Illinois Local Report Card

Introduction

“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts."   - Abraham Lincoln

In Illinois, the condition of our infrastructure is deteriorating. We cannot stand by and allow that to happen. Our quality of life depends on it and our citizens deserve better.

When the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure in January 2009, several notable points stood out. The five-year investment need was estimated to be $2.2 trillion, an increase of $500 billion since ASCE’s last Report Card in 2005. The longer we delay investment, the higher the cost will rise.

The second point is more sobering. The current five-year outlay, including funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, covers less than 46 percent of needed investment. Does Illinois mirror this bleak national picture?

To find out, the Illinois Sections¹ of ASCE authored a report card for the state of Illinois. This report card brings the state’s infrastructure needs to the attention of our local legislators and the public. Similar to five-key solutions included in the 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, the Illinois Sections also developed five key solutions to the infrastructure crisis our state is facing.

• Increase federal and state leadership in infrastructure to address the crisis. The nation’s infrastructure is more than a funding issue; it is a key basis to our economy and our way of life.
• Promote sustainability and resilience in infrastructure to protect the natural environment and withstand natural and man-made hazards.
• Develop national, state and regional infrastructure plans that complement a national vision and focus on system-wide results. Doing so will more effectively marshal funds while creating solutions with efficient expenditures.
• Address life-cycle costs and ongoing maintenance to meet the needs of current and future users and to do so sustainably.
• Increase and improve infrastructure investment from all stakeholders –for as our infrastructure fails, such as the roads we use to drive to work or school every day, our neighborhoods fail.

Infrastructure has a direct impact on our personal and economic health, and the infrastructure crisis is endangering our future prosperity. For the safety and security of our families, we can no longer afford to ignore the congested roads and contaminated drinking water we face every day. We can no longer stand by and accept the status quo, or worse, reductions. The time has come for the citizens of Illinois to demand better.