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Newsline Washington
House Republicans Announce Subcommittee Chairs
JANUARY 21, 2013
House Approves $50 Billion in Hurricane Sandy Aid
House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (RPa.) January 16 named the six subcommittee chairmen for the 113th Congress. Subcommittee chairmen play very active roles in crafting transportation law, from holding hearings to the formal process of moving legislation through the committee. The new T&I Committee subcommittee chairmen are: Continued on page 3
Highway Worker Scholarship Program Accepting Applications ARTBA-TDF announced January 17 it is accepting applications for the “Lanford Family Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program,” which provides financial assistance to help the children of highway workers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty pursue post-high school education.
The U.S. House of Representatives January 15 voted 241-180 to approve H.R. 152, the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, which would, among other things, provide $2 billion for road and bridge repair, $10.9 billion for mass transit, and $5.35 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers for repairs in states most affected by Superstorm Sandy. The House overcame an earlier effort by Rep. Mick
Mulvaney (R-S.C.) to cut 1.6 percent from discretionary federal spending to partially offset the relief funds. The measure comes nearly three months after Superstorm Sandy hit Northeastern states causing an estimated $100 billion in damage and lost productivity. Governors and lawmakers from the affected area pushed for a swift and comprehensive response, but
a small measure to bolster the National Flood Insurance program was all the last Congress could muster before a new set of legislators was sworn in January 3. The Senate is expected to pass the measure upon its return after the January 21 Presidential Inauguration. ARTBA wrote all members of the House January 14 urging them to vote in support of the aid bill.
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Register: ARTBA’s Project Management Academy (Feb 4-6) and P6 Scheduling Academy (Feb. 6-8) Follow ARTBA:
ARTBA Washington Newsline
Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship Fund Continued from page 1
Launched in 1999 through a generous gift from the families of past ARTBA Chairmen, Jack (1991) and Stan (1999) Lanford of Roanoke, Va., the program is supported today with contributions from industry foundations, firms and executives, and labor organizations. The scholarships, which have a value up to $5,000, have helped more than 100 worthy students from across the nation. Applicants must be children of highway workers killed or permanently disabled in roadway zone accidents and the applicant’s parent must have been employed by a transportation construction firm or a transportation public agency at the time of the incident. Scholarship awards must be used to attend a post-secondary institution of learning that requires a high school diploma or Graduate Equivalent Degree (G.E.D.). Master’s degree and Ph.D. students are not eligible. Applications are due by April 5, 2013, and awards will be announced in May. View the application form, or contact ARTBA’s Holly DiGangi if you know someone who might be eligible.
Watch this short video to learn about the Lanford Family Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program.
Upcoming Events
2013
Visit our Events Page for more information. Project Management Academy February 4-6 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]
P6 Scheduling Academy February 6-8 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]
Federal Issues Program & TCC Fly-In June 3-5 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]
Young Executive Development Program June 3-6 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]
25th Annual ARTBA P3 Conference July 25-26 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]
ARTBA National Convention September 8-10 Milwaukee, Wis. [Add to Calendar]
Dr. J. Don Brock TransOvationTM Workshop & Awards Program October 28-30 San Jose, Calif.
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ART BA Washington Newsline
Local Transportation Management Virtual Conference & Innovation Showcase (LoTransTM 2013) November 19-20
5th Annual Transportation Construction Law & Regulatory Forum October Washington, D.C.
Regional Meetings
Western: December, Austin, Texas Central: December, St. Louis, Mo. Southern: December, Charlotte, N.C. Northeastern: December, Baltimore, Md.
CUTC Honors Nine during 16th Annual Awards Banquet Nine individuals were honored January 12 by the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) for their outstanding contributions to transportation research and education during the 16th Annual CUTC Awards Banquet in Washington, D.C. • “Lifetime Achievement in Transportation Research & Education:” John Horsley, executive director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. • Award for “Distinguished Contribution to University Transportation and Research:” Dr. Randy Machemehl, professor
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of transportation engineering, University of Texas at Austin. “CUTC-ARTBA New Faculty Award:” Xuegang (Jeff) Ban, assistant professor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York “CUTC-ARTBA Administrative Leadership Award:” Stephen Albert, director, Western Transportation Institute—Montana State University. The “Milton Pikarsky Award” for best doctoral dissertation and M.S. thesis with emphasis on science and technology: Dr. Saif Eddin Jabari, University of Minnesota and Mr. Tarun Rambha, University of Texas at Austin.
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The “Charlie V. Wootan Award” for best doctoral dissertation and M.S. thesis with emphasis on policy and planning: Dr. Qiang Bai, Purdue University and Ms. Eirini Kastrouni, Institute for Transportation, Iowa State University. “Neville A. Parker Award” recognizing best non-thesis paper in transportation: Mr. William Dominie, University of California, Los Angeles.
UMass. Professor Receives ARTBA Research & Education Division Award Dr. John Collura, professor of civil engineering and director at the University of Massachusetts Transportation Center in Amherst, was awarded ARTBA’s prestigious “S.S. Steinberg Award” January 14 during the association’s annual Research & Education Division (RED) meeting in Washington, D.C.
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July-August 2012
Named after the founding president of the ARTBA’s RED, the award recognizes individuals who make remarkable contributions to transportation education and research.
Special Report: ARTBA Analysis MAP-21
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July-August 2012
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TRANSPORTATION DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY & BUYERS' GUIDE
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2013 MEDIA KIT “Transportation Builder” magazine Leadership Directory & Buyers’ Guide Web & Digital Advertising Opportunities
Newsline Washington
Dr. John Collura, professor of civil
AUGUST 6, 2012
ARTBA Continues Push for Transportation in Party Platforms Both the House and Senate adjourned last week for a recess that will carry through both parties’ political conventions (August 27-30 in Tampa, Fla., for the GOP and September 3-6 in Charlotte, N.C., for Democrats) and last until September 10. As such, both parties are developing their political message for the last few months of campaigning before November and are
Room Discount for ARTBA National Convention Ends This Week
engineering and director at the Uni-
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Senate Introduces Bipartisan Coal Ash Legislation A bipartisan group of 12 Republican and 12 Democratic senators introduced August 2 the “Coal Ash Recycling and Oversight Act” to prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating coal ash—used extensively in transportation construction projects—as a “hazardous substance.” The legislation, introduced by Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.) builds upon a Continued on page 2 Follow ARTBA:
The deadline for receiving the discounted $192 hotel room rate at the 2012 ARTBA National Convention in Memphis, Tenn. ends Aug. 10. The Peabody Memphis Hotel is a magnificent Forbes FourStar, AAA Four-Diamond, historic property, which has been described as “legendary, charming, elegant and grand.” In addition to top-notch speakers and networking opportunities, this year’s convention features a spectacular program of
events for spouses of ARTBA members. Spouses will have the opportunity to tour “Blues City,” learn about its past, and visit important cultural landmarks, such as the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, and Sun Studio and Stax Museum, where legends such as Elvis Presley, B.B. King and Tom Petty made music history. The program also includes a historical tour along the Mississippi River aboard the newly-refurbished Island Queen.
Attendees and their spouses will also have the opportunity to visit Graceland, the home of Elvis. The full program is available at www. artbanationalconvention.org. Contact ARTBA’s Ed Tarrant for information, or call the Peabody Memphis Hotel at 901.529.4000 to book your room. Reservations made after August 10 will be on a spaceavailable basis.
versity of Massachusetts Transporta-
August 10 Deadline: Contractor Safety & Roadway Work Zone Safety Awards ARTBA Washington Newsline
2013 Media Kit
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View the 2013 ARTBA Media Kit online for the full range of advertising and other opportunities in our “Transportation Builder” magazine, “Leadership Directory & Buyers’ Guide,” and the “Washington Newsline.” For more information on advertising, contact Peter Embrey at 202.289.4434.
tion Center in Amherst.
Dr. Collura has served many years in the industry and has been heralded as a top notch educator and mentor; helping to develop the next generation of transportation researchers and practitioners. In addition to his leadership in ARTBA’s RED, Collura serves as co-chair of the Council of University Transportation Centers’ “National Transportation Workforce Summit,” chair of the ITS America Forum on Research, Integration, Training, and Education, and is a member of the Transportation Research Board’s Committee on Education and Training. ARTBA Washington Newsline
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Overheard “But the gas-tax-for-salestax swap violates the user pays principle of sound tax policy. Drivers and truckers pay a fuel tax to cover the wear and tear they impose on the roads. By contrast, switching to a higher sales tax to finance roads would mean that a Virginia resident who may not even own a car has to pay more for road repairs when he buys a cell phone, computer or Big Mac. Motorists who benefit most from the roads would pay almost nothing directly to use them.” Jan. 16 “Wall Street Journal” editorial “Republican Road Folly” criticizing Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s (R) transportation proposal.
“Infrastructure is the most important thing you never think about… Infrastructure is a collection of critically important strategic assets, and we generally take them for granted.” Jim Hoecker, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in a Jan. 16 “Washington Post” story about a new American Society of Civil Engineers report warning of a massive infrastructure investment shortfall.
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ART BA Washington Newsline
Legislative & Regulatory News House Announces Subcommittee Chairs Continued from page 1
Tom Petri (R-Wis.)—Highways and Transit Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.)— Aviation Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.)— Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Lou Barletta (R-Pa.)— Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Jeff Denham (R-Calif.)— Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio)— Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Chairman Shuster also announced that Rep. John J. Duncan (R-Tenn.) will be the full committee’s vice chairman. Shuster said Duncan will “lead a series of special panels that will be tasked with making recommendations to the full Committee.”
Railroad Administration Enacts ARTBA-Supported Streamlining Changes The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced January 14 it was enacting ARTBAsupported regulatory changes to shorten the review and approval process for rail projects, including high-speed rail. The revisions focus on creating seven new classes of categorical exclusions (CEs) during the environmental review process—CEs are used when impacts to the environment are minimal and involves less regulatory burden than more cumbersome reviews, such as environmental assessments
(EA) or environmental impact statements (EIS). Using CEs as opposed to an EA or EIS can cut years off project delivery timelines. ARTBA submitted comments July 13, 2012, stressing the agency should take as broad and flexible an approach to applying CEs as possible. Read ARTBA’s comments.
the guidance allows for FEISs and subsequent Records of Decision (RODs) to be combined into a single document if there is no substantial difference between the two. ARTBA has long-supported these reforms in regulatory comments and recommendations.
FHWA Releases Guidance Reducing Paperwork Burdens for Project Reviews
A federal court in Washington, D.C., January 15 dismissed an ARTBA lawsuit seeking to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clarify the scope of the federal Clean Air Act (CAA). Specifically, ARTBA was seeking to force EPA to explain how much leeway states have under the CAA to enact regulations impacting construction equipment. The case concerns a California Air Resources Board proposal that would require expensive retrofits on all diesel powered off-road construction equipment. The court held it did not have jurisdiction to hear ARTBA’s case, but also turned aside EPA’s request for the court to force ARTBA to pay attorney’s fees to the EPA. ARTBA is currently evaluating whether or not to appeal the court’s decision or attempt to seek resolution in another venue.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) January 14 released MAP-21 guidance to reduce the length of documents associated with the environmental review and approval of transportation projects. In the guidance, FHWA provides opportunities for those preparing final environmental impact statements (FEISs) to simply attach a list of minor alterations to an already existing draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), as opposed to creating an entirely new document. As DEIS and FEIS documents can be hundreds of pages long in some instances, the guidance potentially delivers a significant reduction in paperwork. Similarly,
Federal Court Tosses ARTBA Clean Air Act Suit
Multimodal News
Fostering Innovation
A service of ARTBA’s multimodal councils, it features current transportation developments making news across all modes and regions. Contact Sara Jones to become a subscriber or visit www.artbamultimodal.org.
TRB Newsletter: Jan 8
Highlighting new research, technologies, industry best practices and information resources available to the transportation design and construction industry.
DOT Issues Regulatory Agenda, Multiple Contracting Issues to be Reviewed The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) January 15 released a semi-annual regulatory review, identifying planned rulemakings and reviews of existing regulations. FHWA plans to review regulations in the following areas: design standards for highways; value engineering; pavement policy; preconstruction procedures; and, design-build contracting. FHWA and other DOT agencies will also be enacting multiple regulations over the course of the next year implementing MAP-21. ARTBA will keep you apprised of developments as they occur.
Infrastructure Deficiencies to Cost U.S. $210 Billion by 2020 The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates the annual cost of deficiencies in America’s surface transportation systems will grow from $130 billion in 2010 to $210 billion in 2020 and $520 billion in 2040, according to a January 15 report. ASCE finds continued infrastructure deficiencies will cost the national economy a cumulative total of $900 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) by 2020 and $2.7 trillion by 2040, while also costing the economy nearly one million jobs. The report, the last in the group’s “Failure to Act” series, concludes the shortcomings of individual infrastructure systems have a cumulative multiplier
effect in terms of national costs—”the weakening of multiple infrastructure systems will have a greater effect overall than a simple adding up of the impacts for individual infrastructure studies.” Read the full report.
ARTBA News ARTBA Urges FHWA to Study P3 Contract Provisions ARTBA urged FHWA January 16 to focus on public-private partnership (P3) education as it undertakes a MAP-21 requirement to develop model contract provisions by December.
FHWA hosted a listening session at U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters with industry stakeholders to collect recommendations on the scope and format of a final product. ARTBA P3 Division Manager Hank Webster urged FHWA to examine a wide variety of existing P3 contracts for common provisions and warned against developing prescriptive contract requirements. The ARTBA Trans2020 Task Force’s P3 Working Group is currently developing contract recommendations as part of the association’s broader efforts to ensure MAP-21 is properly implemented. For more information, contact Hank Webster.
Call for Nominations: 2013 “Transportation Development Hall of Fame” Nomination Deadline: Friday, April 12, 2013. The ARTBA Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2013 “Transportation Development Hall of Fame.” The Hall honors individuals or families from the public and private sectors who have made extraordinary contributions to U.S. transportation development or demonstrated exceptional leadership over their lifetime. Nominees are considered in two categories:
2010 ARTBA Chairman Bill Cox (far right) helped induct the 2010 & 2011 Hall
Transportation Design & Construction Industry Innovators: Honors the men and women who discovered or created a “game changing” product or process that significantly advanced transportation design, construction and/or safety. It seeks to honor the original innovator.
of Fame classes.
Transportation Design & Construction Industry Leaders (Individuals or Families): Recognizes men, women and families who have made significant contributions—beyond just having successful businesses or careers—that have notably helped advance the interests and image of the transportation design, construction and safety industry.
Inductees of the 2012 and 2013 Hall of Fame classes will be recognized as a special awards dinner on June 3 rd in the Nation’s Capital during ARTBA’s Federal Issues Program. Contact ARTBA’s Holly DiGangi with questions at 202.289.4434 or visit:www.artbahalloffame.org for nomination forms. Download a PDF copy of the digital “Washington Newsline.” ARTBA Washington Newsline
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One Outstanding Week 3 Professional Development Opportunities Save $1,000
Project Management Academy FEB. 4-6, 2013
MONDAY, FEB. 4 11 a.m. Lunch/Welcome
Up to 20 ARTBA Professional Development Hours available.
12 p.m.
Client Relations: Christopher Fronheiser, associate vice president of transportation, AECOM
1 p.m.
Ethics: Aaron Brotman & Don Tobin, Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
2 p.m.
Construction Documentation: Chris Anzidei, partner, Law Offices of Christopher Anzidei, PLLC
5 p.m.
Economics of Safety: Brad Sant , senior vice president of safety & education (dinner presentation), ARTBA
TUESDAY, FEB. 5 7:30 a.m. Breakfast 8 a.m.
Management & Leadership: Dr. Jim Gellat, professor, University Maryland University College
12 p.m
Lunch
1 p.m.
Resource Management: Dr. Jim Gellat
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 6 7:30 a.m. Breakfast 8 a.m.
Planning & Scheduling: Dr. Jay Newitt, professor, Brigham Young University
12 p.m.
Lunch
ARTBA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
1 p.m.
Planning & Scheduling: Dr. Jay Newitt
Provides in-depth instruction on Primavera Project Planner (P6®) software and other “tricks of the trade” to help efficiently track key aspects of transportation projects, such as people, materials, operational benchmarks and payment schedules. The academy will be led by acclaimed construction management expert Dr. Jay Newitt of Brigham Young University.
THURSDAY, FEB. 7 7:30 a.m. Breakfast
Up to 23 ARTBA Professional Development Hours available.
8 a.m.
P6 Scheduling Academy ®
FEB. 6-8, 2013
8 a.m.
Planning & Scheduling: Dr. Jay Newitt
12 p.m.
Lunch
1 p.m.
Scheduling: Dr. Jay Newitt
FRIDAY, FEB.8 7:30 a.m. Breakfast Scheduling: Dr. Jay Newitt
PROJECT MANAGEMENT ACADEMY:
ARTBA MEMBERS: $2000
NON-MEMBERS: $2700
P6 SCHEDULING ACADEMY
ARTBA MEMBERS: $1700
NON-MEMBERS: $2100
REGISTRATION FOR BOTH
ARTBA MEMBERS: $2700
NON-MEMBERS: $3400
To register, please complete the form on the back of this brochure or contact ARTBA’s Holly DiGangi at 202.289.4434, ext. 304.
1219 28th Street N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20007 | T: 202.289.4434 | F: 202.289.4435 www.artba.org | www.transportationbuilderinstitute.org
Scheduling Academy
Provides transportation construction professionals with the next generation of tools and skills needed to stay on top of the constantly evolving field of project management. Content-intensive, the course is perfect for both new and experienced project managers because it teaches the latest technologies, innovations and techniques in seven core subjects: • Construction Documentation • Resource Management • Planning and Scheduling • Economics of Safety • Industry Ethics • Client Relations • Management and Leadership
Project Management Academy (PMA)
ARTBA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.