Trillion Dollar Transportation Infrastructure - Catapulting Growth

Using Under-Utilised Airspace and Assets Benefit Us All

Thank you to everyone for reading and those who contributed. I hope you enjoy this weeks article. jonathan@skytrades.io

Transportation is one of the great levers of growth in an economy. It gives opportunities to improve connectivity, stimulate economic activity, rebuild or leapfrog old infrastructure, reduce emissions, create good-paying jobs, and boost innovation. 

Establishing a large-scale public works program in the United States to construct vital infrastructure has gained significant popularity in 21st-century politics. This has been solidified into law through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). BIL allocates nearly $1 trillion dollars for expenditure between 2022 and 2026, with over $500 billion designated for transportation projects.

Among these allocations, $66 billion is earmarked for mainline rail development, while $39 billion is designated for other public transit initiatives (National Association of Counties 2022). Additionally, when considering the customary five-year appropriations, the budget allocates between $91 and $108 billion for non-mainline public transit projects. The United States has among the highest transit infrastructure costs in the world so air mobility needs to be looked at more closely to compound economic benefits.

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Taking to The Skies

There are several ways we can use the skies above our heads for transportation. We have not even explored a fraction of the skies’ utility. Everything from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAVs) to electronic Verticle Take off and Landing vehicles (eVTOLs) and jet packs.

The infrastructure required for these innovative technologies is different and largely less intrusive than traditional transportation requirements and we would get more bang for our buck.

Expenses are escalating across regions. In places like Seattle, Los Angeles, Toronto, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, Melbourne, and the Bay Area, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that the expenses for rapid rail projects in the United States and other English-speaking nations will surpass $1 billion per kilometre, even outside of New York. It’s time to look up.

(Marron Institue of Urban Management)

Drone Infrastructure