Infrastructure
It’s an ongoing, multitrillion-dollar challenge to build new and maintain existing infrastructure. This section will explore forward-looking approaches to funding, building and maintaining roads, highways, rail and broadband, as well as water and other utilities.
They’re the foundation of our evolving economy, defining the next generation of growth. Their resource use is misunderstood. And they’re a boon for rural communities.
At the Western Governors’ Association workshop in Denver, officials discussed how to modernize transmission, permitting and funding to meet a projected 20-35 percent surge in electricity demand.
Glitches in signal timing, breakdowns and crowding marred the Metro Express debut, as officials ask riders for patience during a 90-day period to fix the new rapid-transit system.
After federal delays and political shifts, the state’s long-awaited broadband expansion is starting over with half the funding — leaving millions of Texans still offline and waiting.
With up to 50 million residents projected by 2070, researchers say the state must invest as much as $154 billion in reuse systems, desalination and aquifer recharge to avoid future shortages.
A newly approved energy package could help nursing homes and assisted-living facilities weather heat waves and cold snaps by bolstering backup power and infrastructure.
The campaign challenges policymakers to experience the city’s transportation inequities firsthand — where one in five serious crashes involves a pedestrian.
After removing 136 malfunctioning cameras, state transportation officials are rebuilding their surveillance network to improve safety and visibility.
Geothermal energy is a reliable, low-emission power source that can repurpose abandoned oil and gas wells. New engineering techniques are attracting rising levels of investment.
Fueled by explosive growth in population and industry, Texas’ total energy use has risen 21 percent since 2007 even as the nation’s overall consumption declined.
Local leaders see data centers, which help power the world’s shift to artificial intelligence, as a way to keep their towns open. Residents worry their way of life — and water — is at stake.
Officials have denied public access to findings on the Gas Co. Tower, one of the city’s tallest buildings, even as engineers warn it could be unusable after a major earthquake without costly retrofits.
Researchers are building the case for putting nuclear microreactors in all sorts of places. Developers will need to work with communities to understand their hopes, concerns and priorities.
With storms intensifying faster, officials consider widening shoulders for emergency travel lanes, though costs and infrastructure gaps challenge implementation.
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Prince William County courts removed service barriers with self-service kiosks, giving residents faster, fairer access; cutting lines; improving data; and freeing staff for higher-value work.
The administration has eliminated funding for many local projects it deems "hostile" to motor vehicles.
Statesville cited economic benefits in rezoning 330 acres of farmland, even as residents warned of noise, pollution and lost rural character.
Gov. Kotek’s order is aimed at making state buildings resilient to “The Big One” so they can be used as staging areas for emergency response and recovery.
In response to high pedestrian fatalities and chronic congestion, a state plan will pay for improvements near schools throughout the state.
Cities and counties are asking Congress to include more direct funding for local projects in the next transportation bill. States are fighting to protect existing formulas.
Akron, Ohio, reopened a major downtown park after a $17 million renovation last year, part of a strategy to promote downtown growth by investing in public spaces.
With 933 pedestrian fatalities over the past decade, officials are pursuing traffic calming, sidewalk improvements and faster emergency response to save lives.
Projects seeking as much as 10,000 megawatts risk doubling statewide demand, raising concerns about how to shield residential ratepayers.
A grid spanning 13 states can’t meet soaring electricity demand. An outside analytics firm recommends that large data centers generate their own.
With city agencies citing budget and compliance hurdles, some Los Angeles residents are responding to infrastructure inaction by painting their own paths.
Denver’s new sidewalk program shifts the responsibility from property owners to the city. It’s a far-reaching plan to improve thousands of miles of infrastructure.
The funding comes amid an immigration crackdown and growing pressure on states to build temporary facilities, raising fiscal, legal and environmental questions.
Tucked into President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill, the new rural health fund has state leaders rushing to design plans. But clinic advocates worry vague guidance and uneven distribution could dilute its impact.
Local officials report crowds disrupting flood recovery efforts, raising new questions about managing public access, privacy and safety after natural disasters.
The rapid growth in data centers is prompting pushback from states concerned that new tech infrastructure will push up energy costs for residents.
A deal that would have raised billions for the state’s roads, bridges and transit imploded in the last days of the legislative session. The path forward isn’t clear, but layoff notices are already going out.
