According to a new America THINKS survey from HNTB Corp., 64% of Americans are willing to pay more today for national infrastructure that is energy-efficient and less wasteful in order to save money and resources in the future, up from 58% last November. And 96% of Americans agree all new construction should take sustainability into consideration.
“Whether it’s on transportation facilities, such as roads and bridges, or in buildings, we’re finding that sustainability has become a requirement for many of our clients because their stakeholders are expecting sustainable features,” said David Wenzel, AICP, LEED AP, HNTB sustainability services chair. “Particularly with large, complex projects, clients are grappling with understanding this issue and potential responses as they foresee new local, state and federal mandates on the horizon.”
Wenzel has met with more than 35 state and regional transportation agency officials—including aviation, transit and rail experts—across the country to better understand their sustainability efforts and plans moving forward. Many in the industry believe a sea of change is coming in the way America moves people and goods. And the public seems to agree with them.
Many Americans are optimistic about changes in the way they get around, both in the near future and the long term. Almost half (47%) predict that in five years people in their area will be using public transit much more often—and even more (56%) think this could be a reality 20 years from now.
Regardless of the approach, most of the country sees value in sustainability as a movement: more than three in four (76%) feel that large-scale infrastructure developments with sustainability in mind are an important investment for future generations. Fifty-one percent said they would be willing to add some amount to their yearly taxes to ensure new construction within their region was sustainable in some way, averaging approximately $256.
