NGA releases infrastructure initiative report two months early

The product of a year-long initiative focused on addressing America’s crumbling infrastructure has been released two months early in an effort to help speed the economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative, called Infrastructure: Foundation for Success, identifies four key federal priorities that should be addressed if America is to rebuild its infrastructure. The effort was led by the outgoing National Governors Association chair, Gov. Larry Hogan. It brought together leaders in government, business, and academia to develop solutions in building an innovative, efficient, and resilient infrastructure foundation.

Among the priorities presented in the report are recommendations for Congress to provide new tools and resources to help state and local governments bring projects to market and to increase access to private sector capital. To further support the states, NGA recommends that federal investment support the deployment of smart technologies, such as connected public transit or citywide broadband. The report also recommends that broadband and IT infrastructure be expanded across all rural, suburban, and urban communities so that communities can utilize emerging smart technology solutions. The full report is available here.