Infrastructure Maintenance andRenewal
Challenges for Local Government
Agencies in the USASCEJapanof Civil Engineers
AnnualSociety
Conference
Annual Conference 2013
Christine F. Andersen, P.E.

Local Government (Cities and Counties)
Infrastructure Systems

 Transportation
 Airport
 Water Utility
 Wastewater Utility
 Public Buildings and Grounds

Transportation Funding in US
 Federal Highway Trust Fund (1956)
 Federal, State and Local Roles
 Shifting Resource/Revenue since 1956

Highway Expenditure byGovernment Type

Revenue vs. Service Delivery
Responsibilities

Transportation System Owners

Federal, State and Local
Transportation Funding

California Example ofTransportation Funding Transportation Funding in California
includes: Federal (HTF allocation)
 State (State User Taxes)
 Local (General Fund and “Self Help” funding)

Highway Maintenance Responsibility
by Agency in California

California Local Agency Funding
Initiatives
 “Self Help” Counties have successfully
achieved super-majority voter approval fortransportation funding measures.
 19 of the 58 Counties in California are in thiscategory and represent 81% of the populationof the State.
 Santa Barbara County passed ½ cent sales tax
dedicated to Transportation funding in 1989and extended the measure in 2008 (for another30 years)

Pavement Condition Trends inCalifornia (by County)California Transportation Funding
Need for Local Systems
 Statewide report shows a transportation
funding shortfall of over $82 billion over thenext 10 years.
 Current funding level of $2.5 billion per year
would require an additional $1.9 billion per year
just to maintain status quo.
 Ongoing deferred road maintenance will create
greater transportation, economic andenvironmental impacts.

Definitions of Sustainability forTransportation Systems
 Definitions include: “Meeting the needs of thepresent without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.”
 With limited funding it is critical to ensure thatbest use of resources are chosen to achievesustainable transportation

New Strategies for Sustainable
Transportation
 Research and Development is not a local
agency function
 Dependence upon Federal and State
Transportation Agencies and Universities for
Research (Transportation Research Board[TRB]) Pavement Management Systems havebecome a standard asset management tool for
all Transportation Agencies and have helped incommunicating the problem.

Elements of Sustainability
 Seven Sustainability Factors:
 Virgin Material Usage Alternative Material Usage
 Pavement In-service Monitoring Noise Mitigation
 Air Quality/Emissions Mitigation
 Water Quality
 Energy Usage

Pavement Preservation
 Recycling, reusing and reclaiming materials
are prevalent strategies used by most Local
Agencies.

 Use of Alternative Materials is less prevalentbecause of dependence on research to support
long-term performance before adoption byLocal Agencies.

Sustainability Research Needs forTransportation
 Need for research to develop fundamental data on therelative environmental sustainability of common
pavement maintenance treatments.
 Need for treatment specific life-cycle assessment andcost analysis methods that include values for factors
such as: carbon sequestration, resource renewability.
 Need for research to quantify the contribution thatcrack sealing makes to environmental sustainability of
all types of pavement surfaces and its appropriate rolein sustainable pavement preservation andmaintenance.

Other Local Government
Infrastructure System Needs
 Airports are funded through the Federal Airport TrustFund and user fees and leases.
 For Water and Wastewater Utilities the funding comesfrom user fees and tends to be adequate for operationsbut limited for capital program needs. The reliability offees makes bonding and other loan programs
reasonable options for funding.
 Public Buildings and Grounds compete with other
General Fund programs and are more challenging tofund adequately.

Sustainability Goals for Local
Agency Infrastructure All systems must utilize cost effective andsustainable strategies to meet operation andmaintenance requirements into the future.
 Tools like the Institute for Sustainability
envISIon certification program for non-building
infrastructure are gaining support.
 Life-cycle costing and environmental
sustainability factors help to reinforce
maintenance and construction practices thatrecognize long-term impacts and needs.

Questions