ASCE Report Cards for
America's Infrastructure
2001, 2005, and 2009
Summary by James R. Martin
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The ASCE (The American Society of Civil Engineers) studied and evaluated the status of America's infrastructure in fifteen categories as indicated in the exhibit below for 2009. Although the U. S. seems to be doing better in some areas, the overall grade assigned by the civil engineering study was D (down from an overall D+ in 2001). See the full report at ASCE Report Card.
|
Infrastructure Category |
2001 Grade | 2005 Grade | 2009 Grade | Notes on 2009 Infrastructure |
| Aviation | D | D+ | D | Outdated traffic control system. |
| Bridges | C | C | C | 26% of the nation's bridges are deficient or obsolete. |
| Dams | D | D | D | 4,000 deficient dams. 1,819 are high hazard. |
| Drinking Water | D | D- | D- | $11 billion needed to replace aging facilities. |
| Energy (National Power Grid) |
D+ | D | D+ | $1.5 trillion needed investment by 2030. |
| Hazardous Waste | D+ | D | D | Superfund cleanup of the worst toxic waste sites has declined steadily. |
| Inland Navigable Waterways | D+ | D- | D- | $125 billion needed for replacement of locks. |
| Levees | - | - | D- | $100 billion needed to repair the nation's levees. |
| Public Parks & Recreation | - | C- | C- | $7 billion maintenance backlog. |
| Rail | - | C- | C- | $200 billion needed for growth. |
| Roads | D+ | D | D- | 4.2 billion hours lost per year stuck in traffic cost $78.2 billion. $186 billion needed to improve the nations highways. |
| Schools | D- | D | D | $322 billion needed for repair. |
| Solid Waste | C+ | C+ | C+ | Public safety threatened by increasing disposal of electronic waste. |
| Transit | C- | D+ | D | $15.8 billion needed to maintain conditions, $21.6 billion needed to improve from current to good conditions. |
| Wastewater | D | D- | D- | $390 billion needed over the next 20 years. |
| Overall | D+ | D | D | Investment needed $2.2 trillion. |
