A report released Tuesday by the American Society of Civil Engineering found that federal spending increases in recent years have helped improve U.S. ports, roads, parks, public transport and levees.
But if those investments that were put on hold after Trump took office in January are not maintained, their progress could stagnate.
Overall, the group gave the country's infrastructure a C-grade, mediocre rating, but the country received the highest rating since the group's first report card in 1998. Most infrastructure, including aviation, waterways and schools, achieved C or D grades. The ports and rails are better. The group also predicted a $3.7 trillion infrastructure funding shortage over the next decade.
“The report illustrates the critical need for the new administration and Congress to continue sustainable investment in infrastructure,” Darren Olson, chairman of the American Association of Infrastructure Committee, said in a call with reporters. “Better infrastructure is an efficient investment in taxpayer dollars, which will bring about a stronger economy and prioritize American work.”
The report, currently released every four years, has long pointed out that the US is too little for infrastructure. But that began to change in 2021, the group said the investments were showing results thanks to infrastructure investments and employment laws that allowed them to raise $1.2 trillion in funding under President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
But in January, Trump frozen much of the funds under the law, waiting for his agency to review, and frozen another fund aimed at dealing with climate change. It has suspended a variety of programs, including programs intended to support schools, farmers and small businesses.
The engineering group expressed optimism that federal spending would ultimately continue as it benefited most Americans and enjoyed bipartisan support.
“The level of investment we saw under the last administration has really started moving the needle, and I look forward to moving that conversation forward as we move into this administration,” said Christina Swallow, former president of the group.
The country's ports received the finest quality of infrastructure, AB. Railways fell from B in 2021.
Bridges, broadband, drinking water systems, hazardous waste disposal, inland waterways, parks and solid waste received C+, C or C grades reserved for infrastructure that requires caution in mediocre conditions. Dams, levees, roads, schools and infrastructure for aviation, energy, stormwater, transportation, wastewater receive D+ or D grades, indicating that they are inferior.
Some aviation infrastructure is widely considered outdated, and the Federal Aviation Administration has faced a long-standing shortage of air traffic controllers. Energy was the only category other than railways that received a grade reduced to d+. The group said power plants and other sources of electricity could not keep up with the increased demand from electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.
“Each data center uses the same amount of energy needed to power 80,000 homes,” said Otto Lynch, the engineer who led the report's energy branch. “The capabilities of our generation are stagnating as new sources are merely replacing sources like coal that have been retired in recent years.”
