KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Dec. 16, 2009) -- Signs were posted, jobs created and roads repaved, but most Americans are still waiting for better infrastructure.

Despite the largest investment in infrastructure since the creation of the Interstate Highway System more than 50 years ago, the latest America THINKS survey commissioned by HNTB Corporation found more than 7 in 10 (71 percent) Americans feel infrastructure in their area has stayed the same or worsened since stimulus funds began flowing to projects across the country.

“I have no doubt the stimulus plan is an invaluable tool that supports much needed investment in infrastructure, jobs and the generation of future economic growth,” said Paul Yarossi, president of HNTB Holdings Ltd. “But it’s clear the vast majority of Americans have yet to feel its impact personally.”

In announcing his recommendations for encouraging job creation in early December, President Barack Obama noted that 10,000 infrastructure-related projects have been funded and that more projects would ramp up in the next six months than in the preceding six months.

While a majority of Americans (58 percent) say they’re willing to pay more today -- keeping the state of the economy in mind -- for national infrastructure that is energy-efficient and less wasteful to save money and resources in the long run, that support is down from late February and early March (68 percent in a previous HNTB poll), before the stimulus was finalized and signed into law.

Almost unchanged from last winter are Americans preferences for prioritizing infrastructure investments, with highway and bridge maintenance and new construction most important (54 percent), followed by public transit (18 percent) and improving safety and reducing congestion at airports (11 percent).

Without seeing much of an impact, less than 2 in 5 (39 percent) Americans agree the country has properly prioritized stimulus spending. Complicating matters further is an impression among nearly 3 in 4 (72 percent) Americans that at least one infrastructure component hasn’t been adequately addressed by the stimulus plan. There also is a persistent lack of confidence among most Americans (61 percent) that taxes paid to build roads in their area are used well and make a difference (unchanged from earlier this year).

Rx for infrastructure spending: A clear vision
More than 4 in 5 (83 percent) Americans agree the nation needs a federal transportation plan that establishes investment and spending priorities. Yarossi says it’s crucial the Obama administration and others in Washington establish a clear vision of where the country should be in 20 or 30 years and deliver funding to projects that bring that vision into focus.

“The road ahead may be rough, but we’ve reached a point where long-term investment decisions must be made. It’s time for a bold vision of the future, as revolutionary and transformative as the Interstate Highway System was a half century ago.”

In his recent announcement at the Brookings Institute, President Obama called for the expansion of some American Recovery and Reinvestment Act programs, spending an additional $50 billion on roads, bridges, aviation and water projects. He also called for increased tax breaks for small businesses and rebates for consumers who retrofit their homes to consume less energy.

“Creating a more sustainable system can provide a solid foundation for a fuller vision of our country’s infrastructure future,” Yarossi said. Among Americans willing to allocate more of their tax dollars to infrastructure issues (81 percent), more than half (54 percent) are willing to spend on renewable energy, energy efficiency and other sustainable practices. “Yet we still lack a consensus on what that vision should be, inside the Beltway and beyond.”

On the positive side for the administration, since the passage of the stimulus plan, more Americans now believe the federal government should be most responsible for planning and funding infrastructure (41 percent), versus the states (40 percent), private sector companies (10 percent) or cities (9 percent). Last winter, only 1 in 4 (26 percent) Americans thought the federal government should be most responsible.

About the survey
HNTB's America THINKS survey polled a random nationwide sample of 1,000 Americans between Nov. 19 and Nov. 23, 2009. It was conducted by Kelton Research, which used an e-mail invitation and online survey. Quotas were set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. population ages 18 and over. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percent.

About HNTB
HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure firm serving federal, state, municipal, military and private clients. With nearly a century of service, HNTB has the insight to understand the life cycle of infrastructure and the perspective to solve the most complex technical, financial and operational challenges. Professionals nationwide provide award-winning planning, design, program management and construction management services. For more information, visit www.hntb.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Additional Survey Results

• More Americans in rural areas and small towns (32 percent) than residents of other areas (23 percent) report their local infrastructure actually has worsened since stimulus funding began.
• More than 7 in 10 (71 percent) Americans 45 and older disagree the United States has allocated stimulus funds the right way, compared to 51 percent of those age 18-44.
• More than 3 in 5 (63 percent) Americans living in the Midwest say enhancements to highways and bridges are most important to them, compared to 52 percent in the rest of the country.
• People in the Northeast are more likely than those in the rest of the country to demand a federal transportation plan (89 percent versus 81 percent).
• Urban dwellers are more likely than those in other areas (47 percent versus 35 percent) to trust that the tax dollars meant to build local roads are serving that purpose.

PDF: 

America THINKS Stimulus Fact Sheet.pdf

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