The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will release its 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure on March 25, a document that is expected to influence policymakers and the public.
The report card, which assigns grades to 18 categories of US infrastructure, is the result of an extensive 18-month process involving civil engineers who collect and analyse data. ASCE’s Committee on America’s Infrastructure oversees the effort, ensuring that the assessments reflect the most current federal data and statistics.
“I thoroughly enjoy the process,” said Darren Olson, P.E., BC.WRE, M.ASCE, chair of the committee and vice chair of the 2021 report. “Every time we do this, I’m shocked by how much I learn about infrastructure and how it’s all related as a system of systems. It is a great process with a great group of experts.”
Each infrastructure category has its own subcommittee that evaluates data based on eight criteria. After compiling their findings, the subcommittees present their proposed grades to the full committee for review and debate.
“I’m always amazed by the amount of work and data collection and rigor that goes into the grading,” Olson said. “We collect a whole bunch of data. We’re trying to assess an infrastructure category across the whole United States, so we’re largely looking at federally available data, federal funding, and federal statistics.”
One of the key steps in the process is defending the proposed grades before the full committee.
“Each infrastructure category puts together a whole presentation and really convinces this panel of experts as to why that certain category of infrastructure gets a (certain) grade,” Olson said. “For me, that’s the most fun part because we learn a lot, and there’s a lot of great back-and-forth.”
At times, the committee does not reach an agreement on a grade, requiring further review and revisions before a final decision is made.
“There are times when we don’t have agreement on the grade, and then we send the chapter back for review, and they have to come forward again at the next meeting,” Olson explained. “You have to take the committee’s feedback into consideration, and then reassess. And then sometimes the grade changes, and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s all part of the process.”
Despite the challenges, Olson remains committed to the effort. Having served as vice chair in 2021, he stepped into the role of chair for 2025.
“There’s big shoes to fill in this role,” he said. “There’s been a lot of fantastic people in front of me that have paved this path. I was honored; I was humbled. I was wanting to get to work right away in order to make sure this continues to be really, in my mind, one of the most successful things that ASCE does.”
The ASCE report card has historically played a role in shaping infrastructure policy by drawing attention to critical needs and guiding public and legislative discussions. With the 2025 release approaching, its findings will likely be closely examined by government officials and industry leaders alike.
