Infrastructure Week – May 16th-23rd, 2016 – is a week-long series of events raising awareness about how #InfrastructureMatters to our country’s economy, health and safety, and communities.

Washington, DC, May 9, 2016 – Today, SIFMA announced its participation in the national advocacy and educational event, Infrastructure Week, which will take place from May 16th-23rd, 2016. Across the country, businesses, labor organizations, elected officials and more will join together to tell citizens and policymakers alike how #InfrastructureMatters to their businesses and jobs, communities, health and safety, and daily lives – and the need for increased and continued investment from all levels of government and the private sector.

Strong, resilient infrastructure is critical to our country’s economic growth and vitality. Yet, we are still falling behind due to crumbling and outdated roads, bridges, rails, airports and seaports, water pipes and the power grid. A 2016 report found 59,000 structurally deficient bridges across America. Media stories of tainted water, natural gas leaks, and other infrastructure crises have become commonplace. And the failure to invest in infrastructure increases drag on the whole economy, costing America $2 in GDP for every $1 we fail to invest. While Congress has begun to address the state of America’s infrastructure, the work is nowhere near complete, and it has increasingly been left to state legislatures, cities, and towns across the nation to bear the burden of failing – and increasingly dangerous – infrastructure, and to rebuild and invest in new projects.

“There’s an extreme infrastructure deficit in our country. In order to bring our infrastructure into the 21st century, we need to invest more,” said Michael Decker, managing director and co-head of municipal securities at SIFMA.  “The capital for investment exists; our challenge is to identify reliable funding sources to support debt service, return on capital and maintenance costs associated with projects. We are delighted to join Infrastructure Week to call attention to how we can successfully finance infrastructure projects through the capital markets.”

“We are thrilled that SIFMA is joining Infrastructure Week. The dire state of America’s infrastructure is one of the most pressing issues facing us as a nation, and the benefits of a healthy infrastructure system are far-reaching and long-lasting,” said Zach Schafer, director of Infrastructure Week. “During Infrastructure Week, we are bringing together minds from the public and private sector to encourage lawmakers to continue investing in infrastructure and transportation at the federal, state and local level.”

More information about Infrastructure Week can be found here: http://infrastructureweek.org/