Infrastructure Research Conclusion

Summary basis of our Conclusion

Modern and functioning infrastructure is essential to the continued expansion of our economy. Generations before us sacrificed current consumption to invest in the highways, railroads, bridges, electrical grids, water systems, and sewers that provided the foundation of our great economic expansion and the growth of our general welfare. In the past several decades, such investments have declined and we see the impact daily as our roads and bridges fail, railroads decay, gas lines explode, and water supplies are contaminated. As a result, our quality of life suffers, we limit the opportunity for our children, and we observe increasingly superior infrastructure elsewhere in the world.

Countries That Set an Example

In light of the D ratings of US infrastructure, its ranking of 13th in the world in infrastructure quality by the World Economic Forum, as well as the low relative level of infrastructure spending, several countries set an example for the US to learn from. No single country provides an example in all areas—rather, there are different things that can be learned from different countries. China, for example has taken the lead in some technologies like 5G and high-speed rail, Germany has been highly innovative in the generation of renewable energy, and France leads in several aspects of surface transportation. The critical lesson for the US is that we recognize that we have a deteriorating infrastructure that is no longer competitive, not equipped to support a modern economy and climate change, and is no longer acceptable.