♪ [♪♪♪] WITHOUT A 250 MILLION DOLLAR FIX WE ARE FACING A TOTAL CLOSURE OF THE BRIDGE.

>> WE ARE LIVING ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE BUILT BY OUR GREAT GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT, GREAT GRANDPARENTS.

>> WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A D AND THEN A D MINUS AND THEN FAILURE.

>> HELLO I'M BONNIE ERBE.

WELCOME TO A DOCUMENTARY EDITION OF TO THE CONTRARY.

SAY THE WORD INFRASTRUCTURE AND LET'S FACE IT MOST PEOPLE'S EYES GLAZE OVER.

BUT INFRASTRUCTURE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT OUR ROADS, OUR DAMS AND TRAINS AND ELECTRICAL SUPPLY AND WATER SUPPLY IS ALL THE FOUNDATION OF A ROBUST ECONOMY.

AND IF YOU THINK MORE, INFRASTRUCTURE DETERMINES OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.

A SOLID INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDES JOBS, ALLOWS DOMESTIC TRADE AS WELL AS DELIVERY AND EXPORT OF FOREIGN GOODS HELPING US TO COMPETE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY.

INFRASTRUCTURE ALSO KEEPS OUR COMMUNITIES CONNECTED AND SAFE.

WITH WATER AND SEWER SERVICES AND STORM PROTECTION ROUTES PROVIDING US WITH AN ENVIABLE LIFESTYLE ARGUABLY THE BEST IN THE WORLD.

BUT OVER THE YEARS OUR SPENDING ON MAINTENANCE HAS GONE DOWN AND OUR USE OF INFRASTRUCTURE HAS GONE UP.

LEAVE TO GO CRUMBLING AND IN CRITICAL CONDITION.

>> THE HEALTH OF AN ECONOMY, THE HEALTH OF THE ENVIRONMENT ALL THESE THINGS DEPEND ON KEEPING INFRASTRUCTURE UP-TO-DATE.

I MEAN, THIS COUNTRY'S ECONOMY WAS BUILT ON INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE EARLIEST DAYS OF THE ERIE CANAL TO THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM ALL THESE THINGS ARE THE BEDROCK FOUNDATION OF OUR ECONOMY.

>> THE QUESTION IS: DO WE AS A COUNTRY INVEST IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE?

AND THAT ANSWER IS NO.

>> THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS OR ACSE RELEASES A REPORT EVERY FOUR YEARS THAT GRADES 16 CATEGORIES OF OUR NATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE.

THEY ARE EVALUATED ON THE BASIS OF CAPACITY, CONDITION, FUNDING, FUTURE NEED, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.

PUBLIC SAFETY, RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION.

MOST OF THE GRADES ON THE CIVIL ENGINEER'S REPORT CARD ARE NOT PASSING.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE NATION'S RAILROADS RECEIVED ONE OF THE BETTER GRADES C PLUS.

ROADS AND WATER SYSTEMS RECEIVED A D. MEANING POOR.

THE OVERALL GRADE... >> THE 2013 REPORT CARD THE OVERALL GRADES D PLUS.

>> WHAT DO THE GRADES MEAN FOR PERSONAL SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE?

LET'S LOOK AT BRIDGES.

ASCE GAVE OUR BRIDGES A C PLUS.

MARYLAND LAWYER EXPLAINS THE IMPACT THAT TYPE OF GRADE CAN HAVE ON AN UNWITTING USER.

>> BACK IN FEBRUARY OF 2015 MY CLIENT WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY MARYLAND OUTSIDE WASHINGTON D.C. AS SHE WAS APPROACHING THE OVERPASS FOR THE BELTWAY WHICH IS A MAJOR ARTERY THAT GOES AROUND THE WASHINGTON D.C. AREA LARGE PIECES OF CONCRETE WHICH HAD COME LOOSE OVER YEARS FELL FROM THE BRIDGE OVERPASS AND LANDED ON HER CAR STARTED AT THE HOOD THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AND ROOF AND ON TO THE TRUNK.

SEVEN-NINE PIECES HAD FALLEN SIZES ABOUT THAT LARGE.

>> HIS CLIENT WAS NOT SERIOUSLY HURT BUT SHE IS TERRIFIED OF DRIVING UNDER AND OVER BRIDGES NOW.

>> WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED THERE WERE 81 BRIDGES THAT THE STATE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING THAT HAD BEEN DEEMED STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT AND THIS BRIDGE WHERE IT HAPPENED WAS ONE OF THE 81.

>> THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE.

ACCORDING TO ASCE, THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE NATION'S MORE THAN 6,000 BRIDGES IS 42 YEARS.

ONE IN NINE BRIDGES IS RATED AS STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT.

AND DURING THE LAST TWO DECADES, NEARLY 600 BRIDGES HAVE FAILED.

TWO OF THE DEADLIEST ACCIDENTS IN 2002 A 500-FOOT SECTION OF A BRIDGE SPANNING THE ARKANSAS RIVER IN WEBERS FALLS, OKLAHOMA COLLAPSED AFTER A BARGE RAN INTO ONE OF ITS SUPPORTS.

14 PEOPLE DIED.

AND IN MINNEAPOLIS IN 2007 THE CENTRAL SPAN OF THE I35 WEST BRIDGE COLLAPSED DURING RUSH-HOUR AS SEEN ON THIS CAMERA.

IT LEFT AT LEAST FOUR PEOPLE DEAD AND MANY MORE MISSING.

EVEN THE ICONIC 1930s MEMORIAL BRIDGE THE SYMBOLIC ENTRANCE TO WASHINGTON D.C. AND THE SYMBOL OF UNIFICATION BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR IS CRUMBLING.

THISSISTIC -- OWE THIS HISTORIC BRIDGE CONNECTS THE MEMORIALS.

ARLINGTON MEMORIAL BRIDGE IS IN NEED OF A $250 MILLION OVERHAUL AND THAT IS ENTIRELY OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TRANSPORTATION FUND FOR ALL OF 410 PARKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

WITHOUT A $250 MILLION FIX BY 2021 WE ARE FACING A TOTAL CLOSURE OF THE BRIDGE.

THAT IS A DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE BUT MOST IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE PEOPLE SAFE.

>> ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CLOSING COMES AT A COST.

>> ARLINGTON MEMORIAL BRIDGE IS USED BY 70,000 PEOPLE A DAY AND THE METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT CALCULATED THE TRAFFIC DELAY COSTS FROM A CLOSURE OF THE BRIDGE IN 2021 THE DELAY ALONE WOULD COST THE DISTRICT $74.5 MILLION A YEAR.

>> OTHER ROADS AND BRIDGES OVERSEEN BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ARE ALSO IN NEED OF REPAIR.

THOSE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DEFERRED DUE TO THE FACT THEY WOULD COST AN ESTIMATED $12 BILLION.

AND THERE'S NO BUDGET FOR IT.

THE LABORERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA IS SO CONCERNED ABOUT BRIDGES IT STARTED A WAKE-UP CALL.

>> WE CALL IT THE GET SCHOOLED ON INFRASTRUCTURE SCHOOL.

>> IT'S QUOTE GETTING SCHOOLED ON INFRASTRUCTURE CAMPAIGN INCLUDES: BILLBOARDS, RADIO ADS AND A NATIONWIDE TOUR OF A SCHOOL BUS WITH A SECTION OF A BRIDGE SMASHED ON ITS ROOF.

>> NONE OF US WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.

>> THE CONGRESSMAN IS USING THIS SMASHED UP BUS TO PROVE A POINT.

TODAY THE CONGRESSMAN WAS IN LOUISVILLE URGING CONGRESS TO PASS THE HIGHWAY BILL.

>> CONGRESS IS FIDELING.

>> WHAT WILL IT TAKE?

THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION ESTIMATES A HUGE NUMBER SOME 20.5 BILLION A YEAR TO ELIMINATE THE NATION'S BRIDGE DEFICIENT BACKLOG IN 12 YEARS.

JUST LESS THAN $13 BILLION WAS APPROVED BY CONGRESS FOR REPAIRS NOW ONGOING.

BUT FUNDING AND FIXING OUR BRIDGES IS NOT THE COUNTRY'S ONLY MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM.

THE NATION'S ROADS ARE ALSO DETERIORATING.

THEY RATED A D. MOST WERE BUILT 60 YEARS AGO UNDER THE 1956 FEDERAL HIGHWAY ACT.

AND WERE NEVER INTENDED FOR AS MANY CARS AS USE THEM NOW.

>> HOWEVER THE SOLUTION TO ALL THE PROBLEMS LIES MOST OF ALL IN PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING.

FOR ONLY WHEN EACH CITIZEN BECOMES BETTER INFORMED ABOUT HIS STATE'S HIGHWAY PROGRAM CAN THE NATION MEET THE HIGHWAY CHALLENGE SO THE BETTER, SAFER ROADS OF TOMORROW WILL BECOME THE ROADS OF TODAY.

>> IF YOU GO BACK TO THE BIRTH OF THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM IN THE 1950s, IN THE 1950 CENSUS THE AMERICAN POPULATION WAS 161 MILLION PEOPLE.

AND OF COURSE WHEN THEY STARTED BUILDING THOSE HIGHWAYS IN THE 50s THEY PROJECTED IN A CERTAIN FAIRLY ROBUST POPULATION INCREASE.

BUT THEY WERE NOT IMAGINING A DOUBLING OF THE U.S. POPULATION IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

>> ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS BUREAU, THE U.S. POPULATION AT 319 MILLION TWO YEARS AGO OR SO IS SUPPOSED TO RISE TO 417 MILLION AMERICANS BY THE YEAR 2060.

THAT IS ALMOST 100 MILLION MORE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY THE MAJORITY WILL HAVE BEEN BORN OVERSEAS OR WILL BE THE CHILDREN OF THOSE WHO ARE BORN OVERSEAS.

AND U.S. POPULATION GROWTH IS ONE FACTOR AMONG SEVERAL ACCOUNTING FOR THE DETERIORATION OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM.

>> I WOULD SAY OUR POPULATION IS GROWING TOO RAPIDLY.

IMMIGRATION HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON U.S. INFRASTRUCTURE PRIMARILY THROUGH DRIVING RAPID POPULATION GROWTH.

THE MORE PEOPLE WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY THE MORE ROADS, THE MORE BRIDGES.

DOESN'T MEAN THAT IMMIGRANTS ARE BAD PEOPLE IT MEANS THAT YOU CAN HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE.

AND I THINK WE'VE REACHED THAT POINT RIGHT NOW.

>> THAT POINT CAN BE SEEN IN COMMUTING TIME AND THE STRESS THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT.

DAN WANTED HIS CHILDREN TO GROW UP IN A SMALL TOWN ATMOSPHERE BUT HE DID NOT WANT TO GIVE UP HIS RESTAURANT MANAGER'S JOB IN THE HEART OF WASHINGTON D.C. FOR 17 YEARS HE HAS BEEN DRIVING 100 MILES EACH WAY DOOR-TO-DOOR.

ON ONE OF THE MOST CONGESTED ROADS IN AMERICA.

I66.

>> WHEN I FIRST STARTED DOING THE COMMUTE IT WAS ABOUT AN HOUR AND 25 MINUTES AND NOW UP TO TWO HOURS GIVE OR TAKE DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF DAY.

IF I LEAVE EARLIER IT CAN BE UP TO THREE-AND-A-HALF HOURS.

IF I AM IN THE HEART OF RUSH-HOUR.

IF I LEAVE AT 5:00 P.M.

IT COULD TAKE ME THREE-FOUR HOURS TO GET HOME.

SNOWSTORMS IT'S WORSE.

MY WORST COMMUTE HAS BEEN SEVEN HOURS TO GET HOME.

>> THAT COMMUTING TIME CHIPS AWAY AT HIS QUALITY OF LIFE.

>> FOUR HOURS OF DAY COMMUTING I LOSE FAMILY TIME AND WORK TIME.

I ACCOMPLISH A LOT ON THE PHONE BUT THERE IS A LOT THAT I DON'T DO BECAUSE I AM NOT IN THE RIGHT SPOT.

>> ACCORDING TO THE 2015 URBAN MOBILITY SCORECARD ON AVERAGE NATIONWIDE COMMUTERS LOST 6.9 BILLION HOURS OF PRODUCTIVITY WHILE STUCK IN TRAFFIC.

AT THE SAME TIME THEY CREATE A HUGE AMOUNT OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

COMMUTERS LOST THREE BILLION GALLONS OF FUEL TO TRAFFIC DELAYS IN 2014 AND CREATED ALL THE POLLUTION THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT WASTED FOSSIL FUEL.

>> IF YOUR COMMUNITY IS GROWING THEN THAT TWO-LANE HIGHWAY IS NOT SUFFICIENT.

SO MAYBE IT'S IN FAIRLY DECENT CONDITION BUT IT'S NO LONGER SERVING THE POPULATION THE WAY IT NEEDS TO BE SERVED.

>> TO AVOID THE OVERCROWDED ROADS MANY USE MASS TRANSIT.

BUT ACCORDING TO THE ASCE THE TRANSIT SECTOR IS NOT DOING ITS JOB.

IT WAS GRADED D. THE REASON?

45% OF AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS LACK ACCESS TO TRANSIT ENTIRELY.

MILLIONS OF OTHERS HAVE INADEQUATE SERVICE PLAGUED BY SAFETY PROBLEMS, COMPOUNDED BY AGING EQUIPMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

BOSTON LAUNCHED THE NATION'S FIRST MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM IN 1897.

THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS THE T LINE.

THE NATION'S OLDEST SYSTEM NOW HAS A $3 BILLION MAINTENANCE BACKLOG AND SPENDS ALMOST $500 MILLION EACH YEAR JUST TO KEEP THE RAIL LINES FROM DETERIORATING FURTHER.

THE CITY'S 2016 BUDGET CONTAINED LESS THAN $100 MILLION FOR MAINTENANCE.

NEW YORK CITY'S SUBWAY IS THE COUNTRY'S BUSIEST SYSTEM WITH ALMOST 5.7 MILLION RIDERS DAILY.

UP BY HALF A MILLION DAILY RIDERS IN FIVE YEARS.

IT'S MORE THAN 100 YEARS OLD.

ALTHOUGH WASHINGTON D.C.'S METRO, THE SECOND BUSIEST PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM IS ONLY 40 YEARS OLD IT HAS SUFFERED A SERIES OF CASUALTIES WHEN INFRASTRUCTURE FAILED.

IN 2009 TWO TRAINS COLLIDED WHEN THE AUTOMATIC CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED.

NINE PEOPLE DIED AND MORE THAN 70 WERE INJURED.

MULTIPLE FIRES ON THE TRACKS HAVE CLOSED THE SYSTEM REPEATEDLY.

A 2015 FIRE ON THE TRACKS LEFT PEOPLE STRANDED IN A SMOKE-FILLED CAR KILLING ONE PERSON AND INJURING DOZENS OF OTHERS.

>> DOES METRO'S PROBLEM AND A LOT OF THE ISSUES REFLECTS THE LARGER STATE OF THE COUNTRY'S INFRASTRUCTURE ESPECIALLY TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.

ARE WE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IS GOING WRONG WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION FUNDING?

>> A LOT OF SAME TRENDS THAT YOU SEE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

TRANSIT, HIGHWAY, YOU NAME IT YOU LOOK AT ANY OF THE INDUSTRY GROUPS AND THEY HAVE A LAUNDRY LIST OF NEEDS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN MET AND HAVE BEEN KICKED DOWN THE ROAD.

AND THEY COME TO BACK TO HAUNT US.

>> THOSE NEEDS DID COME BACK TO HAUNT METRO.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS HISTORY, NINE DAYS LATER, DC METRO SHUTDOWN THE HE ENTIRE SYSTEM FOR 24 HOURS.

THAT LEFT ITS 700,000 DAILY COMMUTERS LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS STAYED HOME.

INCLUDING FEDERAL WORKERS WHO WERE GIVEN LIBERAL LEAVE.

>> SINCE WE BEGAN AT MIDNIGHT METRO TEAMS HAVE IDENTIFIED 26 AREAS WHERE DAMAGED CABLES AND CONNECTORS EXISTS.

IF YOU LOOK AT THIS MAP AS OF 5:00 P.M., WE FOUND 26 DEFECTED AREAS AND COMPLETED 919 OF THE ZONES AND HAVE THREE MORE TO DO.

THE RED MARKS ARE WHAT WE HAVE CALLED SHOW STOPPERS WHERE WE WOULD NOT BE RUNNING TRAINS IF WE CAME UPON THESE CONDITIONS.

>> THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS RELYING ON PASSENGER TRAINS IS RISING.

ACCORDING TO THE ASCE BOTH FREIGHT AND PASSENGER TRAIN COMPANIES DO INVEST BUT THE SECTOR RECEIVED A C PLUS BECAUSE MAINTENANCE BUDGETS ARE NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO MAKE THE WHOLE SYSTEM SOUND.

IN MAY 2015 A TRAIN ACCIDENT IN PHILADELPHIA KILLED EIGHT PEOPLE AND SENT HUNDREDS TO THE HOSPITAL.

THE TRAIN WAS TAKING A CURVE WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 50-MILES-PER-HOUR AT 106-MILES-PER-HOUR.

THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS NEVER DETERMINED.

THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD HAS RULED OUT ISSUES WITH THE LOCOMOTIVE TRACK OR TRAIN SIGNALS.

INVESTIGATORS WERE LOOKING INTO POSSIBLE HUMAN ERROR.

THE ACCIDENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE TRAIN HAD POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL.

THAT IS AN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY DESIGNED TO AUTOMATICALLY STOP TRAINS.

CONGRESSMAN DATED ALL RAILROADS INSTALL IT BY THE END OF 2015.

BUT DUE TO ITS COST MANY RAILROADS HAVE YET TO COMPLY.

THE NTSB SAID WITHOUT IT EVERYBODY ON A TRAIN IS ONE HUMAN ERROR AWAY FROM AN ACCIDENT.

OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS ARE ALSO ATROPHYING.

AMERICA'S RELYING ON A SET OF AGING PIPELINES AND ELECTRICAL GRID DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS SOME OF WHICH DATE BACK TO THE 1880s.

THAT IS WHY THIS SECTOR RECEIVED A D PLUS.

ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, AMERICANS ARE EXPERIENCING AN INCREASING NUMBER OF INTERMITTENT POWER DISRUPTIONS AND ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO CYBER ATTACKS.

THE ENGINEER'S REPORT NOTES DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY IS LEVEL, THE AVAILABILITY OF ENERGY IN THE FORM OF ELECTRICITY, NATURAL GAS AND OIL WILL BECOME A GREATER CHALLENGE AFTER 2020 AS THE POPULATION INCREASES.

>> WHAT FRIGHTENS ME TO BE HONEST IS THAT IT IS A SLOW, STEADY DECAY.

SO WHEN YOU HAVE A BROWNOUT, AND YOU ARE A YOUNG PERSON AND IT HAPPENS ONCE AND THEN A COUPLE YEARS LATER IT HAPPENS AND A COUPLE MONTHS LATER IT HAPPENS, IT'S SLOW AND STEADY.

BUT IF YOU ASK THAT YOUNG PERSON'S PARENTS WE NEVER HAD THOSE.

SO IT IS A SLOW AND STEADY DECAY.

>> DAMAGE TO OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES CAN BE SEEN OR FELT AS WE HAVE DESCRIBED EARLIER.

BUT LESS SO WITH THE COUNTRY'S MORE THAN 84,000 DAMS.

THEY PROVIDE WATER FOR DRINKING, IRRIGATION AND HYDRO POWER.

DAMS WERE ISSUED A D BY THE CIVIL ENGINEERS.

THE REASON?

MORE THAN 28,000 DAMS ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF ALL DAMS IN THE U.S. ARE ALREADY MORE THAN 50 YEARS OLD.

AND THAT'S THE STANDARD INTENDED LIFESPAN.

MANY OF THESE DAMS WERE ALSO BUILT AS LOW HAZARD DAMS PROTECTING UNDEVELOPED AGRICULTURAL LAND.

THE INCREASING U.S. POPULATION HAS LED TO GREATER DEVELOPMENT BELOW DAMS.

SO THE OVERALL NUMBER OF HIGH HAZARD DAMS MEANING THERE ARE AT RISK OF SOME SORT OF FAILURE AND CAUSING LOSS OF LIFE, CONTINUES TO RISE.

THE ASSOCIATION OF DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS ESTIMATES IT WOULD COST $21 BILLION TO REPAIR THE AGING, YET CRITICAL HIGH HAZARD DAMS BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OWNS AND REGULATES ONLY 4% OF THE NATION'S DAMS.

THE OTHERS ARE OWNED BY STATES, MANY STATES ARE STILL EXPERIENCING DEFICITS AS A RESULT OF THE RECESSION.

SO EXPERTS SAY IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY THEY WILL FIND THE MONEY FOR MAINTENANCE.

AND WHAT IS THE ESTIMATED COST TO FIX THE NATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS?

>> IT'S ABOUT 3.6 TRILLION BY 2020 THAT WE NEED TO INVEST IN ORDER TO GET OUR GRADES UP.

IN ALL 16 SECTORS.

PART OF THAT 3.6 TRILLION IS THERE ALREADY.

BUT THERE IS A GAP.

SO A LITTLE LESS THAN HALF WE DON'T HAVE FUNDING FOR RIGHT NOW.

>> CONGRESS APPROVED SOME MONEY IN 2015 AND PRESIDENT OBAMA SIPED INTO LAW A FIVE-YEAR $305 BILLION HIGHWAY BILL FOR TRANSIT PROGRAMS.

>> THIS WILL BE THE BIGGEST JOBS BILL PASSED BY THIS CONGRESS.

THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN DO MORE FOR THE AMERICAN ECONOMY THAN MAKING THE LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS PUTTING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO WORK, REBUILDING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND IT ALSO DOESN'T JUST GO TO CONSTRUCTION.

DESIGN, ENGINEERING AND SMALL BUSINESS AS DO HIGHWAY CONTRACTS IT HAS A MAJOR INVESTMENT IN TRANSIT.

>> THE FIXING AMERICA'S SURFACE TRANSPORTATION OR FAST ACT HAS MONEY IN IT TO IMPROVE ROADWAY SAFETY.

STREAMLINE THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING PROCESS.

AND ENHANCE THE LEVEL OF PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.

IT ALSO DEDICATED 1.5 BILLION TOWARD IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NATION'S FREIGHT PROGRAM TO BOOST U.S. ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS.

ANOTHER REASON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS IN DIRE STRAITS IS POLITICALLY, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO RALLY VOTERS AROUND SUCH A BROAD CONCEPT.

FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT AL GORE TRIED TO MAKE CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT AN ISSUE IN HIS LOSING 2000 PRESIDENTIAL BID.

>> IN THIS ELECTION, THE ENVIRONMENT ITSELF IS ON THE BALLOT AND THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US.

I WILL NEVER PUT POLLUTERS IN CHARGE OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS.

>> HE TALKED ABOUT ADDING ROADS TO REDUCE SPRAWL AND ENDING POLLUTION, TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE.

IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT WAS IN ALL THE MAJOR CANDIDATES' PLATFORMS.

ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE, HILLARY CLINTON PLEDGED TO BOOST FEDERAL INVESTMENT BY 275 BILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

BERNIE SANDERS INTRODUCED THE REBUILD AMERICA ACT OF 2015.

THAT WOULD HAVE INVESTED A TRILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TOWARD REBUILDING AND EXPANDING ON INFRASTRUCTURE.

ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, DONALD TRUMP SAID IF HE WERE IN THE WHITE HOUSE HE WOULD FIX THE COUNTRY'S AGING INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM.

AND IT WOULD BE DONE ON TIME ON BUDGET AND WAY BELOW COST.

JOHN KASICH FOCUSED ON TRANSPORTATION.

HE WOULD DIRECT POLICY AUTHORITY FUNDING AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE STATES.

TED CRUZ'S SOLUTION WAS TO ABOLISH THE REGULATIONS.

HE SAID GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO GET OUT OF THE WAY SO PEOPLE CAN DO WHAT THEY DO BEST: INNOVATE, EXPAND AND CREATE NEW JOBS.

GETTING AWAY FROM THE NATIONAL POLITICAL REALM SOME SAY THE SOLUTION LIES IN PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, PRIVATE FIRMS, FINANCIERS AND PHILANTHROPIES.

THOSE SECTORS SHOULD COME TOGETHER TO BOLSTER OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.

MARYLAND PURSUED THIS APPROACH FOR A 16-MILE EXTENSION OF MASS TRANSIT CALLED THE PURPLE LINE.

ESTIMATES ARE THAT IT WILL SERVE 69,000 DAILY RIDERS IN 2030.

>> I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THIS DECISION WAS NEVER ABOUT WHETHER PUBLIC TRANSIT WAS WORTHWHILE BUT WHETHER IT IS AFFORDABLE AND MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE.

UNDER OUR MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE COST-EFFECTIVE VERSION OF THE PURPLE LINE, THE STATE'S SHARE OF THE PROJECT WILL BE 168 MILLION DOLLARS.

A FRACTION OF THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WHICH IT WOULD HAVE COST THE STATE CLOSE TO 700 MILLION.

>> BUT CRITICS SAY BUILDING MORE ROADS AND ADDING INFRASTRUCTURE IS THAT THE SOLUTION BECAUSE IT LEADS TO MASSIVE SPRAWL AND OVERDEVELOPMENT LOWERING THE QUALITY OF LIFE.

>> I THINK IT'S TIME FOR AMERICANS TO REALLY ASK OURSELVES WHAT IS THE END GAME WITH ALL THIS?

I MEAN DO WE WANT TO PAVE THE COUNTRY?

SO THAT WE'RE STUCK IN TRAFFIC WHEREVER WE GO?

IT'S TIME FOR US TO SAY WE'VE FILLED UP THE CONTINENT AND WE HAVE PLENTY OF PEOPLE.

AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DOUBLE OUR POPULATION IN THE NEXT 70 YEARS.

WITH ALL THE FURTHER DEMANDS FOR MORE TAXATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WOULD COME WITH THAT.

LET'S GET A HANDLE ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS NOW.

INSTEAD OF JUST ADDING MORE TO THEM THROUGH IMMIGRATION-DRIVEN POPULATION GROWTH.

>> PHILLIP HOWARD FOUNDED COMMON GOOD AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE IDEA THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ITS ACTIONS.

HE HAS A DIFFERENT VIEW OF WHY OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS IN BAD SHAPE.

>> THERE MAYBE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NEAR SAY THE SOUTHERN BORDER WHERE THERE ARE TEMPERATURE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND THAT IT CREATED A HOUSING CRISIS AND MAYBE TRAFFIC JAMS.

BYE-BYE AND LARGE, THE -- BUT BY AND LARGE THE CONGESTION OF THE ROAD AND THE RAILS AND THE POWER LINES IT'S INCONCEIVABLE THAT THOSE ISSUES HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE MARGINAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS.

>> HOWARD BLAMES THE AGE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

>> WE ARE LIVING ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE BUILT BY OUR GREAT GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT, GREAT GRANDPARENTS.

>> HE ALSO BLAMES RED TAPE.

>> IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF FINANCES OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

IT REALLY IS FUNDAMENTALLY A QUESTION OF NO ONE HAS THE ABILITY TO SAY GO.

WE CREATED A SYSTEM WHERE TO GET A PERMIT FOR ANY MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE YOU ARE NOT GOING TO THE GOVERNMENT.

YOU ARE GOING TO 30 DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS.

BECAUSE THE FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERS ITSELF AND THE CORE OF ENGINEERS THE KEEPER OF THE FLAME AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY ARE ALL SORT OF THE KEEPER OF THE FLAME.

BUT THE RULES CANNOT BE RECONCILED.

>> WHATEVER THE SOLUTIONS COMMUTERS SUCH AS DAN WOULD LIKE IMPROVEMENTS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

>> YEARS AGO BY 10:00 YOU WOULD HAVE THE HIGHWAY TO YOURSELF.

NOW AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S 11:00 AND WE ARE STILL IN SLOW TRAFFIC WE ARE DOING 40-MILES-PER-HOUR AND THERE'S CARS EVERYWHERE.

IF I HAD THE EXTRA TIME I COULD SPEND MORE TIME AT HOME WITH THE FAMILY.

IF I HAD ALL THE -- IF I ADD UP I SPENT 20, 40-HOUR WORK WEEKS IN THE CAR.

[♪♪♪] FOR A TRANSCRIPT OR TO SEE AN ON-LINE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE OF TO THE CONTRARY VISIT PBS.ORG/TOTHECONTRARY.

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