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2021 INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT CARD
www.infrastructurereportcard.org
S
tormwater systems range from large concrete storm
sewers, roadside ditches, and flood control reservoirs,
to rain gardens and natural riverine systems. While
stormwater utilities are on the rise, with more than 40 states
having at least one, the impervious surfaces in cities and suburbs
are also expanding, exacerbating urban flooding, which results
in $9 billion in damages annually. Stormwater also aects water
quality as polluted runo from pavement enters water bodies.
Nearly 600,000 miles of rivers and streams and more than
13 million acres of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds are considered
impaired. Federal funding, though up in recent years, averages
about $250 million annually, which leaves a growing annual
funding gap of $8 billion just to comply with current regulations.
With few dedicated funding sources, complicated governance
and ownership structures, expansive networks of aging assets,
increasingly stringent water quality regulations, and concerning
climate change projections, the expected performance of
stormwater systems is declining. Many of the country’s legacy
stormwater systems, are struggling with the high cost of retrofits
needed to address urban flooding and climate change. Upgrading
large networks of aging systems underneath densely populated
areas carries significant costs and engineering challenges.
P
ublic transit is essential to everyday living in
communities across the country, providing access to
jobs, schools, shopping, healthcare, and other services,
while enabling equitable access and sustainable mobility
options. Unfortunately, 45% of Americans have no access
to transit. Meanwhile, much of the existing system is aging,
and transit agencies often lack sucient funds to keep their
existing systems in good working order. Over a 10-year
period across the country, 19% of transit vehicles, and 6% of
fixed guideway elements like tracks and tunnels were rated
in “poor” condition. Currently, there is a $176 billion transit
backlog, a deficit that is expected to grow to more than
$270 billion through 2029. Meanwhile, transit ridership
is declining, a trend compounded by the COVID-19
pandemic. Failure to address the transit revenue shortfall
will only exacerbate ridership declines as service cuts mean
that trip delays and reliability issues become more frequent.
This stands to increase congestion, hamper the economy,
and worsen air quality in the coming years.
Stormwater
Transit