Sounding the Alarm:Collapsing Infrastructure Can't Wait

by Barry B. LePatner

International Economic Forum of the AmericasToronto Forum for Global CitiesNovember 22, 2010

Sounding the Alarm:

Sounding the Alarm:

www.flickr.com/people/74486811@N00 Eri

Sounding the Alarm: The Ticking Time Bomb

7,980 bridges, an average of 160 per state, are in danger of collapse due to the failure of even one critical structural member.

Over 600 bridges have failed over the last 20 years.

Of the more than 600,000 bridges in the U.S., nearly one in four are either "structurally deficient" or "functionally obsolete."

Sounding the Alarm: How Did Things Get So Bad?

We have forgotten that Gravity Wins!

Sounding the Alarm: How Did Things Get So Bad?

We have forgotten that Gravity Wins!

Sounding the Alarm: The ASCE Report Card

Dams – “D” Levees – “D-

Minus” Aviation – “D” Railroads – “C-

Minus” Transit – “D” Roads – “D-Minus”

Sounding the Alarm: Seeking Solutions

We face a shortfall of funding for infrastructure maintenance of $134 billion to $194 billion per year from now thru 2035.

We will need to acknowledge the need for an infusion of new funding via: Raising the federal gas tax A new National Infrastructure Bank Expanded use of Public\Private\

Partnerships

Sounding the Alarm: Changing the System

“We cannot keep pouring money into a fundamentally broken system…it’s not about finding the cash and building more new projects. It’s really about changing the way we do business. We need more transparency in the system. We need more accountability.”

Robert Puentes, Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program, Brookings Institution

Sounding the Alarm: In the Face of a Public Frightened of New Debt

New $10 Billion ARC Tunnel in New Jersey – Cancelled by Gov. Chris Christie

New passenger rail project and new street car project for Ohio – Cancelled by Gov.-elect John Kasich

New rail project for Wisconsin – Cancelled by Gov.-elect Scott Walker

Sounding the Alarm: Changing the Construction Industry

Construction cost overruns for megaprojects can and must be curtailed by:

Reforming the construction industry’s inefficiencies

Structuring all contracts as true complete-price contracts

Inserting monitors to oversee all spending to protect the taxpaying public and ensure transparency

Tomorrow’s InfrastructureThe history of the U.S. has been shaped by major infrastructure projects.

Tomorrow’s InfrastructureThe history of the U.S. has been shaped by major infrastructure projects.

Tomorrow’s InfrastructureThe history of the U.S. has been shaped by major infrastructure projects.

Tomorrow’s InfrastructureThe history of the U.S. has been shaped by major infrastructure projects.

Restoring our aging infrastructure must be seen as an imperative, not a choice.

Leadership Needed

Prioritizing our Infrastructure Needs: Addressing our Fragile Fracture Critical

Bridges. Funding ongoing Maintenance for all

Structurally Deficient Bridges. Introducing Needed Light Rail and

Congestion-Busting Transit. Funding our Infrastructure with

Dedicated Maintenance.

www.TooBigToFall.com

Our infrastructure

should no longer be viewed as