Congressional Band-Aid: Form An Infrastructure Commission
- May 1991, the Chairman of the National Transportation Board told a House Committee that the nation's aging bridges "need additional inspections and maintenance 'if we are to keep them from collapsing.'"
- August 2003, the Director of the Oregon Department of Transportation told the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works that "Oregon faces a massive $4.7 billion bridge problem ... More than 500 bridges, most on the Interstate System, are beginning to crack. Severe cracking has forced the state to weight limit an increasing number of bridges."
- November 2004, then Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL) introduced S.2993, the National Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2004, to establish a National Commission on the Infrastructure of the United States. It was referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, where it languished.
- June 2006, current House Ag Committee Chairman Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) introduced H 5616, the National Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2006, which would establish a National Commission on the Infrastructure of the United States. It was referred to the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, where it languished.
- March 2007, Deputy Whip Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) introduced S 775, the National Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2007, to establish a National Commission on the Infrastructure of the United States. Like its predecessor bills, it languished in Committee until last week's tragedy in the Twin Cities.
- On 2 August, the Committee on Environment and Public Works reported a substitute bill out without a written report. The Senate promptly passed it by unanimous consent. Review both versions, side-by-side.
I suppose it's notable that these bills were introduced by Democrats. However, aging infrastructure does not appear to have been any higher a priority for this Democratic Congress than it was for the preceding Republican one. Recall that the Republican Congress was two years late passing a transportation bill that was larded up with pork, like the $230 million bridge to (almost) nowhere in Alaska. Almost 1-in-10 dollars ($24 billion) was an earmark (Ds and Rs played this game) for pet "transportation" projects. Congressional priorities? Bring home the pork to get re-elected.
To be fair, some progress has been made:
The number of deficient rural Interstate bridges declined from 18.5 percent in 1994 to 15.8 percent by 2002. Deficient urban Interstate bridges declined from 30.6 percent to 26.3 percent in the same period.
But we do not need another commission, charged with reporting to Congress in 2009. Congress has already tasked the Interstate Highway Commission with making "recommendations for the future of the Interstate System for 15, 30, and 50 years into the future."
Moreover, two years ago, the American Society of Civil Engineers updated its 2001 report card on the country's infrastructure. Bridges rated a "C":
Between 2000 and 2003, the percentage of the nation's 590,750 bridges rated structurally deficient or functionally obsolete decreased slightly from 28.5% to 27.1%. However, it will cost $9.4 billion a year for 20 years to eliminate all bridge deficiencies. Long-term underinvestment is compounded by the lack of a Federal transportation program.
So that 2005 Transportation bill had enough pork for 10% of the ASCE recommended funding to repair our bridges. Good job, Congress.
Yet, according to DOT, that bill allocated only a measly $21.6 billion to bridges, payable over a five-year period (about $4 billion/year -- less than half the annual needed amount, according to the ASCE).
But ASCE is not alone. In March 2007, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials documented one of the problems facing roads and bridges in the US: traffic.
In 1955, there were 65 million cars and trucks on the road in the US; today, 246 million. If we don't shift our focus from single-occupancy-vehicles to some form of mass transit -- and if gas prices don't go through the roof in read terms -- AASHTO predicts as many as 400 million vehicles on the road by 2055. More relevant for federal investment:
The 47,000-mile Interstate Highway System contains only 1 percent of total U.S. highway miles, but carries 24 percent of all traffic and 41 percent of large truck traffic. Interstate vehicle miles traveled are expected to double from 690 billion in 2002 to 1.3 trillion 20 years from now.
And they estimate $155.5 billion is need to improve highways and bridges -- to levels needed this year.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If we are going to borrow billions of dollars that we don't have (ie, run deficit budgets) then we should be investing that money at home rather than engaging in discretionary foreign wars.