2012 Sept/Oct TB
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Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 1
builder® Sept.-Oct. 2012
MAP-21 Q&A with Hill Leaders
9th Annual “Through The Lens”
Transportation & the 2012 Elections
Sept.-Oct. 20122 TransportationBuilder
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Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 3
SEPT OCT2012
ON THE COVER
FEATURES COLUMNS
Transportation and the 2012 Elections: What You Should Know About the Presidential Candidates
9th Annual Through the Lens:Transportation Construction in Pictures
Q&A on MAP-21 with Sen. Boxer (D-Calif.) and Rep. Mica (R-Fla.)
ARTBA’s TransOvation Turns “What If?” into “Why Not?”
Utah’s Mountain View Corridor: Responsible Planning for Future Growth From the Chairman
President’s Desk
Time to Take Another Look at the Clean Air Act
AEM Corner
10
20
26
14 6
8
28
29
16
VOL. 24, NO. 5contentsThe official publication of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association
www.transportationbuilder.org
TransportationBuilder 3
20
10
On the Cover: Photo Credit: Getty Images
Sept.-Oct. 20124 TransportationBuilder
Executive Committee Chairman: Paul YarossiHNTB Holdings, Ltd., New York, N.Y. Senior Vice Chairman: Steve WrightWright Brothers Construction, Charleston, Tenn. First Vice Chairman: Doug BlackOldcastle Materials, Atlanta, Ga. Northeastern Region Vice Chairman: Nick IvanoffAmmann & Whitney, New York, N.Y. Southern Region Vice Chairman: Tom ElmoreEutaw Construction Company, Aberdeen, Miss. Central Region Vice Chairman: Kathi HolstRoadSafe Traffic Systems, Romeoville, Ill. Western Region Vice Chairman: Jim AndogaAustin Bridge & Road, Austin, Texas Vice Chairman At-Large: Ward NyeMartin Marietta Materials, Raleigh, N.C. Vice Chairman At-Large: Bob LuffyGrandview Consultants LLC, Pittsburgh, Pa. Vice Chairman At-Large: David S. ZachryZachry Construction Corporation, San Antonio, Texas Vice Chairman At-Large: John Houle3M Traffic Safety Systems Division, St. Paul, Minn. Vice Chairman At-Large: Bob CloseParsons Brinckerhoff, Orange County, Calif. Vice Chairman At-Large: John KulkaHRI, Inc., State College, Pa. Treasurer: Tom HillSummit Materials, LLC, Washington, D.C.
Secretary & President/CEO: T. Peter RuaneARTBA, Washington, D.C. ARTBA-TDF Board of Trustees Chairman: Leo VecellioJr., Vecellio Group, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Young Executive Leadership Council Chairman: Chris
Fronheiser, AECOM, Baltimore, Md.
Contractors: Jeff NelsonDavid Nelson Construction Company, Palm Harbor, Fla.
Contractors First Vice President: Bob AlgerThe Lane Construction Corporation, Cheshire, Conn.
Planning and Design Division: Larry PetersonKleinfelder, Kuna, Idaho
Traffic Safety Industry: Taylor Bowlden3M’s Traffic Safety Systems Division, Washington, D.C. Materials & Services: Steve McGoughHCSS, Sugar Land, Texas
Transportation Officials: Tim ZahrnSangamon County Engineer, Sangamon, Ill.
Manufacturers Representative: Ron DeFeoTerex Corporation, Westport, Conn.
Research and Education: Deborah UnderwoodNorth Carolina A&T University Transportation Institute, Greensboro, N.C.
Public-Private Partnerships: Patrick RhodeCintra U.S., Austin, Texas
Council of State Executives Chairman: Marc HerbstLong Island Contractors’ Association, Hauppauge, N.Y. Immediate Past ARTBA Chairman: Bill CoxCorman Construction, Annapolis Junction, Md.
Past Chairmen’s Council Representative: Jim MadaraGannett Fleming, Allentown, Pa.
StaffPUBLISHER
T. Peter Ruanetransportationbuilder@artba.org
DEPUTY PUBLISHER
Matt Jeanneretmjeanneret@artba.org
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Beth McGinnbmcginn@artba.org
PUBLICATIONS EDITOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Jenny Ragonejragone@artba.org
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Rich Juliano ARTBA senior vice president for strategic initiatives
Nick Goldstein ARTBA vice president of environmental & regulatory affairs
Allison Klein ARTBA vice president, member services
Hank Webster ARTBA managing director of Public-Private Partnerships Division:
Transportation Builder® (TB) is the official publication of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, a federation whose primary goal is to aggressively grow and protect transportation infrastructure investment to meet the public and business demand for safe and efficient travel. In support of this mission, ARTBA also provides programs and services designed to give its members a global competitive edge. As the only national publication specifically geared toward transportation development professionals, TB is the primary source of business, legislative and regulatory news critical to the success and future of the transportation design and construction industry.
Transportation Builder® (ISSN 1043-4054) is published
bi-monthly by the American Road & Transportation Builders
Association (ARTBA). Postmaster: Send change of address to
Transportation Builder®, c/o ARTBA, The ARTBA Building, 1219
28th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007. Telephone: 202-
289-4434, Fax: 202-289-4435, Internet: www.artba.org; E-mail:
artbadc@aol.com. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C.,
and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions are $105/year for
ARTBA members, which is included in the dues; $120/year
for non-members; and $200/year non-U.S. mailing addresses.
Copyright ©2012 ARTBA. All rights reserved. Material may not
be reproduced in any form without written permission from the
publisher. Reg. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
Visit us: www.transportationbuilder.org
builder®RegionalMeetingsNOVEMBER&DECEMBER 2012
Register: www.artba.org
For more information: Ed Tarrant at 202.289.4434, etarrant@artba.org Brie Johnson at 202.289.4434, bjohnson@artba.org
November 27-28Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf, San Franciso, Calif.
November 29-30Hyatt Rosemont O’Hare Airport, Chicago, Ill.
December 3-4Hilton Atlanta Airport Hotel, Atlanta, Ga.
December 5-6Seaport Hotel, Boston, Mass.
Western Meeting
Southern Meeting
Northeastern Meeting
Central Meeting
ARTBA
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 5
Editor’s Note:
Jenny Ragone, Publications Editor & Graphic Designer
In this special election issue of “Transportation Builder” (TB) we provide you with a comprehensive and unbiased review of the transportation-related policies and statements of President Obama and Governor Romney. Our coverage begins on page 16.
This issue also contains stunning images of transportation infrastructure projects from across the nation submitted to us by ARTBA members for the 9th Annual “Through the Lens: Transportation Construction in Pictures,” which begins on page 20.
Last July, ARTBA brought together some of the brightest minds in transportation design and construction, business and technology to explore how organizations can use innovative thinking to solve infrastructure challenges. The ideas that emerged from their collaboration during ARTBA’s TransOvationTM Workshop can be found on page 14.
On page 26, ARTBA Director of Public Affairs and New Media Beth McGinn interviews two of the key players in the passage of the new surface transportation law, MAP-21. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chair John Mica (R-Fla.) share their assessments of the law, how it got done and what comes next.
As always, I hope you find this information informative. Remember to vote November 6! Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at jragone@artba.org.
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Sept.-Oct. 20126 TransportationBuilder
from the chairman
Mission Accomplished, Continue to March
Paul Yarossi, President, HNTB Holdings Ltd. HNTB Corporation
I was recently asked: What are you most
proud of during your past year as chair-
man? It was a great question.
In fact, my proudest moment pre-dates
my election. On a personal and profes-
sional level, it was when I received the call
from Charlie Potts, the chair of the ARTBA
Nominating & Leadership Development
Committee, telling me that my industry
peers had nominated me to be the next
chairman.
It was these industry peers, along with
all ARTBA members for that matter, who
proved to be critical partners in our many
achievements of the past year. In this final
column as your chairman, I wanted to
highlight just a few of them.
MAP-21 Obviously, the biggest accomplishment
was enactment of the new highway and
transit law, MAP-21. Many said it couldn’t
be done in an election year, but they were
wrong. While MAP-21 does not represent
everything ARTBA wanted, particularly
from a funding standpoint, the law will
provide market stability and eliminate the
need for more short-term extensions. It
also contains many important, ARTBA-
backed policy improvements that will
speed delivery of transportation projects
and help make transportation programs
more transparent and accountable.
Passage of MAP-21 took a lot of hard
work. On the “road to reauthorization,”
ARTBA volunteer leaders and staff testi-
fied more than 25 times before Congress,
the Administration and other blue ribbon
commissions. The award-winning “Trans-
portation Makes America Work” (TMAW)
grassroots lobbying and communications
campaign produced numerous radio, TV
and print advertising campaigns to help
frame the debate on Capitol Hill. And
ARTBA’s economics team pumped out a
steady stream of research and statistics to
help bolster the industry’s core message
about the economic impacts of transporta-
tion infrastructure investment.
ARTBA vs. EPA While much of the focus this year was on
the highway/transit bill, it shouldn’t be lost
that ARTBA achieved three environmental
legal victories on our industry’s behalf,
including two before the Supreme Court.
In both of these cases, which sought to
limit federal regulatory overreach, ARTBA
was the only transportation construction
industry group at the table. The association
also filed comments more than two dozen
times on a variety of federal regulations
impacting transportation development,
proving once again that the association
remains the industry’s primary legal and
regulatory watch dog.
Strategic Planning Committee Report We made progress in implementing some
of the key recommendations of the 2011
Strategic Planning Committee Report,
especially in the areas of innovation. The
TransOvationTM Workshop & Exhibit in
July was a huge success. We’ve had more
than 150 attendees and exhibitors attend
the first two events. We broadened the
scope of the program with the introduction
of the “TransOvation Awards.” The inau-
gural winners offered shining examples of
how our industry is using innovation to
deliver a better bang for the buck to the
American public. These projects provide
“real world” case studies that can be shared
with elected officials.
Finally, in September, the associa-
tion held the industry’s first-ever virtual
conference for local officials, known as the
“Local Transportation Management Vir-
tual Conference & Innovation Showcase”
featuring “Best Practices in Work Zone
Safety.” Known as “LoTrans,” nearly 700
transportation agency officials participated
in the event, which included excellent edu-
cational sessions by industry leaders and
cutting-edge products from exhibitors.
Young Executives I’m also quite proud of the additional lead-
ership and educational opportunities that
were offered through the Young Executive
Development Program (YEDP) this year.
We kept these rising stars engaged with
webinars on innovative P3 projects and
bridge design. Most notably, we had a re-
cord number of graduates from this year’s
YEDP at the ARTBA National Convention
in Memphis this year, and the program is
well positioned for future growth.
Closing Thoughts Of course the biggest disappointment with
MAP-21 was the lack of money and that
the long-term funding challenges facing
the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) remain.
That’s why we announced in July the cre-
ation of “Trans2020: The MAP-21 Policy
Promotion, Implementation & Funding
Enhancement Task Force,” which will work
to ensure the new law is implemented as
intended and help secure a long-term, sus-
tainable transportation funding source for
the HTF. The battle for the next reautho-
rization bill has begun, and I’m confident
that incoming chairman Steve Wright and
his leadership team are up to managing the
task at hand.
I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to
help lead this distinguished organization.
It’s been an honor to serve as your chairman!
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 7
Sept.-Oct. 20128 TransportationBuilder
president’s desk
T. Peter Ruane,President & CEOARTBA
Time for the Industry to “Vote Its Pocketbook”
Recently, I attended an event for as-
sociation CEOs and had the chance
to visit with several colleagues from other
trade associations. They were all aware of
the recent passage of the federal surface
transportation law, the Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21st Century Act, or MAP-
21, and congratulated ARTBA on our
sustained and successful efforts to pass it.
Many of these folks noted that impor-
tant federal legislation relating to their
associations’ own industries or professions
remained bottled up in Congress, and
their outlook continued to be pessimistic
because of the extreme partisanship on
Capitol Hill. So they told me, in effect, that
it must have been a relief to get MAP-21
done and “out of the way.” Unfortunately,
these comments reflect a belief among
many that the job is done.
While ARTBA’s members, chapters and
staff deserve some plaudits for a seven-year
effort to help frame the debate for reautho-
rization, support of the efforts of congres-
sional transportation leaders to shape the
best bill possible under the circumstances,
and the grassroots push with our coalition
partners to get it through each chamber,
full blown kudos are premature.
Yes, it was not an easy task, and indeed
MAP-21 represents one of the few biparti-
san accomplishments of the current Con-
gress. As we reported in the last issue of
“Transportation Builder,” which included
ARTBA’s comprehensive analysis of the
legislation, the highway and transit invest-
ment levels still fell short of what the na-
tion needs. Numerous program reforms in
MAP-21, however, provide the opportunity
for meaningful improvements in areas like
planning, permitting and project delivery.
Nonetheless, as ARTBA has made clear
since President Obama signed MAP-21
on July 6, our work is far from over. We
remain in full “reauthorization mode” with
less than two years remaining until MAP-
21 expires and the Highway Trust Fund
once again faces insolvency. Congress has
put off key revenue/investment decisions
until the next time around.
We have a critical two years ahead,
and the next step in the road to MAP-21
reauthorization is the November elections.
This issue features ARTBA’s report on the
transportation records of the presidential
candidates. I urge you to examine this
information carefully in the final days
before the election. Talk to your indus-
try colleagues, employees, suppliers and
families about which candidates – whether
for president, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state
or local office – have made transportation
investment a priority. On the other hand,
think about which candidates have been
hostile or have just given you lip service
when the industry has needed their help
with a critical vote in Congress or your
legislature. In the campaign’s closing days,
you may even have a chance to question
candidates in your area about these issues.
Those with the strongest records and posi-
tions on transportation investment are the
people who deserve your support.
One of the oldest sayings in politics
is that “people vote their pocketbook.”
When they work on the successor to MAP-
21, the next president and Congress will
decide what your transportation design
and construction market looks like for
the rest of this decade. So it’s time for our
industry to “vote its pocketbook” – now
more than ever before!
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 9
Sept.-Oct. 201210 TransportationBuilder
Utah’s reputation as a great place to live and work has caught
on. With most residents living within 30 miles of the
Wasatch Front and having access to outdoor activities year-
round, western Salt Lake County and northwest Utah County are
among the fastest-growing areas of the United States.
The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is prepar-
ing for current and projected growth. To reduce congestion and
improve safety, in 2003 UDOT embarked on a project known as
the Mountain View Corridor, a multimodal transportation initia-
tive serving 13 communities. The full project will provide more
roadway capacity with a 35-mile freeway that will connect with
Interstate 80 to the north and Interstate 15 to the south. In addi-
tion, the project will include 15 miles of public transit, most likely
bus rapid transit (BRT), that will connect to the Mid-Jordan and
Airport light rail lines and could evolve into a rail system. It will
also include 31 miles of trails for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Following a planning and environmental review process that
involved stakeholders from the start, and employing smart
construction strategies, the project’s first section—3.1 miles of
roadway—has been successfully completed and another section is
under construction.
Unprecedented EIS In 2003, the state contracted Parsons Brinckerhoff to develop an
environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project. Parsons
Brinckerhoff was the prime consultant and oversaw all activi-
ties related to the production of the EIS submitted to the Fed-
eral Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit
Administration.
Completed in 2008, the eight-volume EIS was one of the most
complex transportation studies ever undertaken in Utah. The draft
EIS received some 2,500 comments, while the final EIS received
just 22. “Our EIS process was very grassroots and transparent,”
said Ed Rock, project manager at Parsons Brinckerhoff. “By ad-
dressing concerns brought up during the draft EIS review, we
achieved buy-in from our stakeholders, and the final EIS obtained
a record of decision without a single litigation action brought
against the project.”
An extensive and strategic communications program facilitated
the involvement of the wide array of stakeholders, including com-
munities, state and federal agencies, property owners, and indi-
viduals living in the areas being studied. A “talk truck” campaign,
a simple use of a three-sided billboard mounted on a flatbed truck,
allowed project staff to proactively engage affected communities.
The truck provided eye-catching advertising and a venue for a se-
ries of nine neighborhood meetings intended to raise the public’s
awareness of the project and provide information about the EIS
and the initial proposed alignment of the corridor.
Several concerns were raised during the EIS process that led to
changes in the construction process. “Air quality was brought up
by local environmental groups,” Rock explained. “This did not
come as any surprise to the client. We included mitigation mea-
sures, such as funding for air quality monitoring and air filters in
several elementary schools.”
The biggest change between the draft EIS and the final EIS was
the phased implementation alternative, which entails building the
project in segments as needs arise and funding becomes available,
while preserving the entire right-of-way for future construction.
Utah’s Mountain View Corridor: Responsible Planning for Future GrowthAnother in an ongoing series on project innovation
The project team worked with the local com-munity to identify landscape enhancements at key intersections.
Retaining walls up to 30 feet high were used to mitigate wetland impacts in construction of the Jordan River bridges.
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 11
This alternative also addressed the concerns of many who wished
to see a transit component included in the project. “We agreed to
implement the project in phases, including building the roadway
with two lanes in each direction first, as well as completing the
first phase of the transit before implementing the full eight-lane
freeway,” said Rock.
The FHWA recognized the Mountain View Corridor EIS in its
Exemplary Human Environment Initiatives program for “using a
process that helped citizens and elected officials understand how
sustainable, context-sensitive approaches can be used to plan for
the future.”
Phased Construction The Mountain View Corridor is being constructed by building
what is needed today—four travel lanes—while preserving corri-
dor space for the full freeway in the future, eliminating the need to
tear out existing structures and utilities as future phases are imple-
mented. The phasing strategy also supports a balanced transporta-
tion approach by preserving space in the project area for transit
and giving transit the best possible opportunity to grow.
First Milestone: 2100 North Segment In September 2011, construction was completed on the first sec-
tion of the project, a 3-mile spur that connects I-15 to Redwood
Road along 2100 North in Lehi, part of Utah County.
“The 2100 North project represents a significant milestone for
the Utah Department of Transportation,” says Rock. “The new
roadway brings immediate congestion relief to several rapidly
developing communities in Northern Utah County, including
Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain.”
The community was involved in the opening of the segment. A
3.1-mile “fun run” marked the opening and raised money for sev-
eral local nonprofit groups. There was also a community barbeque.
Now Under Construction: Salt Lake County Segment The next section to be constructed is a $730 million, 15-mile
segment in Salt Lake County, on schedule to be completed in
December 2012. Parsons Brinckerhoff is a member of the program
management team responsible for coordination with stakehold-
ers, engineering analysis, preparation of estimates, right-of-way,
corridor preservation, and public outreach. This portion began
as a 9-to-10-mile section but through risk analysis and using the
construction manager-general contractor (CMGC) project deliv-
ery method, the team found cost savings and applied the money
toward adding an additional five miles of roadway.
The primary means by which the team found cost savings was in
a process called provisional sums. “Contractors usually build into
their prices a certain amount of risk, and even if those risks are
not encountered, the money is spent,” explained Rock. “We asked
contractors to bid assuming they would not encounter certain
risks, and to provide separate prices for those risks.”
The Mountain View Corridor CMGC team committed to being
solution-oriented, flexible, transparent, and working in a highly
collaborative environment. “These principles allowed us to over-
come challenges and make the project better in terms of reducing
cost and fitting with the community context as well as responding
to changing conditions as the right-of-way was being acquired and
utility agreements were being put into place,” said Rock. “We were
able to jointly establish the schedule with the contractor to have a
realistic schedule.”
The project team worked with Union Pacific and the Utah Transit Authority to provide a grade-separated rail crossing that will carry the future FrontRunner commuter railtrain.
Mountain View Corridor is being built in phases, starting with two lanes in each direction. Land is preserved in the middle for a future freeway when need and funding are determined.
Sept.-Oct. 201212 TransportationBuilder
Active Risk Management “During construction, we would simply move the work if we
encountered a potential delay,” says Rock. Work was also adjusted
when agreements were reached with local governments and utility
companies. For example, when a land agreement was completed
with West Valley City allowing the project access to right-of-way
in a public golf course that would be reconstructed, the project
team resequenced the dirt flow. The project team is also balanc-
ing the dirt work within the project limits by excavating where
material needs to be removed and using that material as fill. The
owner also asked that a crushing operation be set up on site. “The
contractor likely would not have proposed that, given the cost and
risks involved in a roadway project with this much dirt work,” says
Rock.
Another innovation was relocating the Kennecott Utah Copper
Corporation’s private rail line, which connects at Bingham Canyon
with the company’s smelter at Garfield. The Mountain View Cor-
ridor crossed the Kennecott railroad at several locations. UDOT
and Kennecott determined that it would be better to relocate the
railroad than to provide the crossings that would be necessary.
A land trade agreement to relocate the railroad was reached six
months after the construction contract was signed, and the project
team was able to adjust the scope of work, removing a bridge
structure and reallocating the cost savings to other aspects of the
project.
The project team also completed 200 property acquisitions, un-
der budget, with no construction delay claims. Given an aggressive
timeline for completion, the right-of-way team worked through
some issues such as mortgages that were greater than the value of
the properties and some unusual challenges, such as relocating
an animal shelter. “A renter we needed to relocate ran an animal
rescue operation from his home, and he had hundreds of animals,
including numerous reptiles,” says Rock. “We worked with the
resident for more than a year to identify an acceptable location for
his rescue operation.”
Ongoing Public Involvement Regular communication with the public continues to be a vital
component of the project. Progress videos posted on YouTube
have had more than 16,500 views, and weekly email updates are
sent to over 5,500 people using Parsons Brinckerhoff ’s “Comment
Sense” online database. The public involvement team, led by Par-
sons Brinckerhoff ’s Eileen Barron, also uses Twitter and Facebook
to keep residents informed of construction progress. “Social media
is an efficient way to communicate project information to a large
audience over a long period of time,” says Barron.
The Mountain View Corridor project team has used CMGC
to its fullest extent and remained flexible to respond to changing
conditions. And by communicating with and involving the public
early in the process, the team reduced risk and cost for the project
and helped ensure successful construction today—and for the
future.
The project team worked with the commu-nity to identify safety enhancements for a pedestrian crossing connecting a neighbor-hood with an elementary school. A wide sidewalk is protected with short retaining walls, and landscaped areas separate traffic and pedestrians.
Reprinted with permission by Parsons Brinckerhoff. Photos: Courtesy of Parsons Brinckerhoff.
A “Fun Run and Walk” was held September 24, 2011, to celebrate the opening of 2100 North, the first three miles of the planned 35-mile Mountain View Corridor. The project team part-nered with a local school and several local charities for the event.
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 13
Sept.-Oct. 201214 TransportationBuilder
Innovation-focused workshop brings fresh perspective to one of transpor-tation’s core commitments safety.
Could holograms alert drivers to highway hazards? Could
roadside motion sensors prevent crashes with pedestrians
and animals by automatically making vehicles slow down?
And could the right mix of image and incentives make safe driving
“cool?”
These were just some of the many creative ideas for improving
highway safety developed by participants at this year’s TransO-
vationTM, ARTBA’s annual workshop held July 25-27 in Leesburg,
Va., that helps transportation design and construction profession-
als incorporate innovative thinking into their professional skill set.
Launched last year, the concept of TransOvationTM is simple: bring
some of the brightest minds in engineering, business, and technol-
ogy together with a cross-section of transportation professionals
to explore how organizations can better tackle routine issues and
broad-based challenges.
At first glance, highway safety may seem like an unusual topic
for an innovation conference, having been an integral part of
transportation programs for decades. But as 2012 ARTBA Chair-
man Paul Yarossi pointed out in his opening remarks, it’s an area
that can never be over-emphasized, but also one that has faded
into the “background noise” of the public consciousness.
“When did it become okay to tolerate more than 32,000 deaths
per year on the highway system we build,” Yarossi asked, citing the
most recent statistics on vehicular-related fatalities.
“When did it become okay…” soon became TransOvation’s
unofficial slogan as other statistics came to light. Crashes involving
animals costs $8 billion in damages each year, nearly 5,000
pedestrians were involved in fatal crashes in 2010, and a
disproportionate number of incidents occur on rural, two-lane,
and undivided roads.
TransOvationTM co-leader and renowned bridge designer Ted
Zoli observed that as with other aspects of transportation in our
daily lives, fatalities and costs have evolved slowly, making their
impact less noticeable to the public.
“We don’t perceive slow change well,” said Zoli, a senior vice
president at HNTB. “Over the years, driving went from being
perceived as a fun, recreational activity to a chore. We need to
change the public’s perception of safety, so they won’t tolerate
hitting people, cyclists, or animals.”
Problem-solvers by nature, transportation professionals already
possess the skills to achieve these goals. But TransOvationTM co-
leader John Hillman, president and CEO of HC Bridge Company,
stressed that they must first understand what it truly means to be
holistic creative thinkers, get out of their “comfort zones,” and be
continually alert to new information.
“Every creative journey begins with a problem,” Hillman
explained. “Even the act of being stumped is an essential part of
the creative process.”
When organizations promote a culture of innovation, the poten-
tial for new ideas is virtually limitless. Raymond Chiu, technical
director of 3M’s Traffic Safety Systems Division, explained how his
company went from making masking tape to reflective sheeting by
providing employees with a system of principal and practices that
helped harnesses a “chain reaction of new ideas.”
Participants were reminded that the design and construction
industry already abounds with examples of innovation. Danny
Forster, host of Discovery Channel’s “Build It Bigger,” presented
examples of buildings and bridges that have been adapted to their
surroundings and needs, from the 1,600 meter-long Stonecutters
Bridge in Hong Kong, which once completed, will be one of the
longest cable-stayed bridges in the world, to the Al-Hamra Tower
by Allison Klein
FAR LEFT Danny Forster, host of The Discovery Channel’s “Build It Bigger” show, explains how innovation and creative thinking can help build public support for transportation infrastructure investments.
LEFT Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez challenged workshop participants to “think big.”
ARTBA’S TRANSOVATION TURNS “WHAT IF?” INTO “WHY NOT?”
TM
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 15
in Kuwait, the world’s tallest twisting structure complete with
over 258,000 square meters of limestone tile that help balance the
structure’s weight and regulate the building’s temperature.
The dynamics of collaboration Armed with these and other insights, five diverse workgroups
spent the next day and a half formulating their own
infrastructure-oriented solutions to improve highway safety for
motorists, pedestrians, and animals.
In their presentations on TransOvation’sTM final day, the groups
offered a wealth of practical ideas. Many focused on adapting
proven, off-the-shelf technologies to infrastructure- and vehicle-
specific applications, and taking advantage of the information-
driven, interconnected nature of today’s wired world:
Smart sensors. Embedded in pavement and at intersec-
tions, solar-powered sensors would activate signs, LED
hazard lights, and traffic signals when pedestrians and
wildlife are present.
Intelligent intersections. A more customized use of
motion sensors would activate stop signs and red lights
when pedestrians are in or near a crossing. Green pavement
LEDs would illuminate the safest path for turns, reducing
the risk of veering into oncoming traffic, pedestrians, or
curbside structures.
Holograms and high-tech signs. Because drivers can be-
come inured to conventional static signs, especially along
often-traveled routes, holographic images such as a child
playing near an intersection or lane paths/dividers could
pique drivers’ awareness of potential hazards.
Bring vehicles into the conversation. The same sensors that
activate lights and indicators could also communicate with
on-board driver information systems, alerting the driver to
potential hazards via an audio message, dashboard indica-
tor, or seat vibration. The system might also slow the vehicle
in high-hazard areas such as work zones.
Enhanced GPS units. With drivers increasingly relying on
GPS to find the fastest route, why not program the units
to display the safest route as well? Features could include
both temporary hazards, such as construction activity and
weather conditions, as well as the safety history of a route
segment, e.g. number of crashes.
Not all solutions offered were high tech. TransOvationTM work-
groups identified several “tweaks” to existing systems and process-
es that would have both immediate and long-term safety benefits:
Maximize MAP-21(the new transporation law) data col-
lection efforts to identify safety “black spots” and other
hazards, enabling agencies to better prioritize areas in need
of improvement.
Add safety needs to improvement initiatives so that roads
meet existing hazard reduction criteria before expansion
will be considered.
Make lane-edge grinding routine in all highway mainte-
nance work, not simply part of new construction or major
improvements.
Create cell phone “dead zones” allowing access only to
911, thereby minimizing driver distraction.
Keeping safety in step with the concept of “cool” Because driver behavior is an integral part of the highway safety
equation, TransOvation’sTM workgroups examined ways to make
the concept more relevant to the next generation of drivers. Mes-
sages that resonated with baby boomers may no longer be relevant
among 21st century commuters.
“The workforce is dramatically changing,” said Ross Smith,
Microsoft’s director of test and one of the nation’s top innovation
thought leaders. “We need to think beyond the industrial revolu-
tion workforce thinking, and think about the workforce of today.”
Among the most pervasive influences, Smith explained, are
video games, which facilitate reward for positive action, while
establishing motivation to keep trying. Some of the videogame-
inspired ideas included:
Early education. Create realistic driving simulation games
for young people that stress safety, and instill and under-
standing of how infrastructure works.
Pile up the points. Award points for safe driving, and pro-
vide incentives such as reduced tolls and fees and guaran-
teed parking. Eligible motorists could tout their safe driving
status via approved icons on their personal Facebook,
Google+, and other social media accounts.
Broaden the range of “players.” The gaming concept need
not be limited to drivers. Business groups could promote
their members’ location along routes with good safety
records, perhaps competing with each other on which ones
are safest to access. Rating systems could also be applied to
cities and states, rewarding them with the prestige of having
the best or most improved safety record.
Next steps
Unlike other “innovation” conferences and workshops where
potentially valuable ideas are often left behind when participants
leave, TransOvation’sTM workgroups made their presentations be-
fore the Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez and Mike
Griffith, director of FHWA’s Office of Safety Integration. Both
had high praise for the groups’ approach and concepts, and cited
numerous candidates that merit further evaluation.
After all, noted Mendez in his closing remarks, American driv-
ers shouldn’t have to wait for smarter, safer infrastructure. “We
can’t wait years…There should be a sense of urgency to what we
do in transportation.”
Allison Klein is ARTBA vice president of member services: aklein@artba.org
Sept.-Oct. 201216 TransportationBuilder
and discuss the merits of the different candidates with people
important to you.
In this article, you will find some of this information and re-
sources so you can learn more.
The Presidential Candidates As we have done in past presidential election years, ARTBA has
produced a special report on the transportation records of the
presidential and vice presidential candidates. The report compiles
the policy positions, public statements and congressional votes of
the major candidates.
You can find it in the “Members Only” section of www.artba.org.
We urge you to read it carefully.
On the following pages is a summary of some items you will
find in the ARTBA report:
A hard-fought political campaign season will conclude on
November 6 when Americans elect the next president,
along with numerous members of Congress, governors
and state legislators. It’s possible you’ve already formed
strong opinions about which candidates you like and dislike. How-
ever, as you consider your final choices for the election, ARTBA
urges you to take a careful look at their positions on transporta-
tion investment and related issues.
The people elected in November will have a major say in deter-
mining the size of your future transportation construction market,
as well as the regulatory environment in which you will operate.
As an example, keep in mind that—on average—about half the
nation’s capital investment in roads and bridges originates with the
federal highway program. In many states, the percentage is much
higher. We just finished a very laborious federal surface transpor-
tation reauthorization process in which it took about 1,000 extra
days to pass a bill. Some members of Congress were very helpful
in getting us to the finish line, while others were simply obstruc-
tionists. These categorizations cross party lines and suggest that
you evaluate individual candidates to determine if they deserve
your support.
Moreover, the new federal surface transportation authoriza-
tion law, the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century
Act” (MAP-21), expires in September 2014. That means the next
president and members of the new 113th Congress will be directly
responsible for proposing, debating, passing and signing MAP-
21’s successor. As ARTBA has reported, that will be a very critical
process, as Congress chose to defer long-term program revenue
and funding issues until MAP-21 expires two years from now.
In accordance with longstanding policy, ARTBA does not for-
mally endorse presidential or congressional candidates. However,
we will provide you with information to make your own decisions
Transportation and the 2012 Elections:What You Should Know About
the Presidential Candidates
by Rich Juliano and Hank Webster
President Barack Obama delivers State of the Union Address Jan. 24, 2012.
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 17
Barack Obama As the incumbent, the focus on President Barack Obama should
obviously be his public statements from the “bully pulpit” of the
White House and his Administration’s record on transportation
issues over the past four years.
Perhaps no president in recent times has invoked transporta-
tion infrastructure in his public statements as much as Presi-
dent Obama. He has advocated for more federal transportation
investment in promoting the 2009 economic stimulus bill (the
“American Recovery & Reinvestment Act,” or ARRA), as well as in
addressing Congress and the 2012 Democratic National Conven-
tion. He has often appeared in public with infrastructure projects
as backdrops.
Passage of the ARRA was his top legislative
priority when he took office in early 2009,
and the bill included funding for $48
billion in transportation infrastructure
projects over and above the core federal
programs. Another early presidential ac-
tion (actually done before the inaugura-
tion) was the nomination of retiring Illinois
Republican Congressman Ray LaHood as
secretary of transportation.
The authorization of the federal surface
transportation programs, through the law
known as SAFETEA-LU, was scheduled to
expire about eight months after President
Obama took office. With reauthorization activities gearing up
among House Democrats in June 2009, Secretary LaHood an-
nounced support for a shorter-term bill, which many observers in-
terpreted as undercutting proposals for a traditional six-year bill.
Subsequently, Congress passed and President Obama signed nine
short-term extensions over about 1,000 days. During that period,
the Administration released various reauthorization proposals
that included significant increases in investment levels, but lack-
ing specifics on how they would be funded. Ultimately, President
Obama signed the new MAP-21 law on July 6, 2012.
Under President Obama and Secretary LaHood, the U.S. De-
partment of Transportation has promoted “livability” initiatives
(encompassing alternatives to motor vehicle-based transportation)
and greater use of high-speed rail.
“So much of America needs to be rebuilt. We’ve got crumbling roads and bridges… During the Great Depression, America built the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge. After World War II, we connected our states with a sys-tem of highways. Democratic and Republican administrations invested in great projects that benefited everybody, from the workers who built them to the busi-nesses that still use them today.
“In the next few weeks, I will sign an executive order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects. But you need to fund these projects. Take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home.”
–President Barack Obama (D -Ill.), State of the Union Address, 1/24/12
Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama take the stage at the first presidential debate Oct. 3 in Denver, Colo.
Sept.-Oct. 201218 TransportationBuilder
Mitt Romney Mitt Romney served four years as governor of Massachusetts
(2003-2007) and dealt with a number of transportation issues
during that period. Early in his term, his Administration adopted
a “fix-it-first” policy for infrastructure priorities. Subsequently,
he proposed a 20-year, $31 billion state infrastructure plan and
appointed a nonpartisan commission to study possible financing
mechanisms. However, the proposal never advanced past the hear-
ings held by that panel.
By far, the prevalent transportation issue in Massachusetts dur-
ing his tenure was the Central Artery mega-project (popularly
known as the “Big Dig”) in Boston. While the project was well
underway when Governor Romney took office, he faced numer-
ous management challenges related to it. He had some very public
run-ins with the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, which was
managing the project, and over which the governor did not have
direct control. A notable and tragic event was the 2006 accident
in which a tunnel ceiling tile fell and killed a motorist. Observ-
ers praised Governor Romney for his handling of that crisis, and
subsequently the state legislature gave the governor emergency
management powers over certain aspects of the project.
It should also be noted that during his tenure, Governor
Romney signed a two-cent state gas tax increase, dedicated to
leaking underground fuel storage tanks and related clean-up. His
administration also adopted what he termed a “no regrets” policy
on climate change, which included promotion of transit-oriented
development and other efforts to reduce vehicle emissions.
Mobilize! The transportation design and construction industry employs
about 3.5 million Americans. If each of these people and their
spouses and family members took the time to vote, our industry
could easily generate seven million votes nationally. That’s a very
powerful voting bloc, whether relating to the presidential, con-
gressional, state or local elections.
And it’s never been more important for the industry to be politi-
cally involved than right now.
The legislative process leading to passage of MAP-21 was
extremely challenging. The environment on Capitol Hill continues
to be exceedingly partisan. Some ideological groups on the right
and left were openly pressuring members of Congress to oppose
MAP-21 for various reasons and purposes.
Industry professionals need to engage all political candidates
in a discussion about transportation infrastructure in the final
days before the election. Moreover, as noted above, think care-
fully about who deserves your support in the voting booth. In
particular, MAP-21’s strongest congressional supporters may need
your help, and we would urge you to be responsive. If you have
questions about the record of any specific member of Congress or
candidate, please contact us here at ARTBA.
Once we have a new Congress, the “edu-
cation” process will be critical once again.
Simply put, MAP-21 could never have
passed without so many of you getting
involved at the grassroots level. Similarly,
as we work towards the next federal surface
transportation reauthorization in 2014,
the industry will need to introduce itself
to many of the new members of Congress,
stay in contact with those who have been
reelected or have previous relationships
with the industry, and generally keep the
transportation investment message in
front of your senators, representatives and
congressional staff on an ongoing basis.
So the future of federal transportation investment is once again
in your hands, both on November 6 and thereafter. Please get
involved, “mobilize” and help ARTBA make the strongest possible
case for the future federal transportation programs we need.
“I came in as governor of my state and my transportation people said that we had 550 structurally deficient bridges in my state… And we were spending $100 million a year on bridge repairs—I doubled that to $200 million a year.
“Now, that means I had to cut some other things to make sure we were able to put priority behind getting our bridges up to speed. We’re going to have to make an investment in our infrastructure and that’s a place where if we make that in-vestment, it will pay a return. I don’t mind borrowing if something has a revenue stream that will pay back the borrowing.”
–Governor Mitt Romney (R-Mass.), Campaign Town Hall Meeting, 12/17/11
Rich Juliano is ARTBA senior vice president for strategic initiatives: rjuliano@artba.org.
Hank Webster is ARTBA managing director of Public-Private Partnerships Division: hwebster@artba.org.
Gov. Mitt Romney at the Oct. 3 presidential debate.
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 19
“But make no mistake—we’ve got a lot more to do. The construction industry, for example, was hit brutally hard when the housing bubble burst. So it’s not enough just to keep construction workers on the job doing projects that were already underway…
“And for months, I’ve been calling on Congress to take half the money we’re no longer spending on war and use it to do some nation-building here at home. There’s work to be done building roads and bridges and wireless networks. There are hundreds of thousands of construction workers that are ready to do it.”
–Statement at White House bill signing ceremony for MAP-21, 7/6/12
“And while my opponent would spend more money on military hardware that our Joint Chiefs don’t even want, I will use the money we’re no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and put more people back to work rebuilding roads and bridges and schools and runways. Because after two wars that have cost us thousands of lives and over a trillion dollars, it’s time to do some nation-building right here at home.”
–Acceptance Speech at Democratic National Convention, 9/6/12
Governor Mitt Romney (R-Mass.)
“Well there are certain things that government can do to encourage an economy and rebuilding an infrastructure that is aging is one of those... We’ve got to improve our bridges, improve our roads, improve our rail beds, improve our air transportation system in order to be competitive. But fundamentally what hap-pens in America that creates jobs is not government… So we’re going to have to have government change its orientation to encouraging the private sector.”
–Republican Presidential Primary Debate, 1/7/12
“My administration will also make the hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts necessary to reduce spending to 20% of GDP by the end of my first term. I will cap it there. And then, without sacrificing our military superiority, I will balance the budget.
“There are three ways I’ll get this done. First, I’ll cut programs. I will look at every government program and ask this question: Is this so critical that it’s worth borrowing money from China to pay for it?...
“We’ll also cut things like subsidies to Amtrak… We’ll repeal the union give-away called the Davis-Bacon Act to save taxpayers over $10 billion per year.
“Second, we will return federal programs to the states... States are better equipped to perform all these functions.
“Finally, government itself must be made more efficient. I will shrink the size of the federal workforce by 10% and link the pay and benefits of federal employees to those of their peers in the private sector…”
–Campaign Speech, 2/24/12
The Presidential Candidates in Their Own Words
President Barack Obama (D-Ill.)
Sept.-Oct. 201220 TransportationBuilder
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 21
Tempe Town Lake Pedestrian Bridge in Arizona
Photographer: Tom Paiva
Submitted by: T.Y. Lin International
9 th
“Through the Lens”Annual
Transportation Construction in Pictures
Earlier this summer, “Transportation Builder” staff asked ARTBA member firms
and public agencies to submit their best photos of highway, transit, bridge, tunnel,
airport, port and waterway projects from across the nation to run in the magazine’s
9th Annual “Through the Lens: Transportation Construction in Pictures.”
As in previous years, we received many great photos. ARTBA members provided
shining examples of the industry’s excellent work in designing, building and
improving America’s transportation network!
Thanks to all who submitted the outstanding images on the following pages!
Sept.-Oct. 201222 TransportationBuilder
RIGHT Bulldozers make way for the new Stearns Road Corridor in Kane County, Ill.
Photographer: Kevin Ahern, Alfred Benesch & Company
Submitted by: Alfred Benesch & Company
ABOVE Lightning strikes near the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge in Nashville, Tenn.
Photographer: Larry Kayser
Submitted by: Tennessee Road Builders Association
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 23
BELOW Along Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge, La., crews from Boh Brothers Construction Co., LLC, till the soil to prepare new roadbed on the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s Geaux Wider project.
Photographer: Owen Murphy
Submitted by: Boh Brothers Construction Co., LLC
BELOW Design-Build team Flatiron/United used an environmentally conscious gantry system during construction of the U.S. 17/Washington Bypass project in Beaufort, N.C.
Photographer: Flatiron, Inc.
Submitted by: A Joint Venture of Flatiron/United (Flatiron, Inc. & United In-frastructure Group, Inc.)
Sept.-Oct. 201224 TransportationBuilder
ABOVE A bulldozer operator spreads a road base material on a Ranger Construction design-build project to widen nearly nine miles of I-95 in St. Lucie County, Fla. Rang-er’s project partners include engi-neering firms Wantman Group and Atkins (formerly PBS&J), and bridge subcontractor Cone & Graham.
Photographer: Carl Thiemann, Vecellio Group, Inc.
Submitted by: Vecellio Group, Inc.
RIGHT An image of I-495 Express Lanes construction in its final stages in Tysons Corner, Va. This aerial view showcases the widened Beltway with new Express Lanes, a new dedicated Express Lanes ramp, as well as the future Dulles Metrorail Expansion in the background.
Photographer: Transurban
Submitted by: Transurban
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 25
LEFT Bridge resurfacing takes place on State Route 614 over NSRR and the James River in Botetourt County, Va. The crew is applying an epoxy overlay with sand, which protects the existing concrete from salt and water.
Photographer: David Hun-gate, Dominion Images
Submitted by: Lanford Brothers Co.
ABOVE A flag flies atop the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge, part of
the I-95 New Haven Harbor Cross-ing Corridor Improvement Program.
Photographer: Kristen R. Stiff, Parsons Brinckerhoff
Submitted by: Parsons Brinckerhoff
Sept.-Oct. 201226 TransportationBuilder
&Q A
Senate EPW Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)
House T&I Chair John Mica (R-Fla.)
Interviewed by ARTBA’s Beth McGinn
Beth McGinn: You both worked hard to produce a final highway/transit reauthorization bill this year. What part of the legislation are you most proud of?
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.): I am
most proud that we were able to craft a
bipartisan bill that is expected to save or
create up to three million jobs. In addi-
tion, 11,000 transportation construction
businesses depend on MAP-21, which
maintains funding for surface transporta-
tion programs for two years and through
an expanded Transportation Infrastruc-
ture Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA)
program actually leverages an additional
$30 billion. Our bill will keep many hard-
working Americans on the job, and it will
put others who have been hard hit by the
recession back to work.
Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.): I am proud
that this measure included some of the
most significant reforms of surface
transportation programs since the estab-
lishment of the Interstate Highway System.
Cutting red tape, streamlining the project
approval process, reducing the number of
federal programs, shrinking the size of the
federal bureaucracy, and providing more
decision-making authority to the states
will make transportation programs more
efficient and effective in building the
nation’s infrastructure.
BM: Producing a final conference
report that both chambers could agree upon was no easy task. What happened in 2012 that allowed you to get this bill to the President’s desk that was missing in 2010 and 2011?
BB: Developing bipartisan legislation that
substantially transforms federal surface
transportation programs is never an
easy task. The current political and fiscal
environment created additional challenges
to reaching consensus on a bipartisan bill
and identifying the offsets required to fund
a bill. Support from a broad coalition of
labor and business groups, and a recogni-
tion on both sides of the aisle that millions
of jobs depended on getting the bill to the
President’s desk drove us to success.
JM: A multi-year transportation bill is
always critically important to our nation’s
economy. Although Democrats controlled
the White House, the Senate and the House
in the last Congress, they failed to pass a
bill. After they passed six short-term exten-
sions of the previous law, which expired
in 2009, and after the term “shovel ready”
became a national joke following the failed
stimulus, something had to be done.
BM: MAP-21 contained a number of historic policy reforms, but it remains to be seen how and when they will be implemented. What type of oversight do you plan to under-take to hold the U.S. DOT’s feet to the fire in moving forward with these reforms and in the manner that you intended?
BB: As Chairman of the Senate Environ-
ment and Public Works Committee, I will
be in close touch with the Department
of Transportation (DOT) as the agency
begins implementing MAP-21. Our com-
mittee will also conduct the oversight
necessary to ensure that the key reforms
in MAP-21 are carried out following the
intent of Congress.
JM: I will not be satisfied simply by the
Department implementing the changes in
the new law. The Committee and Congress
must hold DOT’s feet to the fire to ensure
they continue to carry out the intent and
spirit of the law. We will not stand by and
allow the Administration to drag their
feet on putting in place the law’s neces-
sary reforms. Doing so would be an insult
to those who have lost their jobs in this
industry, or are waiting to be employed.
BM: While the transportation con-struction industry greatly appreci-ates and supports the many policy improvements in MAP-21, it is no se-cret that supporting federal highway and public transportation invest-ments beyond FY 2014 represents a looming challenge. What thoughts or plans do you have about working to stabilize the Highway Trust Fund’s fiscal outlook for the long-term?
BB: Finding the revenue to pay for the
next transportation bill is a big challenge
we are facing. This is primarily the respon-
sibility of the Finance Committee in the
Senate, but I will continue to work closely
with Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) to
find long-term revenue options that can
gain bipartisan support. I firmly believe
that a long-term dependable source of
revenue must be found and that we must
try to maintain the “user pays” structure
that has long been the basis for paying for
these programs. We must find a revenue
source for transportation infrastructure
investment in the United States, because if
we don’t, we will lose our competitive edge
in the global economy.
JM: For the long-term, we must continue
working to find a responsible way to ensure
the viability of the Highway Trust Fund
and maintain the traditional link between
highway user fees and programs and proj-
ects that will benefit the traveling public.
Beth McGinn is ARTBA director of public affairs & new media: bmcginn@artba.org.
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 27
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Sept.-Oct. 201228 TransportationBuilder
Review of Clean
Air Act Long
Overdueby Nick Goldstein
Anyone who has been around Washing-
ton, D.C., knows that legislation is never
perfect. Congress, the courts, and even
the Administration almost always amend,
update and tweak our nation’s statutes and
laws to fit the needs and realities of today’s
world. Even the U.S. Constitution has been
amended more than 25 times!
Put into place almost 50 years ago, the
Clean Air Act (CAA) is one law that is long
overdue for an overhaul. It is arguably one
of the most complex pieces of environ-
mental legislation ever signed into law. But
the last time it was amended was nearly 22
years ago. This is staggering considering
the far-reaching impact it has on all sectors
of our constantly evolving economy. And
for the transportation construction sector,
the CAA has major consequences, as states
and counties that fail to meet the law’s
standards are placed in danger of losing
their federal highway funds.
In short, a discussion of the CAA is long
overdue, and thankfully U.S. Rep. Ed Whit-
field (R-Ky.), chair of the House Energy
Nick Goldstein is ARTBA vice president of environmental & regulatory affairs: ngoldstein@artba.org
and Power Subcommittee, has
undertaken an examination
of the law and whether or not
there are areas which can be
improved.
As it stands, the law directs
the U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency (EPA) to re-examine pollu-
tion standards every five years. In practice,
this means the standards are tightened
every five years, whether or not previous
standards were fully implemented. States
and counties often find themselves out of
compliance because the standards they
are trying to implement have just been
changed. In other words, the CAA “moves
the goalposts in the middle of the game.”
This, in turn, can place transportation
projects, which help reduce congestion and
improve air quality, in danger.
In order to solve this problem, ARTBA
has recommended that the CAA give great-
er weight to the effectiveness of current
standards, as well as to allow more time (10
years as opposed to 5 years) between EPA
examinations, in order to give states and
counties more opportunity to fully imple-
ment the law’s requirements.
Another area for improvement in the
CAA is the method by which data is
collected to determine whether or not a
county is out of compliance. Two problems
arise here. First, EPA findings are based
on assumptions and “modeling of future
events,” that often do not reflect reality.
Very few CAA lapses occur because a re-
gion has a major air quality problem. They
occur because one of the parties involved
cannot meet a particular deadline. Thus,
the Act has become a top-heavy bureau-
cratic exercise that puts more emphasis on
“crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s” than on
engaging the public in true transportation
planning that benefits the environment and
the mobility of a region’s population.
Second, there is a growing trend of plac-
ing air quality monitors in “near roadway”
locations. The monitors, which determine
compliance for counties, must be placed in
areas where they can get a reading indica-
tive of air quality levels for the area as a
whole. Emissions are naturally going to be
higher in some areas of a county and lower
in others. For example, a monitor placed
by the side of a well-travelled highway is
most likely going to get a higher reading
for emissions than one placed by a residen-
tial street. This practice should be modi-
fied, as it leads to skewed results and areas
being needlessly placed out of compliance
with the Act.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly,
the CAA needs to be updated in order
to account for the fact that air quality is
dramatically improving. Despite impres-
sive gains in population and vehicle miles
travelled over the past 20 years, emissions
in all areas monitored by the Act have
declined. Transportation has played a
significant role in this success, with engines
significantly cleaner now than they were
just decades ago. Instead of continuing to
punish states and counties that are making
strides toward cleaner air, the Act must be
amended to allow the flexibility needed for
these successes to continue.
As discussions over the CAA continue,
ARTBA will lend the transportation design
and construction industry’s voice to these
efforts, so that the law is amended in
way that helps our nation make progress
toward cleaner air, while at the same time
pursue desperately needed transportation
improvements that are vital to our econo-
my, public health and safety.
EPA HQ Building in Washington, D.C.
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 29
AEM corner
CONEXPO-CON/
AGG to Recognize
Achievements of
IndustryAEM is starting a public relations cam-
paign to show appreciation for the con-
struction industry and to
highlight the great achieve-
ments of the industry. The
campaign will culminate
in a special event during
CONEXPO-CON/AGG
2014 that recognizes the
work of contractors from
across the country.
Eligible contractors
and their projects will be
identified in transportation
and other construction cat-
egories. We will tell their
stories and publicize their
work in helping to provide
our excellent quality of
life. Of all these contrac-
tors, 50 will be selected to bring a guest to
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014.
AEM and CONEXPO-CON/AGG want
to offer this recognition for one simple
reason: The construction industry has
earned it. AEM wants to tell the stories
of transportation and other construction
projects and how they make a difference in
the quality of life in their communities. By
telling stories of the people in the industry,
we can increase awareness of the benefits
and accomplishments provided by the
construction industry—its companies and
people.
CONEXPO-CON/AGG provides an
enormous international stage on which
to celebrate our industry’s achievements.
CONEXPO-CON/AGG is where friends
and members of the industry gather every
three years. And in 2014, the show will pay
tribute to the construction industry by spot-
lighting the work of these contractors.
The readers of Transportation Builder can be part of this recognition effort.
To report and publicize the stories about
the people in the construction industry, we
need to discover the best stories. You know
contractors who are right now improving
our quality of life with their projects in
communities across the country. We are
asking that you introduce us to them and
their projects.
These stories will cover many
important elements, including:
Where these critical projects are;
What the projects are, and how they
came to be;
The ways specific contractors/
local projects improved our lives;
The economic value of specific proj-
ects to the community;
The results of a project or the con-
sequences of not doing the project;
and
The specific benefits in the
community.
The means to reach a large audience
with these stories include newsletters, trade
information outlets, market and financial
analysts, all local text and
broadcast news and those
who use information about
technology and business
trends, as well as other
influencers.
What contractors do
you know who have a
compelling story to tell? If
you know of a story that
demonstrates the quality
of life made possible by
the construction industry,
please contact AEM’s Rich
Jefferson with your story
ideas at 414.298.4122 or
rjefferson@aem.org.
Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) provides trade and business develop-ment services for companies that manufac-ture equipment, products and services used world-wide in the agricultural, construction, forestry, mining and utility sectors.
Sept.-Oct. 201230 TransportationBuilder
ADVERTISER INDEX
Promote your company’s products and services in “TB!”
Contact ARTBA’s Peter Embrey at 202.289.4434 or pembrey@artba.org
Check out our rates in the 2013 media kit available at
www.transportationbuilder.org
Advertise with “Transportation Builder”
“ARTBA reserves the right, at its discretion and without liability of any nature whatsoever, to reject, cancel or suspend any advertis-ing in whole or in part, in which case any fees paid in advance shall be refunded to the advertiser on a pro-rata basis.”
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS
Wirtgen America
www.wirtgenamerica.com....................IFC
Heritage Construction
www.thgrp.com..................................30
Caterpillar Inc. www.cat.com.................................. ..IBC
HIGHWAY SAFETY PRODUCTS & RESOURCES
Work Zone Safety Clearinghouse www.workzonesafety.org..........................7
LTAP www.ltap.org...................................... .9
Roadway Safety + Training Program www.workzonesafety.org...................... .19
SOFTWARE HCSS www.hcss.com....................................27
INSURANCE PRODUCTS Travelers www.travelers.com..............................BC
CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN
STV www.stvinc.com....................................5
HNTB www.hntb.com....................................13
www.thginfo.comwww.americastransportationnetwork.com
Heritage Construction & Materials
Building America’s Transportation Network
STAY CONNECTED WITH ARTBA
Contact ARTBA’s Peter Embrey at 202.289.4434 or pembrey@artba.org for more information.
2013 Leadership Directory and Buyers’ Guide
TRANSPORTATION DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY & BUYERS' GUIDE
2013
Promote your firm’s products and services before a wide audience of material suppliers, manufacturers, design firms and contractors.
Sept.-Oct. 2012 TransportationBuilder 31
There’s work out there. Go get it.
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AP1608© 2012 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, ACERT, their respective logos, and “Caterpillar Yellow,” as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.
Find us online at www.cat.com/paving
Sept.-Oct. 201232 TransportationBuilder
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