About the Author
Chad Swiatecki is a 20-year journalist who relocated to Austin from his home state of Michigan in 2008. He most enjoys covering the intersection of arts, business and local/state politics. He has written for Rolling Stone, Spin, New York Daily News, Texas Monthly, Austin American-Statesman and many other regional and national outlets.
Newsletter Signup
The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Most Popular Stories
- APD won’t enforce SB 14 as Paxton and Trump further attack gender-affirming health care
- Austin Transit Partnership presents pedestrian features, changes to stops in revised Project Connect plan
- Austin’s new CapMetro Rapid lines debut with buses every 20 minutes
- Austin ISD announces hiring freeze as budget deficit grows to $110 million
- Commercial EV station moves forward despite opposition
-
Discover News By District
Texas infrastructure gets C grade from civil engineering group
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 by Chad Swiatecki
The Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers has unveiled the 2025 Texas Infrastructure Report Card, assigning the state’s infrastructure an overall grade of C. This mirrors the grade from the 2021 report and surpasses the national average of C-minus reported in 2021. The assessment encompasses 16 categories, with aviation and roads showing improvement, while there were declines in the categories of drinking water, energy, levees, solid waste, transit and wastewater. Notably, four new categories – broadband, hazardous waste, ports and rail – were evaluated for the first time. In Austin, roads and water infrastructure have received significant attention in recent years, with Austin Water initiating design and construction projects at plants, reservoirs, pump stations and lift stations to improve resiliency and expand capacity. Additionally, the “My ATX Water” program aims to modernize the system by replacing over 250,000 analog meters with digital ones connected to a wireless network, enhancing monitoring and efficiency. Looking ahead, the city’s proposed sustainability bond aims to fund projects targeting climate change mitigation and infrastructure resilience. Potential initiatives include land acquisition, water conservation efforts, mobility enhancements, emission reduction project and green infrastructure updates, all designed to address the city’s growing infrastructure demands.
Join Your Friends and Neighbors
We're a nonprofit news organization, and we put our service to you above all else. That will never change. But public-service journalism requires community support from readers like you. Will you join your friends and neighbors to support our work and mission?