Transportation infrastructure has always been the backbone of our nation and has created access to opportunities in far to reach places. According to the Department of Homeland Security, “there are 16 critical infrastructure systems that compose the assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that they incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination thereof.”

For decades, our citizens have relied on Congress to step forward and take action, but in recent years, political gridlock has created greater obstacles for legislators to work together and find a constructive solution to improving the transportation infrastructure in the U.S. According to a report conducted by the Congressional Research Service’s Resources, Science, and Industry Division, “A growing list of infrastructures in need of protection will require the federal government to prioritize its efforts.” The future of US infrastructure is at a critical juncture. If action is not immediately taken to remedy the impact of an exponentially rising population, the amount of people flocking to urban areas today will lead to more congestion, even in rural areas where there currently is little to none . Because infrastructure helps strengthen the backbone of the economy by allowing workers to commute to their jobs and businesses to ship goods, a declining infrastructure will have a detrimental effect on the financial system. The continued development towards a more globalized future and as well as booming technological advances will not only leave gaps in our infrastructure, but will exacerbate already glaring inefficiencies.