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Newsline Washington
ARTBAUrgesObama Administrationto ApproveNewDetroit Crossing
december 17, 2012
Congress Mulls Sandy Relief Request
ARTBA, along with 16 other trade associations, urged President Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton December 13 to approve the permit application for the construction of a new international trade crossing between Detroit, Mich. and Windsor, Ontario. The project is expected to support 10,000 to 15,000 direct construction jobs in Michigan alone and would alleviate congestion at the busiest U.S.-Canada trade crossing. Canada has proposed to finance the majority of the upfront costs of the bridge. Continued on page 4
EPA Announces Stricter Standards for Particulate Matter, New Roadside Monitors The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) December 14 announced a decision to tighten federal Clean Air Act (CAA) standards for particulate matter (PM) or soot. The decision will impact transportation construction as states and localities which do not meet the new standards Continued on page 4 Follow ARTBA:
House and Senate leaders are reviewing President Obama’s December 7 request for $60.4 billion in relief funds for the states most affected by Hurricane Sandy. The President’s request, includes: • $308 million for highway emergency relief funds; • $3.8 billion to the Army Corps of Engineers for projects to prevent future flooding; • $32 million for Amtrak
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repairs; $5.5 billion for Federal Transit Administration mitigation projects; $6.2 billion to repair and restore the public transportation infrastructure of New York City; $15 billion in flexible Community Development Block Grant funds (public infrastructure repairs are
one eligible activity); and $11.5 billion for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund (public infrastructure repairs are one eligible activity). The Senate Appropriations Committee altered the president’s proposal slightly by cutting almost $1 billion from mass transit relief funds, adding $613 million to highway relief •
Continued on page 2
Register: ARTBA’s Project Management Academy (Feb. 4-6) and P6 Scheduling Academy (Feb. 6-8) ARTBA Washington Newsline
Sandy Relief Request Continued from page 1
ARTBA Video: Pete Ruane Gives 2012 Recap
funds, and increasing Amtrak repair funds by $300 million. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is expected to attempt to move the legislation through the Senate during the week of December 17. It remains to be seen if GOP lawmakers in either chamber will support the proposal without accompanying spending cuts to prevent the bill from adding to the deficit. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)December 6 approved an additional $10 million in existing emergency highway funds for Sandy-related damage to New Jersey roads. This adds to the $20 million DOT has already sent New Jersey and the $20 million it has sent to New York.
Upcoming Events
2013
Visit our Events Page for more information. Project Management Academy February 4-6 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]
July 25-26 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]
P6 Scheduling Academy
ARTBA National Convention
Federal Issues Program & TCC Fly-In
Dr. J. Don Brock TransOvationTM Workshop & Awards Program
February 6-8 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]
June 3-5 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]
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25th Annual ARTBA P3 Conference
ART BA Washington Newsline
September 8-10 Milwaukee, Wis. [Add to Calendar]
October
Local Transportation Management Virtual Conference & Innovation Showcase (LoTransTM 2013) October
5th Annual Transportation Construction Law & Regulatory Forum October, Washington, D.C.
This Holiday Season, Your Gift Will Help Make the Future Brighter For One of Our Own
New Planning & Design Reports Provide In-Depth Look at State Markets
Products & Services 2013 ARTBA Media Kit Available
builder®
July-August 2012
Special Report: ARTBA Analysis MAP-21
TransportationBuilder
July-August 2012
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TRANSPORTATION DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY & BUYERS' GUIDE
2012 ADVERTISEMENT
2013 MEDIA KIT “Transportation Builder” magazine Leadership Directory & Buyers’ Guide Web & Digital Advertising Opportunities
Newsline Washington
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
Continued on page 3
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.
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.”
ARTBA released its 2013 “Texas Transportation Planning & Design Market Outlook Report” December 12, the second in a series of in-depth state studies that provides industry firms and financial analysts with high-quality market intelligence for use in business and investment planning. Utilizing key business indicators, source documents and personal interviews, the reports provide a current trend and five-year forecast for state transportation department highway and bridge spending, planning and design work, and major airport construction, as well as economic demographics, bond ratings and capacity, and innovative financing and procurement status in the state. They also provide the latest business requirements for planning and design firms looking to do work in that state, and comprehensive list of other firms already doing work in that market. Reports for Florida and California will be released in the coming months. They are available to ARTBA member firms for $5,000 each for Texas and Florida, and $7,500 for California, or as a package of three for $16,000. Non-ARTBA members may purchase them for $6,000 each for Texas and Florida and $8,500 for California, or as a package of three for $19,000. View the Kentucky report. Contact ARTBA’s Sarah Crane for more information.
For more information on advertising, contact Peter Embrey at 202.289.4434. ARTBA Washington Newsline
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Overheard “The need for investment in public works, never more urgent, has become a casualty of Washington’s ideological wars. Republicans were once reliable partners in this kind of necessary spending. But since President Obama spent about 12 percent of the 2009 stimulus on transportation, energy and other infrastructure programs, Republicans have made it a policy to demonize these kinds of investments.” “New York Times” editorial Dec. 9.
“Furthermore, major highway legislation was torpedoed by President Obama in June 2009. The president undercut a long-term bill, opting for a job-stalling, 18-month bill that led to six more short extensions. This summer, a Republican House worked with a Democratic Senate to pass a multiyear transportation measure. Republicans were the force behind reforms to cut project red tape. ‘Shovel ready’ will cease to be a national joke; two years after the stimulus, half of infrastructure dollars were still in the Treasury.” House T&I Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) in a Dec. 14 letter to the editor of the “New York Times.”
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ART BA Washington Newsline
Legislative & Regulatory News New Detroit Crossing Continued from page 1
Under the proposal, Canada and Michigan would share in toll revenues after the project costs are recovered by the Canadian government and a private sector builder. Read the full letter.
EPA Raises Air Particle Standards Continued from page 1
could lose their federal highway funds. ARTBA has on multiple occasions, both in regulatory comments and legislative testimony, urged EPA not to tighten PM standards stating that such an action “creates a counterproductive cycle where new standards delay needed improvements to the nation’s highway and bridge network which actually reduce PM emissions. EPA also stated they would move forward with plans to place new PM monitors by heavily travelled roadsides in urban areas. ARTBA has repeatedly argued to EPA that using roadside monitors creates a false picture of countywide air quality as roadside emissions will naturally be higher than other areas, leading to a false picture of a county’s air quality.
ARTBA Urges Extension of Bonus Depreciation ARTBA, along with 77 other trade associations, urged Congress December 5 to extend the current 50 percent bonus depreciation tax incentive for
companies who make new capital investments in things like equipment, software, and plant infrastructure. The tax incentive, in place since 2008 as an effort to stimulate the economy, is set to expire January 1. Companies who take advantage of the provision can claim additional depreciation deductions on purchases—effectively lowering the cost of such investments. The letter urges immediate action to provide certainty to U.S. businesses to facilitate investments in the future. For more information on how your company can take advantage of the deduction for 2012, please contact a tax professional. Read the the full letter.
House GOP Names New T&I Committee Members House Republicans December 10 named 10 new members of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee for the 113th Congress. The new members are Steve Daines (Mont.), Rodney Davis (Ill.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Mark Meadows (N.C.) , Markwayne
Mullin (Okla.), Scott Perry (Pa.), Trey Radel (Fla.), Tom Rice (S.C.), Daniel Webster (Fla.) and Roger Williams (Texas). House Democrats are expected to release their new members of the committee in the coming weeks. ARTBA will provide a full list of House and Senate transportation committee members as soon as rosters are finalized.
Industry News Road Fatalities Dropped in 2011 The number of traffic fatalities on the nation’s transportation network dropped last year to 32,367 from 32,999 in 2010—a 1.9 percent decrease overall— according to new data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The number of people injured in traffic accidents also dropped from 2.24 million in 2010 to 2.22 million in 2011. NHTSA attributes some of that drop to a 1.2 percent decline in vehicle
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: Dec 11
Highlighting new research, technologies, industry best practices and information resources available to the transportation design and construction industry.
miles travelled (VMT) in 2011 compared to 2010, but the rate of traffic fatalities also fell from 1.11 per 100 million VMT in 2010 to 1.10 per 100 million VMT in 2011—a historic low. The drop in rate signals actual improvement in the safety of highway infrastructure and driver behaviors, irrespective of the effects of the struggling economy.
Digital Magazine The Nov/Dec. issue of “Transportation Builder” should be in your mailbox this week. Click on the digital magazine
FHWA Survey Results Demonstrate Need for ARTBA Supported Project Delivery Reforms The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced December 7 the results of a survey required under the MAP-21 about the use of categorical exclusions (CEs) in the delivery of transportation projects. One of the highlights of MAP-21’s reforms to the project delivery process is an expansion of the eligible activities that qualify for a CE. A CE is 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). The difference in time involved in a CE as opposed to an EA or EIS is years and can even be as much as a decade in some instances. The survey, which ARTBA supported, indicates that while CEs are already regularly used during project reviews, there is widespread support by state and local agencies to drastically expand the number of activities which would qualify as a CE. Over 100 state and local transportation agencies
to the left for an early preview.
responded to the survey recommending the creation of 266 new CEs. These results reflect the reason ARTBA has consistently championed the greater use of CEs—they have the potential to remove years from the environmental review and approval process for transportation projects.
Smart Growth Group Publishes MAP-21 Handbook Smart growth advocate Transportation for America (T4A) December 11 issued a report entitled, “Making the Most of MAP-21: A Guide to the 2012 Federal Transportation Law.” The report points out, in the opinion of T4A, the various ways the new surface transportation law both strengthened and weakened the federal surface transportation program. T4A applauds MAP-
21’s increases in Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act credit assistance funding, instituting performance measures and a new grant program to fund community planning for neighborhood revitalization around transit lines. T4A criticizes the law for, among other things, “failing to provide robust investment and a sweeping 21st century vision, cutting dedicated funding for walking and biking modes and increasing competition for funds that have traditionally benefitted or been reserved for metropolitan planning organizations.” The report also gives instructions to its readers on how to fully take advantage of the MAP-21 law for the smart growth cause. The release of the T4America report demonstrates that the reauthorization process did
not stop with the enactment of MAP-21. The ARTBA Trans2020 Task Force is working aggressively to ensure MAP-21 is implemented as Congress intended.
Download a PDF copy of the digital “Washington Newsline.” ARTBA Washington Newsline
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In this third installment relating to ARTBA’s 110th anniversary, we feature pictures of past U.S. presidents signing some of the nation’s major surface transportation laws, along with photos of ARTBA leaders meeting with some of those presidents.
May 1946: American Road Builders Association (ARBA) officers present President Harry Truman with an honorary lifetime membership. In 1936, through the Jackson County (Mo.) government, Truman became a member of the ARBA’s public officials division.
April 1989: ARTBA President Pete Ruane (first on left) meets with President George H.W. Bush at the beginning of his administration to discuss the nation’s transportation needs.
December 1991: President George H.W. Bush signs ISTEA into law during a ceremony at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
July 1993: ARTBA Chairman Jim Madara joins a very small group of leaders for lunch with President Bill Clinton in the White House family dining room. The discussion is focused on the U.S. economy, and Madara voices concerns about the diversion of gas tax revenue from the Highway Trust Fund. June 1998: President Bill Clinton signs TEA-21 into law at a White House ceremony with congressional and administration transportation leaders.
April 1997: ARTBA Chairman Max Sproles “talks transportation” with President Bill Clinton.
August 2005: President George W. Bush signs SAFETEA-LU into law at a Caterpillar facility in Illinois.
July 2012: President Barack Obama makes MAP-21 the law of the land.
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
1 p.m.
Ethics: Mark Berry & Mike Branca
2 p.m.
Construction Documentation: Chris Anzidei, partner
6 p.m.
Economics of Safety: Brad Sant , senior vice president of safety & education (dinner presentation)
TUESDAY, FEB. 5 7:30 a.m. Breakfast 8 a.m.
Management & Leadership: Dr. Jim Gellat, professor
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
12 p.m.
Lunch
1 p.m.
Planning & Scheduling: Dr. Jay Newitt
P6® Scheduling Academy FEB. 6-8, 2013
ARTBA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
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. Up to 23 ARTBA Professional Development Hours available.
THURSDAY, FEB. 7 7:30 a.m. Breakfast 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 8 a.m.
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.