America's infrastructure is in grave disrepair. Analysts have determined that one-third of the nation's roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and the Federal Highway Administration recently estimated that one out of every four bridges is either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
Every infrastructure sector, from rail, air and seaways, to water supply, sewage and irrigation, to energy pipelines and the electric grid, are in need of significant capital. The American Society of Civil Engineers says it will take an investment of $1.6 trillion over the next five years - double the current outlay - just to bring the nation's infrastructure to acceptable levels.
This figure even excludes innovative projects like high-speed railways, GPS integration, and broadband expansion.
Bio
Douglas Foy
Douglas Foy is the President and founder of Serrafix, a consulting firm working to transform America's energy profile. At Serrafix, Foy has helped a variety of cities, including New York, Milwaukee, and Cambridge, Mass. to implement large-scale energy savings plans.
Foy served as the first Secretary of Commonwealth Development in the administration of Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, where he oversaw the agencies of Transportation, Housing, Environment, and Energy. Foy's agencies developed the Commonwealth's first comprehensive transportation plan emphasizing transit; the nation's most comprehensive climate action plan; and numerous programs, policies, and investments to promote sustainable development and smart growth.
Before his work in state government, Foy served for 25 years as the President of the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), the first regional environmental advocacy organization in the nation. For this work, Foy received the President's Environmental and Conservation Challenge Award, and the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service.
JayEtta Hecker
JayEtta Hecker is a Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, an Adjunct Fellow at the Rand Corporation, and an independent consultant working to develop strategies for improving the economic performance of U.S. transportation networks.
From 1982 to 2008, Hecker served in the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Her positions at GAO included Director of International Relations and Trade (1993-99), Director of Government Business Operation (1999-2000), and Director of the Physical Infrastructure Team (2000-08).
As head of the Physical Infrastructure Team, she was responsible for directing GAO work related to all transportation modes including federal highways, transit, freight and passenger rail, aviation, and maritime issues.
Hecker testified frequently before Congress and regularly spoke to professional associations and the media. Prior service includes the U.S. Regulatory Council (1979-81), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (1976-79), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (1971-76).
Robert MacNeil
Until his 1995 retirement, Robert MacNeil was executive editor and co-anchor of The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, a 20-year nightly partnership with Jim Lehrer on PBS. He began his 40-year career as a correspondent for Reuters, NBC News, and the BBC before joining PBS in 1971.
There, he teamed with Jim Lehrer to co-anchor public television's Emmy-winning coverage of the Senate Watergate hearings. Their collaboration led to The MacNeil/Lehrer Report, launched in October 1975. Eight years later, the program became The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, the nation's first full hour of evening news. They founded MacNeil/Lehrer Productions and produced many programs broadcast on PBS, network, and cable television.
MacNeil's honors include Peabody Awards, a Dupont-Columbia Award and the Fred Friendly First Amendment Award. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame with Jim Lehrer in 1999. MacNeil has written several books, and his memoir, Looking for My Country: Finding Myself in America, was published in 2003.
Edward Rendell
Edward G. Rendell is serving his second term as Pennsylvania's 45th Governor, overseeing a $28.3 billion budget in the nation's sixth-most-populous state. His strategic investments have energized Pennsylvania's economy, created jobs, revitalized communities, improved education, protected the environment, and expanded access to health care for children and affordable prescription drugs for older adults.
Governor Rendell is also working to create jobs in the emerging alternative energy economy and develop strategies to reduce dependence on foreign oil and save families money. Rendell was the 121st Mayor of the City of Philadelphia (1992–99), eliminating a $250 million deficit; balancing the city's budget and generating five consecutive budget surpluses; reducing business and wage taxes for four consecutive years; implementing new revenue-generating initiatives, and improving services to neighborhoods.
The New York Times called the Philadelphia renaissance under Rendell "the most stunning turnaround in recent urban history." Before serving as Mayor, Rendell was elected district attorney of the City of Philadelphia (1978–85).
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor, businessman, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the state of California. In May 2004 and 2007, he was named as one of the Time 100 people who help shape the world.
Hubbert: Most United States passenger trains operate around 59mph and top out at 90mph with few exceptions like the Acela which has a 150mph train service that operates only in the NE. The proposed increase from 59mph to the CA proposed 220mph train would make travel by train much more convient and efficent then it is currently. As far as charging more than x amount to pay for it I'm not sure you thought that through. The benefits to the business sector have to be taken in to account since they could also move freight much faster. Not to mention how much do you pay daily to drive on the roads? Outside of gas, car maintence, insurance chances are you don't pay a toll to drive on the roads with few exceptions. So should we stop maintaining roads since your not paying for them directly with a ticket every day? The highway system and roads throughout the country provide a benefit to citizens, consumers, suppliers, gov't and should be maintained and upgraded. The same argument can be applied here, high-speed rail would increase productivity for business that ship freight, reduce traffic congestion on the highways and in theory be a more "green" approach to travel. I'm not going to write a research paper here, but try to understand a bit more about the economy and the government as a whole before you say its stupid.
Man, if they could pull off high speed rail that would be so cool. The only problem is it'll be 30 years before it's done and it will likely have all kinds of problems because special interests will force all kinds of compromises. But my fingers are crossed.
Dear Governor of CA,
we appreciate your comments on infrastructure. taking rail instead of flying 300 mi.
you seem to no remember we have the best highway system in the world, people drive.
let's say we do as you suggest, update the rail system at a cost of (lets guess) 100 Million. and what exactly is gained? someone takes a train, then what? a taxi, across LA or San Fran? and what will the ticket cost? today that little plane ride is $100, what might the train ticket cost? if it's less than $100, then how do we pay for the rail improvements? if it's more than $100, will anyone use it and then how do we pay for the rail improvements.
not too bright.
Rather, can we concentrate on real problems? like how to keep CA from becoming bankrupt? and becoming more of a burden on the national economy than it already is?
pick the right battles, that's presumably why you were elected, sir.
member. 
