Which is the reason for failing infastructure?

Question

A. Lack of funding.
B. Money wasted on projects like new stadiums.

yes in the US. If more would read the news they would notice NYC water problems. Bostons tunnel problem. There are others,but that will get you started. A common theme with the cities that have problems with infastructure,pro sport teams. There is increasing populations too,but infastructure is becoming outdated and neglected.

yes in the US. If more would read the news they would notice NYC water problems. Bostons tunnel problem. Oaklands overpass collapse. There are others,but that will get you started. A common theme with the cities that have problems with infastructure,pro sport teams. There is increasing populations too,but infastructure is becoming outdated and neglected.

Answer 1

More likely, B.

Building something new, like a stadium, a road, an airport, or a park, generates a lot of news, gets politicians some air time, and generates goodwill from those who will benefit from the new project.

Fixing infrastructure doesn't generate news. When is the last time you saw the Governor of your state hold a press conference about fixing potholes? In fact, publicizing repairs to infrastructre will usually beg the question "Why didn't you build it right in the first place?" It's a political negative.

So I wouldn't say it's money WASTED on new projects. It's just money spent on new projects that generate good news instead of money spent on repair projects that generate no news or bad news.

Answer 2

Lack of spending on infrastructure. Most of this is stuff that's out of sight, and out of mind. When you see a bridge, do you see anything more than the railings, the road surface, etc? Probably not. Ever go underneath one, and look at the foundations that it rests on, or the metal girders that support it, or the bottom side of the road bed? Ever study the electrical grid that powers the country? Do you even know if the power lines in front of your house are on your side of the street, or the other side? Ever even notice the signs at intersections, the side of the road, etc. that says "Buried Pipeline", "Underground electrical cables", etc? If you're on a municipal water system, do you know if the pipes that supply your house are steel, plastic, or lead?

All this is out there, but since people never see it, they don't think about it. But events like this bridge collapse will start causing them to, and soon.

Answer 3

Infrastructure fails ultimately when its integrity fails. It could be for a number of reasons, even reasons that good funding and good inspectors can miss. Your question implies that this is systemic, but it's not, only 1 incident has happened.

Any politician that campaigns on restoring infrastructure would have been ridiculed in the past. People would claim they intend to give a no-bid contract to a buddy and spend money on a bridge rather than on the people. Now watch all the politicians pick it up as a selling point.

Answer 4

Spending taxpayer money on replacing infrastructure does not win votes for the politicians. Actually, it is partly the fault of the voters. I don't think much has been done about these problems since the depression which is what put many to work.

Answer 5

A and B and C: inadequate inspections.

I'd like to know who and how the inspections ocurred on that bridge. I drove on that bridge almost every week. I wish I had known that it was "defiicient" I would have driven a different route.

I think its also stinks that the Twins got the funding (most of it public funding) for their new stadium. I hope the Vikings never get a new stadium...at least nothing that's built with tax money.

Any politician who backs public funding of sports stadiums will never get my vote.

Answer 6

increased traffic, especially tractor-trailors which now seem to dominate the roadways... (consider the stress of an 80,000 pound load). The wear one truck does is equivalent to about 20,000 passenger cars.

Most of our highways were not designed for so much truck traffic

Answer 7

In this particular case, B. However, overall this is a bureaucracy problem. Things like this keep getting pushed back until something like this happens, then something gets done about it.

Answer 8

The national throw away mentality. Americans have forgotten how to maintain anything. If the bridge falls down build a new one.

Answer 9

a population explosion and simple lack of forethought.I never saw one post demanding our infrastructure be repaired as a priority,not one.Now everyone wants to point fingers.Please show ONE (1) post BEFORE the bridge where ANYBODY mentioned it.If you hadn't brought it up prior,stop pointing fingers

Answer 10

Well, besides the bridge falling down (the cause of which has yet to be officially released) what other examples of infastrucutre failures are you referring to?