June 6, 2018 - Fort Worth Star-Telegram -
By Carlton Schwab -
Despite what some people may believe, it is not just a surging oil and gas industry that gave Texas the fastest growing economy in the United States in 2017. Thriving technology, manufacturing, agriculture and service sectors are also fueling economic growth in the Lone Star State. Emblematic of our diversified economy: Texas is first in the nation in wind energy as well as oil production.
The foundation for all this economic growth across our diversified economy is our interconnected transportation infrastructure including roads and bridges, waterways and port facilities, and some of the best freight rail assets in the nation.
Unfortunately, the news is not all good. Even as we outpaced every other state in the nation in terms of economic growth in 2017, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave Texas an overall grade of C- on its annual infrastructure report card, with our highways and roads getting a D. We need to get those grades up if we expect to sustain economic growth over the long haul.
There was one bright spot. Topping all transportation infrastructure on the ASCE national report card was the freight rail network. Rail’s B grade put it head and shoulders above every other infrastructure category that ASCE assessed.
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/latest-news/article212305949.html
By Carlton Schwab -
Despite what some people may believe, it is not just a surging oil and gas industry that gave Texas the fastest growing economy in the United States in 2017. Thriving technology, manufacturing, agriculture and service sectors are also fueling economic growth in the Lone Star State. Emblematic of our diversified economy: Texas is first in the nation in wind energy as well as oil production.
The foundation for all this economic growth across our diversified economy is our interconnected transportation infrastructure including roads and bridges, waterways and port facilities, and some of the best freight rail assets in the nation.
Unfortunately, the news is not all good. Even as we outpaced every other state in the nation in terms of economic growth in 2017, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave Texas an overall grade of C- on its annual infrastructure report card, with our highways and roads getting a D. We need to get those grades up if we expect to sustain economic growth over the long haul.
There was one bright spot. Topping all transportation infrastructure on the ASCE national report card was the freight rail network. Rail’s B grade put it head and shoulders above every other infrastructure category that ASCE assessed.
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/latest-news/article212305949.html