Senior 1 Rashean Senior Dr.

Guenzel ENC 1102 March 9, 2014

Analysis of The Fix Were In For

Following the 2007 bridge collapse in the Mississippi river a series of articles were published based on the status of current bridges in the United States. Among the articles Transportation for America has published, The Fix Were in For: The State of Our Nations Bridges. The Fix Were In For: The State of Our Nations Bridges was released in March 2011. Keep in mind this is about 4 years after the Mississippi bridge collapse. Information stated in this article may be negligible or outdated since it is currently the beginning of 2014 but none less it is still relevant. This article was published on the Transportation for America website and since then has been cited countless times by many other transportation activist for its valuable information. Reflecting on the preceding publication information, I can agree with the authors ideas stated and can infer many things from the source. Most importantly I can infer that the authors wrote this article as a reaction to the countless recent bridge collapses. The co-authors of this report are Lilly Shoup, Nick Donohue and Marisa Lang. Lily Shoup is currently the policy analyst at the US Department of Transportion(DOT) as well as the Office of the Vice President. These are very

Senior 2 prestigious roles. The authors are the members of Transportation for America, which is the largest and most diverse collation working on transportation reform. Their major goals are improved public transportation, smart growth, and environmentalism. Anyone reading this has positively has knowledge of the Transportation for America collation website, at t4america.org. If someone has access to the article, it is most likely an individual who was already aware of Transportation for America or someone who got referred to the website. From this you can infer that his audience is probably aimed at a sympathetic audience such as engineers or normal people interested in infrastructure reform. The opening paragraph of this essay states, Americas infrastructure is beginning to show its age(Shoup 1). This is a statement that is eventually proved true with the definition of structurally deficient. According to ASCE, structurally deficient bridges are bridges that require significant maintenance, rehabilitation, or replacement. Functionally obsolete on the other hand are bridges that no longer meet the current standards that are used today. Surely it is not a flashy opening but it does grab the readers attention as well as hint towards what the article might possibly be about. This can also be said about the title The Fix Were In For: The State of Our Nations Bridges which is very explicit in showing what the article may be about. The authors also introduce a paragraph with a fear appeal, which most likely is their job of appealing the audiences pathos. In this excerpt the Shoup describes how an everyday scenario is dangerous. Every day, millions of people from all walks of life in cities and towns large and small travel over one of our countrys 66,405 structurally deficient bridges more

Senior 3 than one in nine (11 percent) of all bridges. Structurally deficient bridges are those that require significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement.
Excerpt from page 2

In the articles conclusion, instead of summarizing argument the authors states the beneficial reasons of fixing the problem and also recommendations that may help in the process. This may be confusing to readers that havent fully understood the argument but it does pave a way to the audience that may be able to address the issue. An example of this is in this quote Transportation for America recommends that the next authorization take the following steps to reduce the maintenance backlog, bring our bridges to a state of good repair and keep users safe(Shoup 3). This statement is aimed at the future administration of American infrastructure. Following that one can assume the purpose. They want to persuade a certain audience to consider their recommendations, preferably someone working in the Department of Transportation. The authors methods are simple. First they add statistics to support their thesis and then reveal their hidden thesis to recommend the audience to do something. This is a great method because not only is it clear to the reader, it allows for some more convincing arguments. The authors get their evidence from the federal highway administration, an official agency of the Department of Transportation. Most of the other online sources used also include .gov or .org at the end of the url link. The authors make it clear which sources are cited in the article with either numbers or positioning. The author succeeds on paraphrasing most of cited information but retains solid facts

Senior 4 and statistics in original form. Also the author barely has any quotations, but organizes sources well. In the authors writings, their thesis is based on the U.S bridges that are continuing to deteriorate. With that one can assume the authors thesis is a suggestion aiding this problem. The authors dont mention their thesis until the end but it can be found in the last paragraph. After this the authors recommend steps in ensuring proper bridge safety. To support this he mentions startling statistics coupled with a graph concerned with the bridges current state of being. Statistics such as the average age of an American bridge is well past middle age at 43 years(Shoup 2). This article contains multiple valuable uses of media. The cover page contains a picture of the I-5 Skagit River collapsed with 3 cars sinking as the result. Most of the other visuals include an animated outlook of the statistics the author claimed. A unique way the author uses this is by labeling a visual Our bridges arent getting any younger with an animated picture of elderly woman to symbolize the aging(Shoup 3). Statistics are labeled next to her such as average bridge age and average age of structurally deficient bridges. Visuals give the reader a vivid different look at statistics. The article is organized with headings. This type of organization was crucial to the article because it is filled with a great deal of information that leads it to be split into headings. Each heading highlights a section the article focuses on, one of the headings labeled An uncertain future for bridge repair and safety focuses and details the inefficient congresss effort upon the bridges. The headings seem to flow

Senior 5 with one another, providing a clear reading for the audience. The authors lays out the argument in a coherent format, while the claim does appear in the beginning to authors strengthens their explicit argument through facts, statistics, and logic throughout the end. This method seems to be a common one but still effective at that. The credibility most likely comes from the article being from the Transportation for America, a well-established policy organization. Co- author Lilly Shoups credentials are also very prestigious. This article may have very well propelled her to the position she is in now, policy analyst of DOT. The authors display a serious and scholarly tone in their writing addressing facts. They include full-cited facts along with non-biased opinion, which shows the credibility centrally in the writing. Regarding the authors persona, they seem to be credible in presenting information showing no signs of fallacies while at the same time presenting themselves as well informed. The authors support their points up with facts and maintains a solid argument without slamming anyones work. The authors close with even more statistic and the recommendations mentioned. After reading this interesting article, I can most definitely agree with the authors thesis and understand the severity of the problem. In the review of the The Fix Were In For, the article symbolizes what an appeal to a government organization should look like. The strong argument with backed facts and logic is hard to be counter-argued. My only problem lies in the articles inability to give another view of the argument, such as how much funds the

Senior 6 department of transportation is only allowed. I felt as if the report omitted more information about the DOTs current situation and other views, which could have strengthened authors ethos. I enjoyed reading the report and it provided me with insight on a common problem that plagues my future profession as a civil engineer major. Knowledge of issues such as structurally deficient bridges should better prepare me for my desired career.

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Works Cited

"2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure." 2013 Report Card for Americas Infrastructure. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. Shoup, Lilly, Nick Donohue, and Marisa Lang. The Fix We're in For: The State of Our Nation's Bridges. Washington, DC: Transportation for America, 2011. Print.