In today’s political climate, there are few issues that generate broad agreement. One that does is the importance of long-term investment in core national infrastructure systems—roads, bridges, seaports, airports, railroads, water systems, power systems, and telecommunication networks. ...

As a critical set of systems, infrastructure forms much of the foundation for quality of life and enables national development and progress. However, it also consumes vast material resources and energy (Matos 2017). Thus, it is essential that it be designed using long-term design approaches that ...

The need to equip cities with smart infrastructure systems that make them more sustainable, more prosperous, more resilient, and more equitable is a critical challenge of this generation. Rapid and often unplanned urbanization, the impacts of climate change, and aging infrastructure combine to ...

An efficient and resilient water infrastructure is required for a healthy economy and social well-being. Any breakdown in this critical infrastructure can have serious short- to long-term cascading effects, as evidenced by recent catastrophic flooding in areas around the country. To ensure ...

Transportation, including the road network, is a very important part of the national economy, providing necessary connections between people, business, and industries. The US Interstate Highway System was initiated by President Eisenhower in the 1950s to benefit commercial and military ...

The US power infrastructure is one of the largest and most critical infrastructures in the world. The country’s financial well-being, public health, and national security depend on it to be a reliable source of electricity to industries, commercial entities, residential facilities, ...

Container ports are the center of the cargo distribution transportation hub and the most significant contributor to the US economy. Port cargo activity contributes roughly $4.8 trillion to the economy yearly (26 percent of US GDP), over 23 million jobs, and over $320 billion annually in federal, ...

Automated vehicles (AVs) have the potential to revolutionize road transportation. In the United States, approximately 94 percent of all crashes can be attributed to human error (Singh 2015) and the cost of crashes is more than $250 billion annually (Bamonte 2013). Automated vehicles are anticipated ...

RON LATANISION (RML): We are very happy to talk with you today, Sylvia. I think you are an inspiration to a lot of people and especially to young women given the work you do on their behalf with the Girl Scouts. I’d like to begin with some of your background. I understand you have a BS in ...