California's infrastructure gets poor grades

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Most everyone agrees California's infrastructure hasn't been up to par in years. The American Society of Civil Engineers just rated our bridges, transit system and our roads.

In 2018, California roads received the grade of D.

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The ASCE says its report card of California's surface transportation was disappointing but not surprising.

"California has the largest number of bridges in poor condition in the nation," said a member of ASCE.

California bridges received a "C minus" and our transit system scored just as poorly.

What the experts say matters, but what do hard working Bay Area commuters who spend long hours on these roads and highways think?

"It's a D, they're right on the money. Bridges are bad, in town highways, roads... everything," said Richard Graham, an Uber driver.

The reason our infrastructure scored poorly is that California hasn't invested enough money to expand, fix and maintain our roads, bridges and transit system.

According to the Pew Charitable Institute, in the past 10 years, 26 states have raised the gasoline tax to fund projects, many of them deep-red states that are typically fiscally conservative.

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It was only last year, 2017, that California joined them in also increasing that tax.

States have realized that the federal government is less willing to pay for it.

"A lot of folks in Congress say we need to invest in infrastructure but they can't agree on a way to pay for it," explained Jim Wunderman of the Bay Area Council.

The mayor of Berkeley, Jesse Arreguin, also says cities and counties need to find other sources of funding.

"With millions of more people coming to the Bay Area and millions of people to the state of California, we have to invest now in our infrastructure and in the transportation network that will move people throughout our region," said Arreguin.