The Infrastructure Week 2014 Steering Committee announced Feb. 26 that Building America’s Future (BAF) has joined in the initiative to co-convene Infrastructure Week 2014, set to take place May 12-16th in Washington, D.C.
BAF joins some of the foremost business voices in Washington on the committee to lead Infrastructure Week including, the U.S. Council on Competitiveness, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, and the National Association of Manufacturers. These groups bring unique and powerful perspectives to the ongoing dialogue about the deteriorating condition of our nation’s infrastructure.
“Building America’s Future is thrilled to join the Steering Committee for Infrastructure Week 2014. Convening such a wide ranging group of experts and interested stakeholders will energize the conversation around infrastructure challenges in America,” said Marcia Hale, president of Building America’s Future. “Strategic investment in our largest infrastructure priorities will spur our economy, create jobs and keep American businesses competitive in an ever-evolving global marketplace. Infrastructure Week isn’t just about potholes and structurally deficient bridges. It is about our future. It is about whether we want to continue to fall behind other countries or whether we want to be a global economic leader.”
Infrastructure Week will be a series of events designed to build awareness and educate both the public and policy makers about America’s infrastructure challenges. If such challenges are not soon addressed in a long-term, strategic way; they will have enormous implications on America’s economic prosperity, jobs, and competitiveness.
The week will explore emerging solutions, innovative approaches, and best practices being developed nationwide to modernize aging infrastructure. Daily signature events organized by steering committee members will focus on major infrastructure challenges, including freight and goods movement, passenger transportation, and drinking water and wastewater treatment. The events will focus on the consequences of inaction and the importance of interconnected infrastructure that provides a safe, secure, and competitive climate for business operations nationwide.
The steering committee is also calling for stakeholder groups to hold events during the week to create a “virtual conference.” Together, through Infrastructure Week 2014, organizations will collectively demonstrate that maintaining the status quo on infrastructure is not acceptable and underscore ways to move forward.
