America’s infrastructure woes

The survey by The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and Building America’s Future (BAF) revealed that 70% of manufacturers feel that the country’s infrastructure needs “quite a bit” or a “great deal of improvement.”

One respondent said that a major investment in infrastructure – specifically road, rail, seaports and energy is much needed to help strengthen American manufacturers’ competitive advantage over foreign competition.

“When you look at opportunities to improve and attract from competitor nations, it gets down to things like the quality of the road system”, they said.

Worryingly, only 2% of respondents felt that transportation by water – which includes ports, navigation channels and rivers, is improving at a pace to keep up with the needs of business. This puts it narrowly above bus transportation and road – which respondents say is the most ineffective form of transport.

Port Strategy revealed that Baltimore received The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) funding to help improve its infrastructure last week.

NAM is now calling for this federal funding to be more widespread, not only across the port industry, but the whole national transport sector.