Traffic Payout

The American Society of Civil Engineers issued a report card today, giving the nation’s infrastructure an overall rating of D. The grading includes infrastructure such as roads, bridges and waterways, and was last issued in 2005, where it earned a marginally better grade of D+.

This year, roads themselves got a D- . The report stated that “one-third of America’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition and 45 percent of major urban highways are congested.” This rating stems from the high operating and repair cost to motorists in order to maintain the current condition of many of our nation’s roadways, as well as the cost associated with traffic congestion and crashes.

This seems to be just the latest in reports showing that both the state of our roads and the public attitudes towards traffic safety are in need of increased funding and attention. What more will it take to erase the “culture of complacency” our nation has when it comes to safety on our roads? As the new administration in Washington continues its steps to revive the economy, we can only hope that they keep in mind how important the state of our nation’s infrastructure is to the overall safety and well-being of its people.