail, truck or family automobile, Californians need a reliable and well-maintained local street and road system. Unfortunately, these continue to be challenging times for our street and road system due to increased demand and unreliable funding. There is a significant focus on climate change and building sustainable communities, yet sustainable communities cannot function without a well-maintained local street and road system. The need for multi-modal opportunities on the local system has never been more essential. Every component of California’s transportation system is critical to providing a seamless, interconnected system that supports the traveling public and economic vitality throughout the state.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , ,
Posted in Aging Infrastructure, Infra Views, Local, Roads

Comments Off on Assessment of California’s Local Streets & Roads

Clean Economy Rising: Wind Powers Michigan’s Energy Industry

Monday, November 3rd, 2014
Renewable Electricity Power Plants, More than 1 Megawatt Capacity

THE PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS
Michigan’s 2008 Clean, Renewable, and Efficient Energy Act established a renewable portfolio standard, which requires electricity providers to generate 10 percent of their sales from renewable resources by 2015. The standard also allows electric utilities to use energy efficiency and other advanced energy technologies to fulfill part of the requirement.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Energy, Environment, Infra, Infra Views, Local, Sustainability

Comments Off on Clean Economy Rising: Wind Powers Michigan’s Energy Industry

Alabama’s Successes and Needed Improvements in Transportation Infrastructure

Friday, October 31st, 2014
Alabama Transportation Infrastructure

CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC POLICY, ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY
This report considers changes to our state’s transportation system, building on some notable strengths and successes and guided by considerations of what Alabama needs to do to yield maximum economic return. At the same time, this report envisions an Alabama where all citizens have a chance to make a positive contribution.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Infra Views, Local, Roads, Transit

Comments Off on Alabama’s Successes and Needed Improvements in Transportation Infrastructure

Massachusetts Transportation by the Numbers

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014
Cost of Congestion in MA

TRIP Executive Summary Massachusetts’ extensive system of roads, bridges, highways and public transit provides the state’s residents, visitors and businesses with a high level of mobility. This transportation  system, which also includes pedestrian and bicycle facilities, forms the backbone that supports  the state’s economy. Massachusetts’ surface transportation system enables the state’s residents  and visitors to travel […]

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Aging Infrastructure, Competitiveness, Infra Views, Local, Roads

Comments Off on Massachusetts Transportation by the Numbers

Making the Grade: How Investments in America’s Infrastructure Benefit Our Economy and Environment

Monday, October 27th, 2014
FIGURE 1. ASCE Grades, Annual Investment, and Investment Needed, Billions

BLUEGREEN ALLIANCE
Much of the physical infrastructure of the United States is in a state of disrepair. As documented by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in their 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, our roads, transit systems, dams, and airports need billions of dollars of investment to return them to adequacy. Our water, air, and land are threatened by aging systems designed to provide safe drinking water, handle hazardous waste, treat wastewater, and manage our solid waste. Half of our schools were built to educate the generation that is now retiring, and our electric grid is widely recognized as being incapable of meeting the needs of our changing energy system.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Employment, Energy, Environment, Infra Views, Jobs, Sustainability

Comments Off on Making the Grade: How Investments in America’s Infrastructure Benefit Our Economy and Environment

Transportation Infrastructure: Moving America

Friday, October 24th, 2014
transpofundingcfr

COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
Infrastructure is critical to economic growth, but the aging U.S. transportation system suffers from insufficient investment. As this CFR Progress Report and Scorecard, Road to Nowhere, explains, other nations are building new highways as the United States’ crumble. U.S. transportation fell from fifth in the World Economic Forum’s rankings in 2002 to twenty-fourth in 2011, passed by nations such as Spain, South Korea, and Oman. Making a U-turn will take some time since major infrastructure projects require several years to plan and execute.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Aging Infrastructure, Funding, Infra Views

View 1 Comment on this Infra Views post »

Strengthening the EPA’s Clean Power Plan

Thursday, October 23rd, 2014
FIGURE 1. The EPA’s Renewable Energy Targets under Its Proposed Clean Power Plan Are Modest

UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS
This brief outlines a better way to make the most of renewable energy in the Clean Power Plan, and to strengthen its state renewable energy targets as the cost of sources such as wind and solar power decline. The UCS proposal builds on the EPA’s approach while utilizing the latest available market data, demonstrated rates of growth in renewable energy, and existing state commitments to deploy renewables. Using our recommended modifications, the EPA could nearly double the amount of cost-effective renewable energy in their state targets—from 12 per-cent of total 2030 U.S. electric sales to 23 percent (Figure 1, p. 3).

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Carbon Tax, Clean Air, Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Infra Views, National, Pollution

Comments Off on Strengthening the EPA’s Clean Power Plan

Natural Defenses from Hurricanes and Floods: Protecting America’s Communities and Ecosystems in an Era of Extreme Weather

Tuesday, October 21st, 2014
Figure 1. Natural and nature-based features at a glance.

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION
This report represents a collaborative effort of the National Wildlife Federation, Allied World Assurance Company, and Earth Economics to address the mounting risks of flooding and hurricanes to U.S. communities. Specifically, this report focuses on the U.S. coasts and coastal waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico and the nation’s extensive network of rivers and streams –places where millions of Americans live and work. It asks whether federal, state, and local officials are paying enough attention to the growing threats of floods and hurricanes across the country and whether they are using the policy tools at their disposal to protect people and property endangered by these potentially-catastrophic natural hazards.

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Climate Change, Environment, Green, Infra Views, National, Sustainability

Comments Off on Natural Defenses from Hurricanes and Floods: Protecting America’s Communities and Ecosystems in an Era of Extreme Weather

Infrastructure Investment Creates American Jobs

Monday, October 20th, 2014
Figure 1. Comparing Annual Percentage Change in DOT Budget, GDP and Population

DUKE CENTER ON GLOBALIZATION, GOVERNANCE & COMPETITIVENESS Executive Summary Federal investment in transportation infrastructure can drive employment and boost our national competitiveness. Increased investment in transportation infrastructure will provide jobs in many sectors, including in construction and manufacturing, while addressing the long-term deficiencies in the state of U.S. infrastructure. Businesses depend on a state-of-the-art transportation […]

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , ,
Posted in Aging Infrastructure, Employment, Funding, Infra Views, Jobs, National, Recovery

Comments Off on Infrastructure Investment Creates American Jobs

Millennials in Motion: Changing Travel Habits of Young Americans and the Implications for Public Policy

Friday, October 17th, 2014
Figure 2. Change in Number of Trips per Capita among 16 to 34 year-olds, 2001 to 2009

U.S. PIRG EDUCATION FUND Executive Summary Over the last decade—after 60-plus years of steady increases—the number of miles driven by the average American has been falling. Young Americans have experienced the greatest changes: driving less; taking transit, biking and walking more; and seeking out places to live in cities and walkable communities where driving is […]

View this complete Infra Views post...

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Biking, Infra Views, Local, National, Policy, Public Transportation, Transit, Urban Planning

Comments Off on Millennials in Motion: Changing Travel Habits of Young Americans and the Implications for Public Policy

« 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