ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The American Society of Civil Engineers has released its 2022 report card on New York’s infrastructure. New York received a “C” rating overall, which means its infrastructure is “mediocre” and requires attention.
The report card was broken down into 11 categories of infrastructure each with a different grade. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the individual categories were scored based on capacity, condition, operation and maintenance, public safety, funding, future need, resilience, and innovation.
New York has 131 active aviation facilities, over 17,500 bridges, over 9,000 public water systems, over 3,300 miles of rail lines, more than 100 transit systems, 35,000 miles of sewers, and over 240,000 lane-miles of roadways. Nearly half of New York’s roadways are in poor or fair condition and almost 10% of bridges are in poor condition.
Infrastructure grades
- Aviation: C+
- Bridges: C-
- Dams: C
- Drinking water: C-
- Ports: C+
- Public parks: B-
- Rail: C
- Roads: D+
- Solid waste: B-
- Transit: D+
- Wastewater: D+
Of these 11 categories, two are in good condition, six are in mediocre condition, and three are in poor condition. New York’s roads, transit, and wastewater are among the worst ratings.
Suggestions
The American Society of Civil Engineers said New York earned a “C-” in 2015, so the state’s infrastructure has slightly improved. However, it is still in mediocre condition. The report included a few different suggestions for improving New York’s grade.
- Strengthen infrastructure funding
- Reassess the state’s infrastructure goals in light of new lifestyles, commuting patterns, and changing climate
- Policy changes that allow for the testing of new materials, using new construction techniques, and broader adoption of alternative project delivery methods
- Expand technical training and apprenticeship programs to address worker shortfalls and general STEM programming that can help interest young New Yorkers in engineering and science fields
You can read the full report on the Infrastructure Report Card website.
