Civil engineers have looked at crucial parts of the Bay Area's infrastructure, and they don't particularly like what they see.
The American Society of Civil Engineers' report card (.pdf), released Thursday, gave the region a C overall. But three categories of infrastructure –- roadways, goods movement and flood control -- scored only a D+. The study said an additional $2.83 billion annually is needed to bring the region’s systems up to a B grade.
The engineers blame governments for deferring maintenance spending and the general public for taking public works for granted.
“If the economics and the funding remain a low priority, then the public must be willing to accept systems that will not operate,” said Mike Kincaid, one of the study leaders. "The expectation that you can drive anywhere, that you can get a drink of water any time, that the toilet will flush all the time, that the storm drain system will work all the time, that there will be no flooding at any time from a normal storm – those normal expectations are completely false.”
Kincaid cited a national report that put San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and Concord among the 20 worst areas for pavement quality on major streets. He said bad roads pose a hidden cost to drivers, who have to replace tires and redo alignments more frequently.