Infrastructure Report Card

Infrastructure Report Card (IRC)

Infrastructure is a critical issue impacting Texas’s economy, society, security and future. That’s why approximately every four years, we develop a report card depicting the condition and performance of Texas’s infrastructure in the familiar form of a school report card – assigning letter grades based on the physical condition and needed investments for improvement.

The report card is one of our key projects. It serves an important role in raising public awareness and providing elected officials the necessary tools to support infrastructure funding. As civil engineers in the state of Texas, we have a responsibility to safeguard the life, health, and welfare of the public. We believe part of this responsibility includes providing the public and our elected leaders with critical information about the current state of our infrastructure.

On February 10, 2021, ASCE Texas Section held a virtual news conference to announce the 2021 Texas infrastructure grades: Watch the 2021 Report Card release news conference

View the 2021 Texas Infrastructure Report Card Summary Brief

View the Full 2021 Texas Infrastructure Report Card

About the 2021 Texas IRC

Every four years, the ASCE Texas Section’s Infrastructure Report Card (IRC) Committee is charged with preparing a Texas Infrastructure Report Card update. The 2021 report grades were released February 2021 and this report card will be an important advocacy tool used to support the ASCE Texas Legislative Drive-In during the 87th Texas Legislative Session and beyond.

Our 55 member-committee collected and compiled available state-wide data, developing a written summary for each category, then analyzed the available information to assign a grade based on ASCE’s pre-determined criteria. ASCE Global provided a number of tools and templates to help with the development of state report cards. The final Texas report card was also reviewed by ASCE’s Committee on America’s Infrastructure, the group behind the National IRC.

The report card is divided into infrastructure categories, such as drinking water and dams, and provides a wide range of solutions for raising the grades. Although some of the low grades presented in the report card seem negative, that’s not the case. Our agencies and engineers in the great state of Texas have the technical abilities to design innovative, resilient, and effective infrastructure. Sometimes, however, we have limited funding for new infrastructure and maintenance and operations of existing infrastructure.

The Texas IRC Committee members are technical experts within their respective practice area(s). The team is a combination of public servants, private consultants, and educators. ASCE Dallas Branch Past President, Mark K. Boyd PhD, PE, CAPM, D.WRE, serves as the Chair of the Committee. Additionally, ASCE Texas Section Past VP for Professional Affairs, Travis Attanasio PE, CFM, serves as the Committee Consultant, coordinating with state agencies and other stakeholders as the report card developed.

Previous Report Cards

2021

The 2021 Report Card resulted in a Texas GPA of a “C”. It graded 12 individual categories of infrastructure. Energy received the highest grade earning a “B+,” yet the wastewater and levee networks need additional support having both been graded a “D.”

The report is available here:

2017

The 2017 Report Card resulted in a Texas GPA of a “C-”. It graded seven individual categories of infrastructure. Bridges received the highest grade earning a “B,” followed by Aviation receiving a “B-”. The remaining five categories received “D” grades: Dams, Drinking Water, Flood Control, Highways and Roads, and Wastewater.

The report is available here:

2012 >

2012 Texas Infrastructure Report Card Update:
Media Release | 2012 Report Card Update

2008 Texas Infrastructure Report Card Update:
Media Release | 2008 Report Card Update

The original 2004 Texas Report Card:
Texas Civil Engineer Article | 2004 Report Card

America’s Infrastructure Report Card

The American Society of Civil Engineers prepared infrastructure report cards at the national level in 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2017, with the 2021 report releasing March 2021. These report cards have been endorsed by numerous professional and technical societies. They serve an important role in raising public awareness and providing elected officials the necessary tools to support infrastructure funding.

View America’s Infrastructure Report Card

Become an Infrastructure Advocate

Our members frequently use various reports produced within the organization as pivotal tools when meeting with the general public and elected officials. They are often a topic of discussion at the Section’s legislative day at the Texas Capital (Legislative Drive-In). Interested members are welcome to join the Texas Section’s Government Affairs Committee. Join the team to connect with others, advocate for our profession, and make an impact in our industry. For more information, please contact ASCE Texas Section’s Government Affairs Committee Chair at [email protected].

Infrastructure Report Card