Thank You For An Amazing Infrastructure Week 2023
Over the last five days, United for Infrastructure has had the privilege to host, convene, join, and promote dozens of events happening virtually and in-person around the country to celebrate Infrastructure Week 2023. To our Steering Committee, our Partnership Network and every organization that pulled together an event, shared social media content, and told their story through the press - thank you!
Through our combined efforts we have continued to make the case that Infrastructure Works in America. Infrastructure Works to create high quality, sustainable jobs on thousands of projects all across our nation. Infrastructure Works to interconnect our communities and provide access to health care, education, and other essential services. Infrastructure Works to make our roads safer, our drinking water cleaner, and our cities more resilient.
At our opening reception on Monday night, Assistant Secretary Christopher Coes said that “we’re at the start of a new American century.” We could not agree more. While Infrastructure Week 2023 may be coming to a close, our efforts to highlight this important moment in American history will not. So, stay tuned for announcements on upcoming United for Infrastructure programs, discussions and convenings in communities across the country. If you have an idea of a project we need to highlight, work we need to lift up, or organizations we need to know, do not hesitate to get in touch!
Thank you for your partnership and collaboration,
Ross van Dongen
Director of Infrastructure and Intergovernmental Affairs
Accelerator for America Action
“Infrastructure Works for America: Where We Are and the Road Ahead” Recap
Thank you to United for Infrastructure Steering Committee Member, Business Roundtable, for opening your doors and hosting our marquee event, “Infrastructure Works for America: Where We Are and the Road Ahead” on Tuesday. More than 100 people in person and several hundred people watching on the livestream heard from a dynamic line up of national, state, and city leaders, policy experts, and private sector visionaries.
Topics of conversation ranged from workforce challenges to permitting reform and we spotlighted encouraging infrastructure projects happening around the country. Speakers dove deep into both the historic investments coming this decade to our roads, rails, pipes, ports, and more, and candidly discussed the challenges of implementing the IIJA/BIL.
Thank you to our keynote speaker, US Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm for taking time out of her busy schedule to join us, and thank you to all of the speakers and guests who spent the morning with us on Tuesday. It was an inspirational way to celebrate Infrastructure Week.
Monday Night Infrastructure Week Kickoff Reception
Thank you to our reception sponsors, ACEC, Siemens and ASCE for helping us kick off Infrastructure Week on Monday night. It was wonderful to gather with more than 100 friends of infrastructure and see some familiar and some new faces for our 11th annual Infrastructure Week. And thank you to our special guests, Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg and Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy Christopher Coes for sharing a few words on the importance of strong federal partnership and investing in our communities.
More Infrastructure Week Events
On Monday, May 15, Steering Committee member National League of Cities hosted a press conference in Houston, Texas about the Railway Safety Act. Standing with local leaders and national experts, NLC put a spotlight on issues of transporting hazardous materials via freight train and the dangers of blocked rail crossings. ProPublica recently published a feature story on the dangers that pedestrians - including children - must endure to maneuver around and under freight trains that block crossings. Houston has some of the worst blocked crossings in the state.
On Wednesday, May 19, City Age, Accelerator for America, and Siemens hosted a roundtable discussion on implementation of recent federal infrastructure legislation. The discussion focused on how public-private partnerships can deliver the tech-enabled infrastructure that the nation needs. Thanks to Abby Campbell for sharing this picture, which features Ryan Dalton, Brie Sachse, Abby, Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, Charles Small, John Porcari, and Dickson Mercer.
On Thursday, May 18, Steering Committee member Brookings Metro hosted an insightful discussion on "Delivering the Infrastructure Decade" with a keynote from Accelerator for America Advisory Council Member Mayor Jane Castor, and featuring PolicyLink’s Racial Equity Governing Agenda Managing Director, Judith Dangerfield, a Brookings’ Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Blair Levin, and NRDC’s Chief Climate and Infrastructure Strategist, Shelley Poticha. You can watch the program here.
Infrastructure Week in the News
Infrastructure Week 2023 was in the news this year, from Washington, DC to Juneau, Alaska! After the White House and Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu kicked off the Week with a press conference last Friday, national news made note of the Week, including stories in USA Today, The Hill, Politico, and Bloomberg/Yahoo Finance. Across the country, outlets in Cleveland, Ohio; Joplin, Missouri; Morgantown, West Virginia; Juneau, Alaska, and many other communities shared stories about local investment in ports, water infrastructure, roads, and other critical projects.
Our own Mary Ellen Wiederwohl was featured on the New Deal podcast, An Honorable Profession. You can find more information here and listen wherever you get your podcasts. And Congressman David Rouzer, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Water Resource and the Environment of the House T&I Committee, joined ACEC’s podcast, Engineering Influence.
In addition to media coverage, hundreds of partners made sure to spread the word about #InfrastructureWeek and #InfrastructureWorks on social media!
President Biden celebrated the Infrastructure Decade
Secretary Buttigieg shared how #InfrastructureWorks by highlighting the hard working Americans that deliver our goods, drive our buses, and keep America moving forward. Mesa Mayor John Giles talked about the importance of investing in transit for the region’s economy. Senator Capito (WV-R) spoke about the bipartisan need for commonsense permitting reform so projects can meet high standards for safety and environmental protection without being mired in red tape.
The Local Infrastructure Hub: Registration Open for Summer Infrastructure Bootcamps
The Local Infrastructure Hub is launching five new bootcamps, which aim to help small and mid-sized cities develop competitive applications for federal infrastructure grant programs, including: the Combined Railroad Crossing Elimination Program & CRISI; the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund; Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants; the Bridge Investment Program; and several broadband opportunities. Registration for the new bootcamps led by the National League of Cities is open through May 31.
Thank you to our Steering Committee.
Thank you to our Partnership Network.
