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November 11th

Infrastructure and Politics

There’s an old saying that you should never discuss sex, politics or religion lest you want to start an argument. As a non-partisan organization, ASCE does not endorse candidates. But, now that we know who will be taking office on January 20, we can begin to look forward, at the environmental implications of the voters' decisions. So let’s not think of this as starting an argument, but as starting a constructive dialogue.

Here are a few thoughts on what this historic election may mean for infrastructure and sustainable development, based on Barack Obama's statements and literature.

The Effect of Land Use on Transportation & Oil

First, his campaign's position paper on oil security and energy independence explicitly recognizes the benefits of smart growth:

"Over the longer term, we know that the amount of fuel we will use is directly related to our land use decisions and development patterns, much of which have been organized around the principle of cheap gasoline. Barack Obama believes that we must move beyond our simple fixation of investing so many of our transportation dollars in serving drivers and that we must make more investments that make it easier for us to walk, bicycle and access transportation alternatives."

Obama has also emphasize that energy conservation should be made one of the key goals of the transportation planning required of urban areas in order to secure federal dollars for roads, transit, and related projects. And he has indicated his support for leveling the tax subsidies afforded to employers who now may spend and deduct twice the amount, per employee, for automobile parking that they may spend on transit, carpooling or vanpooling.

Moreover, Obama’s position paper on urban policy shows that he understands the connections between neighborhoods, cities, and metropolitan regions. On the other hand, for rural areas, his platform has included conservation of private lands, regional food networks, and help for organic farmers.

The New Metropolitan Reality

On June 21, 2008 right here in South Florida, Obama gave a major address to the US Conference of Mayors, during which he demonstrated his superior understanding of the challenge of addressing growth at the metropolitan scale:

"The change that's taking place today is as great as any we've seen in more than a century, since the time when cities grew upward and outward with immigrants escaping poverty, and tyranny, and misery abroad. Our population has grown by tens of millions in the past few decades, and it's projected to grow nearly 50% more in the decades to come. And this growth isn't just confined to our cities, it's happening in our suburbs, exurbs, and throughout our metropolitan areas.

"This is creating new pressures, but it's also opening up new opportunities - because it's not just our cities that are hotbeds of innovation anymore, it's those growing metro areas. It's not just Durham or Raleigh - it's the entire Research Triangle. It's not just Palo Alto, it's cities up and down Silicon Valley. The top 100 metro areas generate two-thirds of our jobs, nearly 80% of patents, and handle 75% of all seaport tonnage through ports like the one here in Miami. In fact, 42 of our metro areas now rank among the world's 100 largest economies.

"To seize the possibility of this moment, we need to promote strong cities as the backbone of regional growth. And yet, Washington remains trapped in an earlier era, wedded to an outdated 'urban' agenda that focuses exclusively on the problems in our cities, and ignores our growing metro areas; an agenda that confuses anti-poverty policy with a metropolitan strategy, and ends up hurting both . . .

"Yes, we need to strengthen our cities. But we also need to stop seeing our cities as the problem and start seeing them as the solution. Because strong cities are the building blocks of strong regions, and strong regions are essential for a strong America. That is the new metropolitan reality and we need a new strategy that reflects it . . ."

In the same speech, Obama also endorsed some good ideas about transportation:

"I'll also launch a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60 billion over ten years, and create nearly two million new jobs. The work will be determined by what will maximize our safety, security, and shared prosperity. Instead of building bridges to nowhere, let's build communities that meet the needs and reflect the dreams of our families . . .

"Let's invest that money in a world-class transit system. Let's re-commit federal dollars to strengthen mass transit and reform our tax code to give folks a reason to take the bus instead of driving to work - because investing in mass transit helps make metro areas more livable and can help our regional economies grow. And while we're at it, we'll partner with our mayors to invest in green energy technology and ensure that your buses and buildings are energy efficient. And we'll also invest in our ports, roads, and high-speed rails . . ."

(See also Matthew Iglesias's commentary on this speech.)

About.com has a very good and succinct summary of the president-elect's views on transportation issues, drawn from various campaign statements, papers, and press reports. We urge you to visit this link and email me your thoughts and comments. Again, the goal here is to encourage dialogue.

In Conclusion

Whether you voted for Obama or not, at least we can all agree on the fact that he will face a monumental task with regard to the nation’s transportation needs and deteriorating infrastructure. These issues won’t be resolved in one year or by one funding bill, therefore it is our responsibility to guide the policy makers in prioritizing which parts of the infrastructure are vital and must be repaired immediately.

ASCE is calling for the nation to spend $1.6 trillion on improvements. That includes $39.5 billion to be spent on airports during that time, $300 billion on bridges and roads, $10 billion on dams and levees over the next 12 years, and $1 trillion in drinking water and wastewater system improvements over the next two decades.

Talia