September 7, 2021 Senate Staff Blog, Issues, Jobs & Economy, Opinion, Quality of life, Safer communities 0
We must lay the foundation for a robust and equitable recovery for all Iowans. The bipartisan infrastructure framework making its way through Congress can jumpstart our efforts.
It’s a significant long-term investment in our infrastructure and competitiveness—something Iowa desperately needs. On its most recent infrastructure report card, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Iowa a C grade.
The federal proposal would allow us to overhaul our critical infrastructure, build a stronger Iowa economy and improve life in every community, while creating great jobs and training students and workers with the skills they need to do those jobs.
Here in Iowa, we’ll get to:
- Repair and rebuild our roads and bridges. Iowa has 4,571 bridges and more than 403 miles of highway in poor condition. Commute times are on the rise, and expenses are going up for care repairs and other costs of driving on bad roads.
- Improve transportation options. Iowans who take public transportation spend an extra 30% of their time commuting via transit vehicles that are often past their useful life. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework will allow us to modernize and expand transportation options Iowans need.
- Strengthen infrastructure for 21st Century challenges, such as cyber-attacks and extreme weather events. From 2010 to 2020, Iowa had 32 extreme weather events, costing the state tens of billions in damages. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework aims to improve the resiliency of our infrastructure and support disaster recovery.
- Deliver clean drinking water. Over the next 20 years, Iowa’s drinking water infrastructure will require $7.9 billion in additional funding. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework will invest in clean, safe drinking water for all communities, and eliminate lead service lines and pipes.
- Connect every American to reliable broadband. 13.4% of Iowans live in areas where there is no access to high-speed Internet, and 61% have only one broadband option. The Framework will bring universal, reliable, high-speed, affordable service to every Iowa neighborhood.
