Not enough roads, too many cars and the "Metro" is empty
Washington, DC area traffic can be a nightmare even on a "parkway." With the traffic at stand still for hours a day, the Metro trains rarely get a chance to do their job and relieve the congestion. Images - Left, haddensavix cc, Right Danny McL cc
How long does it take you to get to work? In the Washington, DC area, it can take 90 minute to go 20 miles at rush hour. The high way system is, in essence, a slightly mobile parking lot. This jacks up pollution, drains fuel efficiency, and frustrates a lot of people. The DC areas is not alone. New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and Atlanta are all competing for the worst traffic in the Western hemisphere.
"Americans spend 4.2 billion hours a year stuck in traffic at a cost to the economy of $78.2 billion, or $710 per motorist. Poor road conditions cost motorists $67 billion a year in repairs and operating costs, and cost 14,000 Americans their lives. One-third of America's major roads are in poor or mediocre condition and 36% of major urban highways are congested. The current spending level of $70.3 billion per year for highway capital improvements is well below the estimated $186 billion needed annually to substantially improve the nation's highways." ACSE
Levees are in bad shape, but nobody knows just how bad.
"When the Levee Breaks" Greg
Here's what Katrina did to New Orleans levees. They've had trouble repairing levees even with all the money provided. A wall of water is just a major storm away for many areas across the nation.
"More than 85% of the nation's estimated 100,000 miles of levees are locally owned and maintained. The reliability of many of these levees is unknown. Many are over 50 years old and were originally built to protect crops from flooding. With an increase in development behind these levees, the risk to public health and safety from failure has increased.' ACSE
Schools are in tatters in some places.
A lost school in rural Virginia. taberandrew cc
"Spending on the nation's schools grew from $17 billion in 1998 to a peak of $29 billion in 2004. However, by 2007 spending fell to $20.28 billion. No comprehensive, authoritative nationwide data on the condition of America's school buildings has been collected in a decade. The National Education Association's best estimate to bring the nation's schools into good repair is $322 billion." ACSE
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