Nine of seventeen ASCE categories still in the D range. 46,154 structurally deficient bridges. 9.2 million lead service lines. Poor infrastructure costs every American household $2,700 per year. Here's the plan to rebuild.
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The American Society of Civil Engineers grades U.S. infrastructure every four years. The most recent report card: C-minus overall, with nine of seventeen categories receiving a D. The investment gap — the difference between what we spend and what we need to spend — is $2.6 trillion over the next decade.
Bridges: 46,154 bridges in the United States are classified as structurally deficient. Americans cross these bridges 178 million times per day. The average age of an American bridge is 44 years — and many were designed for traffic volumes far below what they now carry. At current funding levels, it would take over 40 years to complete all necessary repairs.
Roads: 43% of America's public roads are in poor or mediocre condition. Drivers spend an average of 54 hours per year stuck in traffic in major metro areas. Poor road conditions cost the average driver $621 per year in vehicle repairs, tire damage, and accelerated depreciation.
Water systems: An estimated 9.2 million lead service lines remain in use across the country, delivering drinking water contaminated with a neurotoxin that causes irreversible brain damage in children. There are approximately 250,000 water main breaks per year, wasting 6 billion gallons of treated water per day. The crisis in Flint, Michigan was not an anomaly — it was a warning.
Power grid: The U.S. power grid is a patchwork of aging systems, many built in the 1960s and 1970s, that was never designed for extreme weather events driven by climate change. Grid failures — from the 2021 Texas freeze to California wildfire shutoffs — are increasing in frequency and severity. Modernizing the grid for renewable energy is both a climate imperative and an infrastructure necessity.
Broadband: 21% of rural Americans lack access to broadband internet at speeds the FCC defines as minimally adequate. In the 21st century, broadband is as essential as electricity — it is required for education, healthcare, employment, and civic participation. The digital divide is an infrastructure failure with profound economic consequences.
| Category | Grade | Key Issue |
|---|---|---|
| Roads | D | 43% poor or mediocre condition |
| Bridges | C | 46,154 structurally deficient |
| Drinking Water | C- | 9.2M lead service lines |
| Transit | D- | $176B repair backlog |
| Energy | C- | Aging grid, rising outages |
| Broadband | C | 21% rural gap |
| Stormwater | D | Overwhelmed by climate events |
| Hazardous Waste | D+ | 1,300+ Superfund sites |
| Overall | C- | $2.6T investment gap |
Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, 2021 Infrastructure Report Card. See the full infrastructure issue page for complete sourcing.
Poor infrastructure is not an abstract problem. It costs the average American household $2,700 per year in vehicle damage, wasted time, unreliable utilities, and economic drag. You are already paying for the infrastructure crisis — you're just not getting anything for it.
Vehicle damage: Poor road conditions cost American drivers an estimated $130 billion per year in vehicle repairs, accelerated tire wear, and suspension damage. The average driver in a major metro area pays $621 per year in additional vehicle operating costs directly attributable to road conditions. These are effectively a hidden tax — except the money goes to repair shops instead of fixing the roads that caused the damage.
Wasted time: Traffic congestion costs the U.S. economy an estimated $87 billion per year in lost productivity and wasted fuel. The average commuter in a major metro area spends 54 hours per year stuck in traffic — more than a full work week. This time cannot be recovered. It is subtracted from family life, rest, and productive work.
Unreliable power: Power outages cost the U.S. economy an estimated $150 billion per year in lost economic output. Businesses lose revenue. Workers lose wages. Medical equipment fails. Food spoils. The 2021 Texas grid failure alone caused an estimated $130 billion in damage and killed 246 people. These failures are becoming more frequent as extreme weather events increase and the grid continues to age without adequate modernization.
Water contamination: Lead exposure from deteriorating water infrastructure causes an estimated $84 billion per year in economic costs through healthcare expenses, special education needs, lost lifetime earnings, and criminal justice costs associated with lead-induced behavioral disorders. The cost of replacing all 9.2 million lead service lines is estimated at $45-60 billion — a fraction of the annual cost of leaving them in place.
Economic drag: Failing infrastructure reduces economic growth by making the movement of goods, people, and information slower and less reliable. The ASCE estimates that if the investment gap is not closed, the United States will lose $10 trillion in GDP and 3 million jobs by 2039. Infrastructure investment is not a cost — it is the foundation on which all other economic activity depends. See the affordability and cost of living page for how infrastructure costs flow through to household budgets.
The Common Good plan invests $2.5 trillion over ten years to close the infrastructure gap — rebuilding what is failing, modernizing what is obsolete, and building what the 21st century economy requires.
Every dollar invested in infrastructure returns an estimated $1.50-$2.20 in economic activity. This is not spending for spending's sake — it is the highest-return investment the federal government can make. The plan addresses seven critical areas, each with specific targets and timelines.
For the complete plan with legislative detail, cost projections, and sourcing, see the full infrastructure issue page.
The United States built the world's best infrastructure in the mid-20th century — and then stopped maintaining it. Other countries kept investing. The result is a gap that grows wider every year.
| Country | Quality Grade | Invest. % GDP | High-Speed Rail (mi) | Broadband Coverage | Bridge Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | C- | 2.4% | 0 | ~85% | 7.5% deficient |
| China | B+ | 8.0% | 25,000+ | ~95% | <2% deficient |
| Japan | A- | 5.0% | 1,900+ | ~99% | <1% deficient |
| Germany | B+ | 3.4% | 900+ | ~95% | <3% deficient |
| South Korea | A | 5.5% | 500+ | ~99% | <1% deficient |
| Singapore | A+ | 5.0% | N/A | ~99% | Near 0% |
The pattern is clear. Countries that invest more in infrastructure have better infrastructure. The United States invests 2.4% of GDP in infrastructure — roughly half of what peer nations invest. China invests 8% of GDP and has built 25,000 miles of high-speed rail while the United States has built zero. Japan invests 5% and has near-universal broadband coverage. The underinvestment is a choice, not a constraint.
For a detailed comparison of party positions on infrastructure, see the Compare Parties page.
21% of rural Americans lack access to broadband internet. In the 21st century, this is not a convenience problem — it is an economic, educational, and healthcare crisis that affects 60 million people.
The economic impact of the rural broadband gap is enormous. Businesses cannot operate efficiently without reliable internet. Remote work — which expanded dramatically during the pandemic — is impossible without broadband. Farmers cannot access precision agriculture tools, market data, or online sales platforms. Small businesses cannot reach customers beyond their immediate area. The FCC estimates that closing the rural broadband gap would generate $65 billion per year in economic activity in rural communities.
Why hasn't the private sector solved this? Because rural broadband deployment is not profitable enough for ISPs. The cost of running fiber to sparsely populated areas is high relative to the number of subscribers. Private ISPs have consistently cherry-picked profitable urban and suburban markets while ignoring rural communities — even after receiving billions in federal subsidies intended for rural deployment. This is the same problem that left rural America without electricity until the Rural Electrification Administration stepped in during the 1930s. The solution is the same: public investment where private markets fail.
How other countries achieved universal access: South Korea achieved 99% broadband coverage through a combination of public investment and private competition, coordinated by a national broadband strategy. Japan used a similar model. Estonia — a country with extensive rural areas — declared broadband access a legal right in 2000 and achieved near-universal coverage through public-private partnerships. Sweden used a combination of municipal fiber networks and federal subsidies. In every case, universal access was achieved through government intervention, not market forces alone.
The Common Good plan treats broadband as essential infrastructure — like electricity, water, and roads — and funds deployment to every American household. In areas where private ISPs refuse to serve, the plan funds municipal broadband networks or cooperative models owned by the communities they serve. The target: 100/100 Mbps fiber to every household within seven years.
Infrastructure rarely makes headlines — until a bridge collapses or the power goes out. That invisibility has enabled a set of myths that justify chronic underinvestment. Here are the four most common — and why each is wrong.
Myth: "We can't afford to fix our infrastructure."
Reality: We can't afford not to. Poor infrastructure already costs every American household $2,700 per year in vehicle damage, wasted time, unreliable utilities, and economic drag. The ASCE estimates that failing to close the investment gap will cost the United States $10 trillion in GDP and 3 million jobs by 2039. Every dollar invested in infrastructure returns $1.50-$2.20 in economic activity. Infrastructure investment is not a cost — it is the highest-return public investment available. See the budget and fiscal responsibility page for the full fiscal framework.
Myth: "The private sector will take care of it."
Reality: Infrastructure is a classic public good. No private company can capture enough of the benefit of a highway, a water system, or a power grid to justify the investment alone. Every country in the world — including the most market-oriented economies — funds infrastructure primarily through public investment. Countries that have tried to privatize core infrastructure have experienced higher costs and worse service. The private sector plays an essential role in building and maintaining infrastructure, but the investment decision must be public because the benefits are shared.
Myth: "Infrastructure is boring and not urgent."
Reality: Tell that to the 246 people who died in the 2021 Texas grid failure. Or the 100,000 residents of Flint, Michigan who drank lead-contaminated water for years. Or the 178 million people who cross structurally deficient bridges every day. Or the 60 million rural Americans without broadband access. Infrastructure failures kill people, poison children, strand communities, and drain the economy. The only reason it seems "boring" is that it works — until it doesn't.
Myth: "New technology eliminates the need for physical infrastructure."
Reality: New technology increases the need for infrastructure — it doesn't replace it. Electric vehicles require charging networks and a modernized power grid. Remote work requires broadband. AI and cloud computing require massive data centers with reliable power and cooling. Renewable energy requires transmission lines to move power from where it's generated to where it's needed. Every technological advance of the 21st century depends on physical infrastructure that the United States is failing to build and maintain. Technology is not a substitute for infrastructure — it is a reason to invest more.
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Every job, every business, every school, and every home depends on infrastructure that is falling apart. Read the full plan and see exactly how we rebuild — with sources, costs, and timelines.