PhDs - how long a doctorate should take, and a new pilot program

I think it's safe to say that most people who've considered the issue think that a doctoral degree in the sciences and engineering in the US often takes too long. How long? According to the latest data (see here , Table 1-12), the median time to degree in the physical sciences, for example, is 5.7 years after starting the program, while in all of engineering it's 5.3 years. Too long for what?…