 |
| Congested Roads Threaten Our Health, Safety, Welfare And Economy |
|
Civil Engineers Say Administration Must Take Action to Prevent Looming Infrastructure Crisis
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2007; Statement attributable to W. F. Marcuson, III, Ph.D., P.E., Hon.M.ASCE, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE):
The overburdened state of the nation's urban roadways has increased so dramatically in the past 25 years that congestion now poses a significant and immediate threat to public welfare and our economy. The recently released Texas Transportation Institute report told us that Americans are now forced to waste more than 4 billion hours each year sitting in traffic, at an enormous $78 billion cost to our economy -- $710 per peak traveler -- and an immeasurable cost to our way of life. As a nation, we are failing to maintain even our current substandard conditions.
The problem on our roadways is complex, and will require a multifaceted solution. However, while it is true that bold thinking and leadership are part of the solution, that bold thinking and leadership must also extend to making hard decisions when it comes to infrastructure funding. The administration's continued refusal to acknowledge that a gas tax increase must be part of the answer -- despite its high-level results and minimal long-term impact on the taxpayers themselves -- is at best, disheartening and shortsighted. A ten cents per gallon increase would raise more than $17 billion a year, while costing the average motorist less than $10 a month.
The American public needs to tell their elected officials -- local, state and federal -- that they will no longer tolerate wasting time sitting in traffic instead of spending that time with their families. Time is working against our infrastructure. We must demand decisive, innovative and meaningful action from our elected officials now, or suffer the safety and economic consequences of inaction.
For more information on ASCE's Report Card for America's Infrastructure and Action Plan for the 110th Congress, please visit: http://www.asce.org/reportcard.
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 140,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. In March 2005, ASCE released its 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, with grades in 15 categories.
|
|
|
Source : http://www.theautochannel.com
(9/21/2007)
|
| |
 |
|
| Other
Stories of Saturday, September 22, 2007 |
|
| Fiat Bravo to cost £500 more |
| Nissan Skyline GT-R Faster Around the Nurburgring Than Porsche 911 Turbo |
| MARVAC Touts Benefits of RV Ownership |
| GAINSCO Auto Insurance No. 99 Race Team Brings Home 2007 Series Championship |
| CORR (Lancaster) - Amsoil-Kuhmo Racing With Scott Douglas, Moves Into 2nd... |
| Farbio Sports Cars announces start of production |
| BMW Swindon press plant to switch steel deliveries from road to rail |
| MPs back president’s veto on amendments to Automobile Transportation Act |
| Chery Ramping Up Export Plans |
| Newest Desperate Housewife Drives Lincoln MKX |
| Alcoa and Yutong Bus Co., China's Leading Bus Producer, to Build Eco-Friendly, Aluminum Intensive Buses for 2008 Olympics |
| CSK Auto Announces Appointment of New Controller |
| UK intellectual property consultation launched today |
| Collector's-Edition 2008 Nissan Rogue Up for Grabs in Heroic Giveaway |
| ZAP Signs Electric Car Joint Venture with China's Largest Luxury Bus Manufacturer |
| Congested Roads Threaten Our Health, Safety, Welfare And Economy |
| American Honda Recognizes Insight Investments Corp. as a Top Supplier with Premier... |
| ALMS (Road Atlanta) - Long Back In The Prototype Picture At Petit |
| Phone use worse than drink-driving |
| Subaru Officially Lifts Sheet on the 2009 WRX STI |
| Mamma Mia: Fiat's "Design the Italian Way" Shows Off Future Concepts |
| A Caterham in your stocking |
| Centro Ricerche Fiat Presents Fuel Cell Powered-Panda Fleet to City of Mantova |
| DfT makes new appointments to Commission for Integrated Transport |
| Lotus Details Exige S "Club Racer" -- and Major Shakeup at Lotus Cars USA |
| Mobile woes continue |
| Centro Ricerche Fiat Presents Fuel Cell Powered-Panda Fleet to City of Mantova |
| JATO reports on brand performances in Europe's year-to-August new car market |
| The Vietnam Automobile Industry: Forecasts to 2010 |
| Electric-Car Maker Zap Joins Forces With the Chinese |
| AutoWeek Editors Honor the Best of the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show |
| Mazda6 at Frankfurt |
| Largest U.S. Outdoor Auto Show Opens the Season in Midland, Michigan |
| Magna announces preliminary results of substantial issuer bid |
| NHRA (Dallas) - Warren Johnson Is Looking For Consistentcy... |
| NASCAR NNCS (Dover) - Kenseth/Logano Interview Transcript... |
| Car Maintenance Tips as the Temperature Dips |
| The Auto Channel Presents Exclusive PRESS PASS COVERAGE of the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show |
| Acacia Technologies Acquires Rights to Patent for Vehicle Location Technology |
| ZAP Signs Electric Car Joint Venture with China's Largest Luxury Bus Manufacturer |
| AutoWeek Editors Honor the Best of the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show |
| NASCAR NNCS (Dover) - Burton Interview Transcript... |
| Tenneco plans to close French plant |
| The South African Vehicle Industry Accounts for Nearly 7% of the Countryâ€(tm)s Exports |
| NASCAR (CHARLOTTE) - Angels Gears Up For Launch of Second Season |
| U.S. civil engineers say fuel tax increase is essential to tackle congestion |
| Cleangreencars.co.uk: Proposed government road tax changes show ‘right idea, wrong methodâ€(tm) |
| What Car? TV: How a car is made |
| Unveiled: Mercedes-Benz A-Class Edition 10 |
| Hammond meets Jonathan Ross |
| CalAmp Files Patent Infringement Lawsuits to Protect Vehicle Location Technology |
| CORR (Lancaster) - Amsoil-Kuhmo Racing With Scott Douglas, Moves Into 2nd... |
| SCORE (PRIMM) - LOOKING FOR TURNAROUND, RAFFO DNF's INSTEAD... |
| Greenline Industries bike breaks diesel motorcycle land speed record |
| Chery Auto says China can combine quality, low price |
| Chrysler Embraces the Active Lifestyle of Today's Modern Family to Launch All-New... |
| First picture of Subaru WRX STi |
| What Car? video podcast: Sept 21 |
| Dodgers get carless |
| 70% of rural road signs unnecessary |
| Tuner Special: BF Performance GT540 |
| Harman Comments on Previously Announced Merger |
| Stop-start for Land Rovers |
| BigBoysBid.com - Online Recreational Vehicle Auction Goes Live |
| Remote Start - It's Not Just for Automatic Transmissions Any More! |
| Farbio Sports Cars announces start of production |
| 2008 Infiniti G35 Sedan Gets a Modest Price Hike |
| Special Event (London) - Race Retro Supports London Motorsport Show... |
| SPECIAL EVENT (CHATSWORTH, UK) - THE RALLY SHOW NEWS.... |
| ALMS (Road Atlanta) - Voices Of Petit: Darren Law |
|
