The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act - Part 3

Written by: Sara Dennis

This article is the third we’ll be posting, exploring the various areas and sectors the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) bill aims to address through investment and funding. If you’re curious about the other articles in our series, you can find them here: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 4!

Update: On August 10th 2021, the US Senate voted Senate voted 69-30 Tuesday to approve the IIJA. Next, the bill will go to the House of Representatives to be discussed and voted on.  

Airports, Ports and Waterways

The IIJA also looks to invest money into other types of infrastructure like airports, ports and waterways. Regarding aviation, the White House FACT SHEET points out that there aren’t any US airports that rank in the top 25 airports worldwide in some rankings. Scoring a ‘D+’ on ASCE’s 2021 Infrastructure Report Card, the report notes that in 2019 there were nearly 96 million minutes of delay for airline passengers, and that before Covid-19 (when airline travel was drastically reduced) the terminal, gate and ramp availability wasn’t meeting the needs of the growing passenger base. The IIJA would invest $25 billion in airports “to address repair and maintenance backlogs, reduce congestion and emissions near ports and airports, and drive electrification and other low-carbon technologies” (FACT SHEET).

Our ports and waterways are another important part of infrastructure, supporting the economy and providing “flexibility to handle a variety of products, from bulk aggregates and agriculture to liquids and manufactured goods and equipment” (ASCE Infrastructure Report Card). In the United States, there are more than 300 coastal and inland ports, most often located near coastal metropolitan areas, the Great Lakes, or more rural inland waterways. While Ports scored a B- on the ASCE’s 2021 Infrastructure Report Card, Inland Waterways got a D+. Inland waterway infrastructure is made up of locks, dams and navigation channels. There are almost 12.000 miles of navigable waterways in the US, made up of the Mississippi River and its tributaries in the Eastern US, and the Columbia, Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers in the West (ASCE Infrastructure Report Card). The IIJA would invest $17 billion in improving port and waterway infrastructure, making it more resilient, sustainable, efficient and up-to-date on maintenance.

Passenger and Freight Rail

Our rail network is divided into two categories – passenger rail carrying people, and freight rail which carries and ships all types of goods. Passenger rail in the US is mostly operated by Amtrak, which travels along a ~21,400 mile rail-network between cities across the nation. There are about 140,000 miles of freight rail in the US, and it’s considered “the largest, safest, and most cost-efficient freight system in the world” (Freight Rail Overview). However, the White House FACT SHEET reports that “unlike highways and transit, rail lacks a multi-year funding stream to address deferred maintenance, enhance existing corridors, and build new lines in high-potential locations”. The IIJA would invest $66 billion into rail, mostly focusing on passenger rail. It would provide $22 billion in grants to Amtrak, $24 billion for a Northeast Corridor modernization program, via federal-state partnership grants, $12 billion to be focused on inner-city rail service, including high-speed rail, $5 billion for rail improvement and safety grants, and finally $3 billion to improve grade crossing safety. 

Pedestrian & Cyclist Safety

According to the White house FACT SHEET, the United States “has one of the highest road fatality rates in the industrialized world”. Furthermore, fatality rates are also increasing. 6,301 pedestrians were killed by vehicles in 2019, up 46% from 2010. During that period of time, traffic deaths also rose by 5%. Even in 2020, when traffic was reduced due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of pedestrian deaths still rose from the year before. The IIJA would invest $11 billion into transportation safety programs, such as a new Safe Streets for All program, to help communities improve pedestrian and cyclist safety while reducing crashes and fatalities.

Repairing our infrastructure and making transportation safer, easier and more accessible for all citizens will help revitalize communities, create new jobs and foster connections between people and places. With the passing of the IIJA we could see widespread improvements in the ways we get around, from safer walks to school, to less delays at airports and expanded passenger rail service. We will definitely be watching as the IIJA goes to the House of Representatives.