Below desirable standards...
Why did the bridge collapse? Civil engineers and government contracts going to the lowest bidder.
On the don't tell me what I don't want to hear phenomena gripping this country.
Irony, two things in the news today, juxtaposed, exposing a real problem... consider the firing of Bill Proenza, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, who issued a warning about possible catastrophic failure of a crucial satellite. The claim was that he was fired for exaggerating and unnecessarily causing panic about this satellite, whose replacement was pushed back to 2016. Ummm... yeah. The satellite predicts the intensity and path of hurricanes, pretty useful sort of info...
And on the other hand, a bridge collapses into the Mississippi River, and we find out, oh, well, 30% of bridges ARE BELOW DESIRABLE STANDARDS.
A table from http://www.tripnet.org/LouisianaStudyJan2007.pdf
On Louisiana's infrastructure's undesirability
GRADE COMMENT
Roads: F
Nearly half of Louisiana’s major roads and highways have pavements in poor or mediocre condition. In 2005 (the latest year for which data is available), 22 percent of Louisiana’s roads were rated in poor condition, and an additional 25 percent were rated in mediocre condition.
Bridges: D-
Bridge conditions in Louisiana are below desirable standards. Fifteen percent of Louisiana’s bridges are rated as structurally deficient and 17 percent are functionally obsolete.
Congestion: C
Vehicle travel on Louisiana’s major roads increased 55 percent from 1990 to 2005, creating increased stress on the state’s roads. Twenty-eight percent of Louisiana’s urban Interstates, other highways or freeways are considered congested because they carry a level of traffic that is likely to result in significant delays during peak travel hours. With a nearly 100
percent increase in vehicle travel anticipated on major highways in the state by 2030, traffic congestion will worsen unless the state improves its transportation system.
Safety F
More than 4,700 people were killed in traffic accidents in Louisiana from 2001 through 2005. Louisiana’s traffic fatality rate of 2.1 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel is 40 percent higher than the national average of 1.5. Roadway safety features such as widened lanes, added or improved medians, improved intersection design, paved shoulders and
added rumble strips, where appropriate, can reduce the number of traffic fatalities and serious accidents.
Funding D
The Louisiana Department of Transportation estimates a total funding backlog of nearly $12 billion in 2007, which is expected to increase to $15 billion by 2010. Louisiana faces a significant challenge in maintaining and rehabilitating its aging highway system and providing additional lane capacity to meet growing travel demand.
On the don't tell me what I don't want to hear phenomena gripping this country.
Irony, two things in the news today, juxtaposed, exposing a real problem... consider the firing of Bill Proenza, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, who issued a warning about possible catastrophic failure of a crucial satellite. The claim was that he was fired for exaggerating and unnecessarily causing panic about this satellite, whose replacement was pushed back to 2016. Ummm... yeah. The satellite predicts the intensity and path of hurricanes, pretty useful sort of info...
And on the other hand, a bridge collapses into the Mississippi River, and we find out, oh, well, 30% of bridges ARE BELOW DESIRABLE STANDARDS.
A table from http://www.tripnet.org/LouisianaStudyJan2007.pdf
On Louisiana's infrastructure's undesirability
GRADE COMMENT
Roads: F
Nearly half of Louisiana’s major roads and highways have pavements in poor or mediocre condition. In 2005 (the latest year for which data is available), 22 percent of Louisiana’s roads were rated in poor condition, and an additional 25 percent were rated in mediocre condition.
Bridges: D-
Bridge conditions in Louisiana are below desirable standards. Fifteen percent of Louisiana’s bridges are rated as structurally deficient and 17 percent are functionally obsolete.
Congestion: C
Vehicle travel on Louisiana’s major roads increased 55 percent from 1990 to 2005, creating increased stress on the state’s roads. Twenty-eight percent of Louisiana’s urban Interstates, other highways or freeways are considered congested because they carry a level of traffic that is likely to result in significant delays during peak travel hours. With a nearly 100
percent increase in vehicle travel anticipated on major highways in the state by 2030, traffic congestion will worsen unless the state improves its transportation system.
Safety F
More than 4,700 people were killed in traffic accidents in Louisiana from 2001 through 2005. Louisiana’s traffic fatality rate of 2.1 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel is 40 percent higher than the national average of 1.5. Roadway safety features such as widened lanes, added or improved medians, improved intersection design, paved shoulders and
added rumble strips, where appropriate, can reduce the number of traffic fatalities and serious accidents.
Funding D
The Louisiana Department of Transportation estimates a total funding backlog of nearly $12 billion in 2007, which is expected to increase to $15 billion by 2010. Louisiana faces a significant challenge in maintaining and rehabilitating its aging highway system and providing additional lane capacity to meet growing travel demand.