Title: It’s Time for States to Invest in Infrastructure | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Headings: It’s Time for States to Invest in Infrastructure
POLICY FUTURES
It’s Time for States to Invest in Infrastructure
Investment in Public Infrastructure Is Falling, With Real Consequences
The Nation’s Infrastructure Needs Improvement
State and Local Governments Are the Primary Stewards of the Country’s Infrastructure
How States Pay for Infrastructure Projects
Infrastructure Spending Is Down Across Government
Investment in Public Infrastructure Fuels Economic Growth
Well-Targeted Public Investment in Infrastructure Improves
Private Productivity, Research Shows
Public Infrastructure Investment Can Spur Job Growth
Investment in Public Infrastructure Can Improve a State’s Quality of Life, the Environment, and Opportunity
It’s Time for States to Invest More in Infrastructure
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Figure 1
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These needs vary significantly by state because of differences in size, congestion, and age of existing infrastructure. For example, 54 percent of the roads in Rhode Island are in poor condition, while only 9 percent of roads in North Carolina are, according to ASCE. Ohio needs over $100 billion to improve its drinking water treatment facilities while Georgia — with a population similar to Ohio — needs just over $20 billion. The ASCE report card also includes information on state infrastructure needs and investment. [ 8]
State and Local Governments Are the Primary Stewards of the Country’s Infrastructure
Figure 2
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State and local governments are the stewards of most of the country’s public capital. They own over 90 percent of non-defense public infrastructure assets, [9] and although the federal government assists in the building and maintenance of these assets, state and local governments pay 75 percent of the cost of maintaining and improving them. [ 10] (See Figure 2.) States and localities spend the vast majority of their capital dollars — 85 percent — on key building blocks of a state’s economy: schools, transportation, and drinking water treatment and distribution. ( See Table 1.)