ASCE Report Card for America’s Infrastructure
Every 4 years, the ASCE committee on America’s Infrastructure, made up of 31 engineers from across the country, come together to produce a report card to evaluate the state of American Infrastructure. 17 different categories are evaluated, ranging from roads and bridges to drinking water and airports. ASCE’s 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, released March 3, assessed U.S. infrastructure with an overall C- grade.
The 2021 Report Card found three overarching trends affecting infrastructure:
• Maintenance backlogs continue to be an issue, but asset management helps prioritize limited funding.
• Federal investments can significantly move the needle, as seen in the improved inland waterways, ports, and drinking water grades. Additionally, state and local governments have made progress, such as leveraging gas tax to fund transportation investments.
• There are still infrastructure sectors where data is scarce or unreliable.
Ultimately, the report aims to educate the public as well as policymakers, highlighting the imporatnce and urgency of keeping America running.
ASCE Report Card for Pennsylvania’s Infrastructure
Members of the American Society of Civil Engineers volunteered to produce the 2022 Report Card on Pennsylvania’s Infrastructure. This report serves to educate the public on the status of the infrastructure in the Commonwealth. Residents, in conjunction with elected officials, can therefore better prioritize limited funding among competing, connected needs to improve the condition, capacity, operations, maintenance, safety, and resilience of infrastructure.
Overall, Pennsylvania’s infrastructure gets a ‘C-’, the same as the 2018 report card. Progress is real, but challenges remain. Pennsylvania has some of the oldest infrastructure in the country. Substantial maintenance backlogs have accrued in several areas as recent investment runs into new challenges such as inflation and resiliency to withstand climate change.