Worth the investment

By Ed Rendell and Jay Timmons

Americans hear often enough that our nation's infrastructure is in bad shape, but they have come to accept its shortcomings and unpredictable lapses. It's not until a bridge collapses or a water pipe bursts that infrastructure makes news. This current pattern needs to change.

After all, infrastructure is what makes nearly everything possible - showering, charging a smartphone, getting to work or school - and when infrastructure deteriorates, Americans pay the price.

Wasted time and fuel from being stuck on the Philadelphia area's clogged roadways cost drivers an extra $2,300 each year. Gridlock and deteriorating road conditions also drive up prices for families. Freight bottlenecks and other congestion cost about $200 billion a year and 1.6 percent of U.S. economic output.

In the Philadelphia area, 73 percent of major urban roads are in poor condition, and Pennsylvania has the highest number of structurally deficient bridges in the nation - 25 percent. It's no wonder that the American Society of Civil Engineers has given a grade of C-minus to the state's infrastructure.

With sobering statistics like these, it is no surprise that a majority of manufacturers believe that our nation's infrastructure is not improving at a pace to keep up with business needs - a sentiment confirmed by a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and Building America's Future Educational Fund.

Manufacturing matters to Pennsylvania. Manufacturers produce $71 billion of goods and services throughout the state. The sector accounts for nearly 90 percent of the state's exports. In fact, exports from Pennsylvania are surging - manufactured products destined for overseas markets have more than doubled since 2000. However, until our elected leaders commit to making investments needed to modernize our roads, bridges, transit systems, and ports, we are consigned to watching our lives and opportunities pass us by.

If nothing is done to modernize our infrastructure, America risks falling further behind our global competitors. It is time that policymakers in Washington take action.

Congress can start with our ports and finish the Water Resources Development Act - the best opportunity to advance infrastructure improvements at the federal level this year. According to the World Economic Forum, U.S. ports rank just 19th in the world.

Without reliable transportation networks, manufacturers will find it increasingly difficult to get their products to customers, possibly leading to fewer jobs. The Port of Philadelphia tells that story directly - maintaining and expanding road connections to the port and the ongoing dredging of the Delaware River shipping channel are critical to growing the port and the region's economy.

States must also do their part, and we urge Pennsylvania to heed the call of manufacturers and make critical investments in transportation infrastructure.

The United States became an economic superpower due in large part to visionary infrastructure investments that previous generations made. We are, however, at risk of losing our competitive advantage. The NAM and Building America's Future have joined forces to call on Washington to get serious about making the strategic long-term investments needed to grow and modernize our nation's infrastructure. Nothing less than the future of America's vital manufacturing sector and our nation's economic competitiveness is at stake.