Congested Roads Hitting Americans In the Pocketbook

Civil Engineers Say Infrastructure Crisis Must Be Addressed to Protect Public Health, Safety and Welfare

RESTON, Va., Jan. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Statement attributable to Kathy J. Caldwell, P.E., president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE):

"For years, Americans have suffered the effects of failing transportation infrastructure, and for years, as a nation, we have ignored the increasing costs associated with that congestion. This week's report from the Texas Transportation Institute is further evidence of that fact.

"Congestion is costing us nearly a full work week and almost 40 gallons of gas a year—at a cost of $808 per average motorist. Couple that with the barely passing grade of D- our roads received in ASCE's 2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure and you can easily see that we are failing to maintain even our current substandard conditions.

"The nation's roadways are an integral part of our way of life, and are vital to our economy. Bold thinking and leadership are part of the solution, but we must also be willing to make the hard decisions when it comes to infrastructure funding.

"Our infrastructure is in crisis, and the American public needs to tell their elected officials—local, state and federal—that they will no longer tolerate wasting time sitting in traffic instead of spending that time with their families. We have to demand decisive, innovative and meaningful action from our elected officials now, or suffer the safety and economic consequences of inaction."

For more information on ASCE's Report Card for America's Infrastructure, please visit: www.infrastructurereportcard.org.

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 140,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. In January 2009, ASCE released its 2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, with grades in 15 categories. For more information, visit www.asce.org.

SOURCE American Society of Civil Engineers

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