Dive Brief:
- When it comes to the quality of infrastructure in U.S. cities, according to Realtor.com, Minneapolis takes the No. 1 spot, largely due to its thriving light-rail system.
- Realtor.com considered factors like the conditions of roads and bridges, transit quality, airport customer satisfaction, how much of the cities were bike-friendly and per capita spending on a wide range of infrastructure and public assets. Listed right behind Minneapolis were Seattle; San Francisco; Eugene, OR; Salt Lake City; Omaha, NE; Austin, TX; Miami; Chattanooga, TN; and Atlanta.
- Harrisburg, PA, was found to have some of the nation's worst roads and bridges, though it also has the highest gas tax. Joining Harrisburg on the list of cities with the worst infrastructure score were Jackson, MS; Trenton, NJ; Providence, RI; Huntington, WV; Springfield, MA; Lafayette, LA; Oklahoma City; New Haven, CT; and Virginia Beach, VA.
Dive Insight:
The topic of infrastructure doesn't have the sizzle of skyscrapers, amusement-park malls or massive mixed-use complexes, but it has garnered a good deal of attention. President Donald Trump made it a key campaign issue. Right before the election, his team proposed a private investment-driven, $1 trillion infrastructure program that would transfer the risk of such a mammoth undertaking away from the public sector and take advantage of private-sector capital, as well its experience and innovation. The White House also made private investment an integral part of its 2018 budget request.
The public and Congress still await details on the plan, but at the end of September, President Trump unexpectedly backtracked on the idea of private investment and told House Democrats that it would not have a major role in his infrastructure initiative.
However, the issue of aging and crumbling infrastructure is a pressing one no matter how Washington plans on financing it.
The latest figures from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) reflect a $4.6 trillion price tag if the U.S. were to complete all the necessary infrastructure work by 2025. This is an increase of $1 trillion since the organization's 2013 report. In addition, an American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) report said that approximately 9% of U.S. bridges are structurally deficient and that to repair them would cost as much as $700 billion, according to U.S. News & World Report.
