Engineers: America's infrastructure sucks

[marmar]

from the Salt Lake Tribune:



Nation's public works gets low marks from engineers

By Brandon Loomis
The Salt Lake Tribune


The nation needs to spend $2.2 trillion on road, bridges, schools and other public projects over the next five years or face a crumbling future, a national engineering association warns.

The best grade that the American Society of Civil Engineers awarded the U.S. was a C+ for garbage management. Schools, mass transit systems, dams and aviation all got a D. Drinking water and roads -- two needs listed as Utah's greatest -- got a D-.

"We're behind and falling further behind," consulting engineer and former Utah Department of Transportation boss Tom Warne said of the nation. "It's too easy to only look at new projects. It's too easy to divert money to other things that seem like more pressing needs."

Warne is an ASCE member and is on the task force that produced the report. He said Utah has invested heavily in roads over the past 12 years -- beginning with the Interstate 15 rebuild that he oversaw in Salt Lake County -- but was behind at the start.

"There was a need that had been unmet for a long time," Warne said. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11987888?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

[JohnyCanuck]

1. But take heart, America.....

your nuclear weapons, missiles, bombs and other assorted, death-dealing machinery of destruction and mayhem is still top notch.

[Cary]

2. A huge infrastructure deficit is another fine Reagan legacy.

At the moment I wonder why I feel so beaten down by rightist bullshit. On the one hand the last two elections are so promising. On the other hand the right has dug us into such a deep hole, and they are so arrogant about it. And then on the third hand they are in complete disarray. But, they've been there before.

I want to be optimistic and excited about the future. Somehow I feel I should be, and I'm not there.

I feel violated. Rightists should not have this power over me.

[baldguy]

3. Because Republican thieves have been influencing the budget for 30 yrs.

[taterguy]

4. Things that people neglect tend to decay

I could easily start a thread about the pseudo-outrage du jour and get 200 replies in a couple hours.

Meanwhile this thread about something that matters gets four replies in several hours.

We have met the enemy and it is us.