How much is an American life worth?
How do politicians gladly pay for trillions in tax cuts for the rich, but won't pay for safe roads and bridges that regular Americans need? Maybe a rich donor's life is worth more?
Over 171 million people cross 'structurally deficient bridges' every day. What is the hold up in fixing the 133 bridges most at risk? Who is blocking President Biden's infrastructure plan to invest $115 billion in safe bridges and roads.
A train crashed and burned outside Sibley, Iowa due to a bridge collapse yesterday (5/16/21). Who represents the residents of Sibley? Joni Ernst (R) and Chuck Grassley (R) who all oppose the Infrastructure Bill, but supported the $1.5 trillion tax cut bill for the rich in 2017.
Which bridges are most at risk? Where are they located? How many people cross those bridges daily? Who are the politicians putting lives at risk by blocking the investment needed to repair infrastructure? When did politics trump public safety?
This DemLabs map shows the 133 bridges ranked the riskiest by the ARTBA and the politicians who represent the state they're in. So you'll know who to contact the next time you hear of a big accident due to crumbling infrastructure.
Dangerous Bridge StoryMap
Iowa bridge collapse
"Shocking Video Shows Derailed Train Containing Explosives On Fire After Bridge Collapses. Sunday May 16, 2021. Residents of Osceola County, Iowa, have been advised to move to the centre of their homes following a train derailment due to the threat of the carriages exploding. Authorities determined the derailment was the result of a bridge collapse, while a fire that broke out after the crash was sparked by diesel fuel. Footage taken from above shows a thick cloud of dark smoke billowing from the derailed train, with carriages piled up against one another to the side of the track." - UNILAD
Mississippi River bridge collapse
"The Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis collapsed, sending cars, trucks and even a school bus in rush hour traffic plummeting into the river below and onto the rocky shore. Thirteen people were killed, 145 more were injured, many of them seriously. The bridge collapse sparked calls to invest big in repairing and replacing the nation's aging and crumbling infrastructure. There are still tens of thousands of bridges nationwide that need to be fixed or replaced." - NPR
133 bridges at risk
42% of the 617,000 bridges in America are over 50 years old. 46,154 bridges are structurally deficient. 178 million trips are taken across them every day." - American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
"The nation's infrastructure is sorely in need of repair. It recently earned a C- score from the American Society of Civil Engineers, which said an additional $2.6 trillion in funding is required over the next decade." - CNN
DemLabs created this three-layered map with ArcGIS Online, Living Atlas and data from the ARTBA. It shows the bridges most at risk overlaid with the political districts where these bridges are located and the politicians responsible for representing the people living in those areas.
Missouri, for instance has several bridges ranked as risky by the American Road & Transport Builders Assn. (ARTBA). Josh Hawley and Roy Blunt are the two Republican senators from Missouri who both oppose President Biden's Infrastructure proposal.
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Biden Infrastructure Plan
"President Biden's infrastructure plan includes $115 billion to modernize 20,000 miles of highways and roads and repair 10,000 bridges." - NYT
"A strong majority of Americans support President Joe Biden's proposed $2.25 trillion infrastructure and jobs plan – and nearly two-thirds like the idea of wealthier Americans picking up the tab through increased taxes according to a NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll" - U.S. News