The Infrastructure Bill Has Passed. What Now?

(Source: Unsplash.)

So, the behemoth of an infrastructure bill finally passed over the weekend. And there was much rejoicing…

Well, not from us. At Strong Towns, we’ve been skeptical of the current bill and the national obsession with it. Charles Marohn, president of Strong Towns wrote a five-part series on the problems with the bill and why we should stop fixating on it. (Read the whole series here.)

What’s Wrong with the Infrastructure Bill?

We hold a great deal of skepticism around infrastructure funding generally because it so often goes to projects that are unnecessary, harmful, and have no plan in place to pay for their long-term maintenance. In fact, federal infrastructure money like the billions packed into the latest bill typically enables some of the worst projects that would never happen without that funding, because they simply don’t make sense. Take highway bypasses—like this one in Minnesota that zips travelers far outside of town, so they never have to visit a local business or see an actual community. Or endless high speed rail lines in the middle of nowhere, like this ill-fated ongoing project in California. Or inner-city highways that rip through neighborhoods and cost billions, like this travesty in Louisiana. The list goes on and on.

Federal infrastructure funding makes our cities poorer, not better off, and here’s why (excerpted from an article by Charles Marohn):

1. Federal infrastructure spending might prop up the national economy today, but cities take on the long-term liabilities.

2. Federal infrastructure spending goes primarily to the least financially productive parts of the American development pattern.

3. Federal infrastructure spending prioritizes new construction. What cities need most is maintenance.

4. Federal infrastructure spending induces local governments to take on unproductive debt.

5. Federal infrastructure spending blinds local governments to better projects they could do themselves right now.

Read more about these problems with federal infrastructure dollars here.

So, we at Strong Towns are deeply skeptical of this infrastructure bill. And you probably are, too. First, because the conversation about what’s actually in it (and what actually is infrastructure) has gotten incredibly convoluted. Not to mention, it might be years before the programs within the bill are rolled out and the money made available—by which time we may have a new administration that shakes everything up all over again. 

You might also be skeptical because you’re wondering, “How does this impact me and my community? Is it going to mean investments in the things my neighborhood needs, like patching potholes, building sidewalks and making streets safer? Or is it going to mean investments in the things that ultimately harm my neighborhood: like wide and dangerous roads, boondoggle projects to pad the pockets of big construction companies, and infrastructure that will cost my city money that we don’t have in the long run, as it deteriorates and needs fixing?”

The answer is: probably some of each, but a lot more of the latter.

(Source: Unsplash.)

What Can We Do about It?

So what can we do about the real and current infrastructure needs in our cities today—the ones that don’t get national coverage or buckets of money? The good news is there’s a lot you can do. And you can get started right now. 

To begin with, if you’re going to spend any money—local, state, or federal—on infrastructure, you should focus on three core things (these were originally outlined in our pandemic e-book, The Local Leader’s Toolkit):

• Prioritize maintenance over new capacity. With such a massive backlog of basic maintenance needs, it's irresponsible to build additional capacity. If you can use assistance dollars to fix critical infrastructure, make that the priority.

• Prioritize below-ground infrastructure over above-ground. Many of our sewer and water systems are approaching 100 years old. When these core pipes fail, the problems cascade throughout the system. If given the chance, target your assistance spending underground.

• Prioritize neighborhoods that are more than 75 years old. The data analytics firm Urban3 has modeled hundreds of cities across the country. In every one, the neighborhoods with the highest financial productivity are the ones that existed before World War II, even when they are occupied by the poorest people within the community. These are traditional neighborhoods, but today they still have the greatest capacity to adapt to new realities. Investments in stabilizing these neighborhoods have the greatest potential to pay off.

Here are some key Strong Towns resources to help your city approach infrastructure and public investment:

1. Recognize that engineers should not design streets. That’s a radical rethinking of the way most transportation projects happen, but it’s a necessary one if we want people-centered, prosperous places today and in the future.

2. Use the Strong Towns approach to public investment. It’s got four simple steps that any city or neighborhood can start using now to grow more financially resilient.

3. Check out our e-book Start with the Streets. Whether you’re a citizen advocate or local leader, this guide will help you make your city safer and wealthier—not with a dump truck of federal money—but, one block at a time.

4. Consider these five low-cost ideas to make your city wealthier. Federal infrastructure funding might make our cities poorer, but bottom-up, low-cost approaches can turn that around. From economic gardening to incremental development, there’s so much your city can do, and you don’t need to wait on the White House to make it happen.

5. Read Confessions of a Recovering Engineer. The costs of transportation are too high—and not just in money, but in time, safety, and quality of life. The good news is that it’s possible to build a transportation system that makes you, your family, and your community safer and more prosperous. This book by Charles Marohn will show you how.

What’s Next?

Strong Towns will be coming at you with lots more resources, webcasts, and opportunities to learn about infrastructure choices that will make your city better off, instead of sinking your community into debt, turning your streets into speedways, and distracting your city from its true priorities.

Join our email list to stay in the loop and let us know your thoughts—and infrastructure priorities—too, in the comments.

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