River infrastructure is often a target for budget cuts in presidential budgets, only to receive funding from Congress. A huge project to replace dams and locks on the Monongahela River hangs in the balance.
"President Donald Trump’s proposed 2018 budget would bring to a screeching halt work on a Monongahela River project that political and business leaders say is vital to the region’s economy," reports Len Boselovic.
The project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would "replace three sets of aging locks and dams at Braddock, Elizabeth and Charleroi." Congress authorized the project 25 years ago at $750 million. But "[i]nconsistent, delayed funding has increased the project’s cost to between $1.2 billion and $2.7 billion," according to Boselovic.
According to river experts cited in the article, every year there's a dance between presidential budget proposals and the final versions approved by Congress. "For years, under different administrations, the White House consistently has proposed low funding for river infrastructure only to see Congress appropriate significantly more," explains Boselovic.
The article includes more details on the condition of the dams targeted for replacement—Army Corps believes the 110-year-old dam at Elizabeth, for example, is in danger of failing.
FULL STORY: Trump wants to pull plug on Monongahela River work
Climate Change in Action: Massive Storms, Dam Failures
The dam failures that sent residents of Michigan scrambling last week can be connected to the extreme weather events created by climate change, according to experts.
Dams Break in Michigan: Nation's Crumbling Infrastructure Takes Center Stage Again
Reports of catastrophic infrastructure failure today in Michigan, a state already facing some of the worst consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The U.S. of Breaking and Broken Dams
New analysis of high-hazard dams reveals the ubiquity, and risks, of the infrastructure challenges facing the United States.
Research Links Urban Design and Human Happiness
An emerging field of ‘neuroarchitectural’ research is revealing how building facades and urban design impact the human brain and body.
Reimagining Your Street
How to use free online tools to redesign your local streetscape.
Research: Sprawl Linked to Poverty
Low-income families living in high-sprawl neighborhoods are limited in their access to education, jobs, and other amenities, often trapping them in a cycle of poverty.
Washington Lawmakers Eye Rent Stabilization
Democrats are pushing for a statewide rent stabilization bill that would give renters some protections while offering more flexibility for landlords than blanket rent control policies.
Wildfires Devastate LA Outdoor Education Spaces and Schools
The current Los Angeles wildfires have destroyed schools and outdoor education spaces like Eaton Canyon, displacing families and disrupting vital learning and community resources while highlighting the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
Research Affirms Safety of ‘Idaho Stop’
Allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs does not negatively impact safety and can help people on bikes more effectively navigate roadways.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA)
Ada County Highway District
Charles County Government
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland