Page:American Jobs Plan State Fact Sheet AK.pdf/1



For decades, infrastructure in Alaska has suffered from a systemic lack of investment. The need for action is clear:

Alaska’s infrastructure received a grade on its Infrastructure Report Card. The American Jobs Plan will make a historic investment in our nation’s infrastructure.


 * ROADS AND BRIDGES: In Alaska there are 141 bridges and over 570 miles of highway in poor condition. Since 2011, commute times have increased by 7.5% in Alaska and on average, each driver pays $402 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. The American Jobs Plan will devote more than $600 billion to transform our nations' transportation infrastructure and make it more resilient, including $115 billion repairing roads and bridges.
 * PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Alaskans who take public transportation spend an extra 120% of their time commuting. 14% of trains and other transit vehicles in the state are past useful life. The American Jobs Plan will modernize public transit with an $85 billion investment.
 * RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE: From 2010 to 2020, Alaska has experienced 2 extreme weather events, costing the state up to $1 billion in damages. The President is calling for $50 billion to improve the resiliency of our infrastructure and support communities’ recovery from disaster.
 * DRINKING WATER: Over the next 20 years, Alaska’s drinking water infrastructure will require $987 million in additional funding. The American Jobs Plan includes a $111 billion investment to ensure clean, safe drinking water is a right in all communities.
 * HOUSING: In part due to a lack of available and affordable housing, 37,000 renters in Alaska are rent burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent. The President proposes investing over $200 billion to increase housing supply and address the affordable housing crisis.
 * BROADBAND: 24.5% of Alaskans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds. And 68.8% of Alaskans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. Even where infrastructure is available, broadband may be too expensive to be within reach. 12% of Alaska households do not have an internet subscription. The American Jobs Plan will invest $100 billion to bring universal, reliable, high-speed, and affordable coverage to every family in America.
 * CAREGIVING: Across the country, hundreds of thousands of older adults and people with disabilities are in need of home and community-based services. The President’s plan will invest $400 billion to help more people access care and improve the quality of caregiving jobs.
 * CHILD CARE: In Alaska, there is an estimated $121 million gap in what schools need to do maintenance and make improvements and 61% of residents live in a childcare desert. The American Jobs Plan will modernize our nation’s schools and early learning facilities and build new ones in neighborhoods across Alaska and the country.