Bridge Tragedy followup: America's appalling underinvestment in our infrastructure
- Thread starter Cypress
- Start date
Annie
Not So Junior Member
and more:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/transportation/4219981.html
This is not just a federal issue, but also a state-by-state issue. Funding for infrastructure will happen, either before or after each disaster.
Of Dano? Yes.
I never said it was simply a federal issue.
But, hypothetically speaking, and knowing what you know now:
-would you rather spend a trillion dollars on iraq?
-or a trillion dollars on american infrastructure?
Annie
Not So Junior Member
It never was about one or the other, as the author of the Popular Mechanics points out, we can afford both and a few more things too.
This bridge trajety is merely one illistration of the wither on the vine attitude of the Republicans. They want the Federal government to fail, be distroyed. They are trying to bankrupt it and let it "wither on the vine" as Newt Gingrich said.
FEMA was in the same shape as the Federal Highway system. Try to get a passport to see what kind of shape the Department of State is in. The federal government is in shambles. Bush made it that way intentionally.
FEMA was in the same shape as the Federal Highway system. Try to get a passport to see what kind of shape the Department of State is in. The federal government is in shambles. Bush made it that way intentionally.
Cancel 2016.2
The Almighty
The passport problem stems from the new laws in effect this year and a greater than expected surge in applications. FEMA (other than Brown) was in no worse shape in 2005 than it was in 2000. There was plenty of blame to go around for the Katrina response... but of course I am sure you think it was all FEMA right.... despite how well they responded to the Hurricanes in Florida in 2004?
Blackflag
Junior Member
Cancel 2016.2
The Almighty
jerk
Cancel 2016.2
The Almighty
good flick
evince
Truthmatters
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As of 2003, 27.1% of the nation's bridges (160,570) were structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, an improvement from 28.5% in 2000. In fact, over the past 12 years, the number of bridge deficiencies has steadily declined from 34.6% in 1992 to 27.1% in 2003. The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) strategic plan states that by 2008, less than 25% of the nation's bridges should be classified as deficient. If that goal were met, 1 in 4 bridges in the nation would still be deficient. There were 590,750 bridges in the United States in 2000; however, one in three urban bridges (31.2% or 43,189) was classified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, much higher than the national average. In contrast, 25.6% (118,381) of rural bridges were classified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
A structurally deficient bridge is closed or restricted to light vehicles because of its deteriorated structural components. While not necessarily unsafe, these bridges must have limits for speed and weight. A functionally obsolete bridge has older design features and, while it is not unsafe for all vehicles, it cannot safely accommodate current traffic volumes, and vehicle sizes and weights. These restrictions not only contribute to traffic congestion, they pose such major inconveniences as school busses or emergency vehicles taking lengthy detours. It is estimated that it will cost $9.4 billion per year for 20 years to eliminate all bridge deficiencies. The annual investment required to prevent the bridge investment backlog from increasing is estimated at $7.3 billion. Present funding trends of state departments of transportation call into question future progress on addressing bridge deficiencies.
Adding to these problems is the inability of the Administration and Congress to reauthorize the nation's Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA-21), which has now had six extensions since the program expired on September 30, 2003 The progress made in the TEA-21, which authorized $218 billion for the nation's highway and transit programs in 2001, is beginning to slip as America continues to shortchange funding for much-needed road and bridge repairs.
Even with uncertain funding due to the lack of a federal transportation funds reauthorization bill, additional revenues from state and local governments have begun to make an impact on bridge projects in all 50 states. Total bridge expenditures by all levels of government for capital outlays (including system preservation and system expansion) was at $8.8 billion in 2003.
http://www.asce.org/reportcard/2005/page.cfm?id=22
As of 2003, 27.1% of the nation's bridges (160,570) were structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, an improvement from 28.5% in 2000. In fact, over the past 12 years, the number of bridge deficiencies has steadily declined from 34.6% in 1992 to 27.1% in 2003. The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) strategic plan states that by 2008, less than 25% of the nation's bridges should be classified as deficient. If that goal were met, 1 in 4 bridges in the nation would still be deficient. There were 590,750 bridges in the United States in 2000; however, one in three urban bridges (31.2% or 43,189) was classified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, much higher than the national average. In contrast, 25.6% (118,381) of rural bridges were classified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
A structurally deficient bridge is closed or restricted to light vehicles because of its deteriorated structural components. While not necessarily unsafe, these bridges must have limits for speed and weight. A functionally obsolete bridge has older design features and, while it is not unsafe for all vehicles, it cannot safely accommodate current traffic volumes, and vehicle sizes and weights. These restrictions not only contribute to traffic congestion, they pose such major inconveniences as school busses or emergency vehicles taking lengthy detours. It is estimated that it will cost $9.4 billion per year for 20 years to eliminate all bridge deficiencies. The annual investment required to prevent the bridge investment backlog from increasing is estimated at $7.3 billion. Present funding trends of state departments of transportation call into question future progress on addressing bridge deficiencies.
Adding to these problems is the inability of the Administration and Congress to reauthorize the nation's Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA-21), which has now had six extensions since the program expired on September 30, 2003 The progress made in the TEA-21, which authorized $218 billion for the nation's highway and transit programs in 2001, is beginning to slip as America continues to shortchange funding for much-needed road and bridge repairs.
Even with uncertain funding due to the lack of a federal transportation funds reauthorization bill, additional revenues from state and local governments have begun to make an impact on bridge projects in all 50 states. Total bridge expenditures by all levels of government for capital outlays (including system preservation and system expansion) was at $8.8 billion in 2003.
http://www.asce.org/reportcard/2005/page.cfm?id=22
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You dont think the Department of State could have anticipitated that the new law would lead to an increase in applications for passports. My 15 month old son was reqired to have a passport to go to Bimini, an island 47 miles from Miami. 15 months old!
Cypress?
bob
a member named bob
even if a bill was passed years , this bridge wouldnt have been due for replacement or a major overhaul until somthing like 2015 or 2020, atleast thats what mindot was saing. i think this was more of a freek acidint then anything else. they had construction workers on there testing to see if it was stable enough for light rail, they new that it wasnt the morning or day before the collapse, it was on the news before i went to work.. kinda ironic.
