AMERICA'S CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE ERODING QUALITY OF LIFE

Report Card Assesses Condition of Nation's Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and our children's overcrowded schools are daily reminders that the state of our nation's infrastructure directly affects our economy and quality of life. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) just released its 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure - assigning a cumulative grade of D for the nation's infrastructure.  The 2005 Report Card assesses the same 12 infrastructure categories as in 2001, in addition to three new categories - public parks and recreation, rail and security. 

The 2005 Report Card was assessed by an advisory council of 24 civil engineers representing a broad spectrum of civil engineering disciplines. Each category was evaluated on the basis of condition and performance as reported by federal sources; capacity versus need; and current and pending investment of state, local and federal funding versus need.

One of the new categories – security – received an 'I' grade. While the security of our nation's critical infrastructure has improved since September 11, 2001, the information needed to accurately assess its status is not readily available to engineering professionals. This information is needed to better design, build and operate the nation's critical infrastructure in more secure ways. Security performance standards, measures and indices need to be developed, and funding must be focused on all critical infrastructure sectors, beyond aviation.

For more information, including state infrastructure statistics and policy options, visit www.asce.org/reportcard.