Your 5-minute Guide to Industry News & Trends
Your 5-minute Guide to Industry News & Trends
Vol. 1, No. 13 ● November 8, 2007
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In
the News Funding Issues
Safety Issues
Innovations Calendar
Economic Indicators
eRoadPro Index
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AGC leaders visit Capitol Hill to encourage creation of Highway User Rate Commission Although SAFETEA-LU, the current highway funding authorization, does not expire until the end of 2009, AGC has been focused on the next reauthorization legislation since the last bill was enacted. A key proposal AGC presented in meetings with key members of the House was the need to raise the user fee and the creation of a Highway User Rate Commission. AGC pointed out in the meetings that a user fee increase will be necessary in order to make any headway against increasing highway investment needs. Full StorySponsored by: |
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Randall-Reilly buys Better Roads and Aggregates Manager magazines Randall-Reilly Publishing, the nation’s leading business-to-business media company serving the transportation and construction markets, announced November 2 that it has acquired Better Roads and Aggregates Manager magazines from James Informational Media, Des Plaines, Ill. “These acquisitions are a natural fit for our Construction Media Group,” says Mike Reilly, president and CEO, Randall-Reilly Publishing. Full Story
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House committee approves Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Bill The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved by voice vote a bill that would provide an additional $2 billion over the next two years to states to improve the condition of structurally deficient bridges on the National Highway System. The "National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act of 2007" was introduced by Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN). In addition to providing increased investment for bridge reconstruction, the bill would also strengthen bridge inspection standards and processes by requiring states to immediately inspect all structurally deficient bridges and every year thereafter. All other bridges must still be inspected every other year. The bill also directs the Federal Highway Administration to update immediately National Bridge Inspection Standards and require uniformity among states in conducting inspections and evaluations. Furthermore, the bill requires all highway bridge inspectors to be trained and certified and they must be licensed professional engineers. Full Story
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Parents sue road designers and builders over bike crash The mother of a girl severely injured in a bicycle crash in 2005 is suing the people who designed and built the road where she was injured, saying her medical expenses are likely to exceed $25 million. Full Story
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Illinois to open new tollway extension A six-lane superhighway planned since the 1960s will finally open in mid-November, helping for now to ease congestion on what originally were rural roads in Will County - but also contributing to growth and future traffic headaches. The 12.5-mile southern extension of the North-South Tollway (Interstate Highway 355) cuts through prairies, forests, farms and wetlands close to where residential subdivisions, office parks, warehouses and malls are rapidly being developed. Full Story
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Florida contractor Leo A. Vecellio, Jr., elected 2007-2008 ARTBA Chairman Leo A. Vecellio, Jr., chairman, president and CEO of West Palm Beach, Florida-based Vecellio Group, has been elected 2007-08 chairman of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). He received the gavel at the association’s national convention earlier this month in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Vecellio’s top legislative goal for ARTBA is to continue pressing Congress for a significant increase in federal highway/transit investment as part of the reauthorization of SAFETEA-LU. Full Story
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New Massachusetts regulations streamline, expedite, enhance curb cut permitting process New business-friendly MassHighway regulations will streamline and expedite the "curb cut" permitting process for developers, while requiring a greenhouse gas emissions review for larger projects. The new regulations, filed with the Secretary of State's office on Friday, October 19th, will expedite the process for developers seeking to obtain permits to build projects that directly access state roads. MassHighway oversees the review of these permits, known as Vehicular Access Permits, or "curb cut" permits. Full Story
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ARTBA President Ruane Outlines Vision for Future American Road and Transportation Builders Association President & CEO Pete Ruane told nearly 300 industry and government officials that the “nation’s status quo highway program is no longer acceptable, and needs to be reformed, refocused, restructured and refinanced.” In his presentation, Ruane outlined the association’s vision for the future federal highway program. It includes greater investment to repair and upgrade the current highway/transit network, and creation of a new federally-led program to provide the capacity and intermodal connections necessary to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of freight. Full Story
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Illinois DOT opens all lanes of Dan Ryan Expressway to traffic ahead of schedule The Dan Ryan reconstruction project has been recognized as one of the largest Green construction projects in the nation, breaking new ground by requiring that contractors use ultralow sulfur diesel fuel or retrofit construction equipment to reduce emissions. IDOT also required contractors to limit idling of trucks and has created a state-of-the-art network of air quality monitoring stations along the expressway. In the past two years, IDOT has completely ground all lanes of the Dan Ryan into rubble and rebuilt the roadway from the ground up. The new pavement is designed to last for 30 years and consists of a 24-inch recycled gravel sub-base, a six-inch asphalt base and 14 inches of continuous steel reinforced concrete. Full Story |
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AASHTO: Tolls, PPVs vital, but only part of transportation solution Revenue from tolls and public-private ventures may account for 50 percent of new expressways built in the United States over the next 10 years, AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley said to the 19th Annual American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Conference on Public-Private Ventures in Transportation, in Washington, DC. While it is "vital to meeting national needs," at best, it will account for only 10 percent of needed investment, he said. Horsley cited many of the successful tolling and public-private venture projects built across the country. However, he said that a backlash has set in, and that future projects will face increasing scrutiny by political leaders to ensure protection of the public. He discussed the importance of public-private partnerships in meeting the nation's future transportation needs. Full Story
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Georgia faces $51 billion transportation funding shortfall through 2035 Georgia faces a $51 billion shortfall through 2035 in funding for needed road, highway and bridge repairs and improvements. Because of the funding shortfall, many projects that are needed to improve roadway conditions, enhance traffic safety, boost economic development opportunities and relieve traffic congestion will not go forward, according to a new report released October 25 by TRIP, a national nonprofit transportation research group. Full Story
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Updated costs for Juneau access reflect national trend The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has released the 2007 Annual Financial Plan Update for the Juneau Access Improvements Project. The update mirrors the national trend that construction for all aspects of transportation: airports, ferries and roads, has skyrocketed in the last few years. Construction costs nationwide have been soaring since 2004 and Alaska sees even higher increases. In Alaska, earthwork has increased by as much as 55% and the asphalt mix used on roads has increased 85% since 2004. The cost of steel used to build bridges and ferries has gone up nationally 100% during that same time period. Full Story
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Transportation Department releases $123.5 million in funding for I-35W bridge in Minneapolis U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced November 1 that $123.5 million in emergency relief funding was released to help pay for rebuilding the I-35W bridge that collapsed in August. This brings the total federal transportation investment in the recovery and rebuilding effort to $183.5 million. Full Story
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Transportation Department announces $1 million to California to repair wildfire damage to roads and bridges The immediate release of $1 million in emergency relief funds to California will help pay for urgent repairs to roads and bridges damaged by wildfires, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters announced on October 29. Peters said the $1 million quick release was intended to help California address repairs that need immediate attention, such as damaged or destroyed guardrails, signs or traffic signals, and to get essential sections of the highway system working again until the state completes a full assessment of the damage. Full Story |
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Deficient bridge inventory shows only slight improvement The I-35 bridge collapse focused the nation’s attention on our deteriorating bridges, but highway engineers have long been working to reduce the percentage of structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges. A new study reveals that despite increased efforts, little progress has been made over the past year. An exclusive survey conducted by Better Roads magazine and sponsored by CONTECH Bridge Solutions Inc., shows that across the nation the percentage of structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges improved by just .4% over the past year to 24.1%. Full Story |
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Guide to mechanize, standardize pavement design The Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (M-E PDG) has taken giant strides in moving from the conceptual stages to full implementation. A tool aimed at automating and standardizing the process of pavement design, the M-E PDG holds great promise in helping highway pavement designers make decisions based on years of data development, testing, and programming that went into this pavement evaluation system. In one of the most recent developments, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' (AASHTO's) Joint Task Force on Pavements endorsed the new guide. Full Story
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Michigan DOT wins Oberstar Award for Safe Routes to School program
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ARTBA Foundation recognizes transportation construction industry environmental excellence Highway and bridge improvement projects from nine states were recognized October 10 for their contributions to environmental protection and mitigation at the American Road & Transportation Builders Association-Transportation Development Foundation’s (ARTBA-TDF) eighth annual “Globe Awards” breakfast, held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The awards recognize private-sector firms and public-sector transportation agencies that do an outstanding job in protecting and/or enhancing the natural environment in the planning, design and construction of U.S. transportation infrastructure projects; and transportation construction-related product manufacturers and material suppliers that use exemplary environmental processes to protect and enhance the natural environment. Full Story
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Missouri: Fewer fatalities, TowPLow invention recognized
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ACPA offers free World of Concrete registration The American Concrete Pavement Association encourages anyone responsible for purchasing or specifying equipment and materials for building roads to register for World of Concrete using the association's code, A14. This entitles participants to free exhibition admission (a $55 value) and reduced rates on technical seminars. Click here to register by December 20 to receive these discounts. World of Concrete will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. from January 22 to 25. For more information, click http://www.worldofconcrete.com. Colorado transportation plans available for review and public input The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), in partnership with the Transportation Planning Regions (TPR), has scheduled a series of open houses and presentations around the state. These open houses provide the citizens of Colorado an opportunity to give input on both the Draft 2035 Regional Transportation Plans and the Draft 2035 Statewide Transportation Plan, Moving Colorado: Vision for the Future. The Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs) and CDOT have worked with Colorado residents, local governments, the business community and elected officials to define a comprehensive transportation vision as presented in these plans. Full Story Association of Equipment
Manufacturers Annual Conference National Partnership for
Highway Quality Annual Conference Canadian Public Works Expo |
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For our full events calendar, go to http://www.betterroads.com/calendar |
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Construction Spending Total construction activity for September 2007 ($1,162.8 billion) was 0.3 percent above the revised August 2007 figure ($1,159.2 billion). For details: http://www.census.gov/constructionspending. 10/31/07 New Home Sales Sales of new one-family houses in September 2007 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 770,000. This is 4.8% above the revised August 2007 figure of 735,000. 10/25/07 Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders New orders for manufactured durable goods in September decreased $3.8 billion or 1.7 percent to $214.5 billion. 10/25/07 Economy At A Glance: http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm |
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Compiled by Larry Green, news editor, Better Roads. To contact Larry about the newsletter content, send e-mail to . Interested in being a sponsor of our newsletter? Contact your sales representative for more information. Click here for list of contacts.
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November 2007 Issue Highlights:
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www.BetterRoads.com for
online |
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With
256 Michigan schools taking part in the national Safe Routes to
School Program, the Michigan Department of Transportation is being
recognized with the James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award
for its efforts to ensure children may walk or bicycle to school in
safety. The Michigan DOT was one of 14 state transportation
departments competing for the 2007 award, the first time it has been
presented.
The
Missouri Department of Transportation has won a national award for
safety and has been recognized by Gov. Matt Blunt for innovative
practices. The American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials presented MoDOT with its 2007 Safety
Leadership Award for the agency's efforts to reduce highway deaths.
Missouri had the largest drop in traffic-related fatalities in 2006
of any state in the nation - down by 161 compared to 2005. Gov. Matt
Blunt recently recognized the department with the prestigious
Governor's Award for Quality and Productivity for developing a
snowplow that is able to clear two lanes of pavement with only one
truck.
