TFTT Report
U.S. Conference of Mayors: Aging Infrastructure is Top Concern
The U.S. Conference of Mayors just released a survey that examined “a broad spectrum of mayoral challenges and contemporary urban realities.” Not surprisingly, aging infrastructure, including water and wastewater systems, “weigh[ed] most heavily on the mind of mayors.”
More than 40% of the mayors surveyed indicated concern about water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure, ranking only behind roads and mass transit as areas in need of investment. (p.9)
Further frustrating mayors is the realization that state and federal governments are limited in how they can address these enormous and significantly expensive challenges.
“While mayors most often must partner with state and federal government to address these priorities, they express limited confidence in the ability of either to adequately help them solve their challenges.” (p. 3)
Mayors also recognize that, in many cases, public-private partnerships are the best vehicle for addressing infrastructure challenges.
“Similarly, mayors appear to be somewhat optimistic about the ‘extent [to which] local public-private partnerships [can] substitute for state and/or federal support’ with the mean response indicating that these partnerships can substitute ‘some.’” (p. 10)
Read the full report here: http://www.usmayors.org/meninosurvey/2015/2015survey-finalreport.pdf