Polar vortex reminds of the need for infrastructure investment
As a polar vortex brought temperatures near all-time record lows and wind chills reaching minus 50 degrees this winter, Illinois was harshly reminded of the volatile realities of a changing climate. With Chicago colder than Antarctica, schools were closed, the post office suspended mail delivery, and many businesses told employees to stay home.
In addition to a human cost that includes a tragic loss of life, this weather event had other significant impacts. Particularly, on the transportation and energy infrastructure that is the lifeblood of our state's economy.
In Chicago, commuter trains experienced delays and cancellations, over 1,500 flights were canceled, electrical systems were strained to the point of power outages, and communities across the region faced water main breaks. Metra was even forced to light its tracks on fire to prevent and repair steel tracks that were cracking and separating due to the cold.
As rising temperatures in the Arctic weaken the polar jet stream, it's time for Illinois to acknowledge that these climate-related scenarios are likely to become more common in the future, with more frequent and severe disruptions to our vital infrastructure. The longer we wait to adapt these systems to today's economic and environmental realities, the more expensive they will become to fix.
In addition to the recent polar vortex, our region is already experiencing a multitude of climate changes, from precipitation patterns to average temperatures. According to a report by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, average temperatures are 4.5 degrees higher than they were in the 1980s and annual "heavy precipitation days" are up 27 percent since the 1950s. Great Lakes ice coverage is down, and electricity outages and demand for heating and cooling systems are up. And projections expect these changing trends to get even more severe through the end of this century.
Extreme temperatures - both cold and hot - reduce the life span of roads and bridges, cause railways to crack or buckle, and affect aircraft performance. Severe storms that produce high winds, ice, snow and lightning can damage electricity lines, particularly those in the Midwest, where the majority of electricity transmission and distribution is above ground. And flooding weakens structural supports for bridges, deteriorates soil that supports roadways and bridges, and increase sedimentation in waterways.
Aging infrastructure is especially vulnerable to these climate impacts. And Illinois has a lot of it.
Another recent report showed that since 2000, the backlog of IDOT roadway miles requiring immediate attention has increased by 85 percent (from 1,700 to 3,300). Sixty-two percent of the state's bridges are over 30 years old. Roughly a third are more than 50 years old, the typical design life of a bridge. Almost 31 percent of the Regional Transportation Authority's assets are not in a state of good repair and downstate transportation systems face a 10-year maintenance funding shortfall of $2 billion.
Commuters are already bearing the cost in the form of congestion and hundreds of dollars in preventable auto maintenance each year. If nothing changes, it's not hyperbole to suggest that things will only get worse. The IDOT road backlog is expected to grow by 101 percent, and the bridge backlog to grow by another 64 percent by 2023.
Illinois currently faces a $4.6 billion shortfall per year to address these infrastructure needs - many of which involve systems that were designed for climate patterns of 50 years ago.
As lawmakers continue to debate the merits of a capital plan, let the widespread potholes, burst pipes, cracked train tracks, and strained electricity systems serve as a reminder. An efficient infrastructure system is vital to Illinois. And without proper investment, extreme weather, a changing climate and overdue maintenance will continue to get worse - and repairs more expensive.
Mary Craighead, mcraighead@illinoisepi.org, is transportation policy analyst for the Illinois Economic Policy Institute.