How does ASCE define transportation?

Transportation refers to the movement of people and goods on a built network made up of aviation infrastructure, bridges, ports, inland waterways, rail, roads, and transit facilities. These assets form vital lifelines, allowing people to travel to work, school, and healthcare services and helping goods reach commercial destinations.

Related ASCE policy statements

Talking points

  1. Our country’s transportation system is a complex network that has experienced decades of underinvestment and continues to age. Sufficient funding remains an important need for transportation infrastructure. According to ASCE’s Bridging the Gap economic report, surface transportation needs from 2024-2033 total about $3.5 trillion. If funding levels included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) become the new baseline for annual investment, the surface transportation sector will have an anticipated investment of nearly $2.3 trillion and a funding gap of $1.2 trillion. However, if funding levels revert to pre-IIJA levels in 2027 (when the law’s authorized spending ends), the funding gap would grow to $1.8 trillion.
  2. ASCE strongly supported the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which provided a significant infusion of funds for transportation. However, while investments such as the IIJA helped halt the rapid growth of the nation’s infrastructure investment gap, reliable and sustained investment at all levels of government and the private sector is needed to bring the transportation system into a state of good repair. 
  3. Considering the many modes transportation encompasses, these assets face a diverse set of needs and reflected a wide range of grades on the 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. Earning a ‘B’, rail was the highest-scoring category, while transit received the poorest grade, a ‘D-’. 

ASCE advocacy highlights

ASCE staff contact

Eleanor Lamb - Senior Manager, Government Relations