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ARTBA Washington Newsline

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NewslineWashington

LaHood Continues To Push for High Speed Rail

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The continued debate surrounding the so-called fiscal cliff—a combination of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to take effect January 1—has left several major infrastructure questions unresolved at the federal level. President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) are leading negotiations on efforts to avoid taking the country over the cliff, but have not yet been able to find

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood December 6 told members of the House T&I Committee the Obama Administration will continue its commitment to high-speed rail despite recent legislative efforts by House Republicans to prohibit federal

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common ground on major policy impasses, such as raising income tax rates on high-income earners, reducing overall discretionary spending, and reforming entitlements. The House and Senate are essentially in a holding pattern on major legislation while they await a general framework for future revenues and investments.

For instance, lawmakers are wary to proceed with

appropriations legislation to fund the federal government past March 31, when the current short-term law expires. Further, appropriators are also looking to cobble together a relief package for the states affected by Hurricane Sandy which caused tens of billions of dollars in transportation infrastructure damage.

ARTBA is monitoring

Major Decisions Dangling Near the Fiscal Cliff

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Scheduling & Project Management Academies Slated for Early Feb. 2013

To help maximize your time, deliver the “best bang for your buck,” and help reduce your travel costs, the ARTBA Foundation’s “Transportation Builder Institute” will host two of its most popular professional development academies—Project Management & Scheduling—back-to-back during the first week of February 2013.

The February 4-6 Project Management Academy (PMA) will cover the latest innovations in seven core subjects: construction documentation, resource management, planning and scheduling,

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Upcoming Events

Visit our Events Page for more information.

Project Management AcademyFebruary 4-6Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]

P6 Scheduling AcademyFebruary 6-8Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]

Federal Issues Program & TCC Fly-InJune 3-5Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]

25th Annual ARTBA P3 ConferenceJuly 25-26 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]

ARTBA National ConventionSeptember 8-10 Milwaukee, Wis.[Add to Calendar]

Dr. J. Don Brock TransOvationTM

Workshop & Awards ProgramOctober

Local Transportation Management Virtual Conference & Innovation Showcase (LoTransTM 2013)October

5th Annual Transportation Construction Law & Regulatory ForumOctober, Washington, D.C.

2013

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investment in the mode. LaHood said, “We’re not giving up on high-speed rail. The president will include funding in his budget. I think we’ll get there with public money, but in the absence of that we’ll get there with private money.”

Critics of the program, including Representative Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), are concerned about states and localities potentially footing a larger share of the bill for high-speed rail projects if private investment does not materialize. Denham successfully included language in a House-approved appropriations bill that prohibits federal funding of high-speed rail. LaHood noted at the hearing that such a prohibition would deter efforts to attract private sector firms looking to work with supportive governments as partners to complete the projects.

The U.S. transportation construction infrastructure market is expected to show modest growth in 2013, increasing three percent from $126.5 billion to $130.3 billion.

View the full 2013 market forecast by ARTBA Chief Economist Dr. Alison Premo Black.

ARTBA 2013 Forecast

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Products & Services

Major Decisions Dangling Near the Fiscal Cliff

2013 ARTBA Media Kit Available

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.

12013 Media Kit

July-August 2012 TransportationBuilder 1

builder® July-August 2012

Special Report: ARTBA Analysis

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TRANSPORTATION DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY & BUYERS' GUIDE

2012

ARTBA Washington Newsline

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NewslineWashington

ARTBA Continues Push for Transportation in Party Platforms

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Senate Introduces Bipartisan Coal Ash Legislation

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

August 10 Deadline: Contractor Safety & Roadway Work Zone Safety Awards

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 Four-Star, 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

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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 space-available basis.

Room Discount for ARTBA National Convention Ends This Week

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

2013 MEDIA KIT“Transportation Builder” magazine

Leadership Directory & Buyers’ Guide

Web & Digital Advertising Opportunities

ARTBA remembers 1987 ARTBA Chairman Denver Collins, Jr.

1987 ARTBA Chairman Denver Collins, Jr., president of Marshal C. Rardin & Sons, a highway construction firm based in Akron, Ohio, passed away November 29.

Denver’s participation and leadership in state and national associations as a strong transportation advocate spanned more than 50 years. He was a past president and honorary life member of the ARTBA-affiliated Ohio Contractors Association and a long-time TRIP national director.

His extraordinary leadership in ARTBA included service as a long-time director, regional vice chairman, senior vice

chairman, chairman of the ARTBA Long Range Planning/Finance Committee and Past Chairman’s Council, and co-chair of the ARTBA 100th Anniversary Committee. Related to that milestone, Denver and his family became major sponsors of the ARTBA Foundation’s commitment to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s “America on the Move” permanent transportation exhibition in Washington, D.C.

Denver knew he wanted a career in the industry early in his life. When he was 10, he was featured in a local newspaper as the youngest bulldozer operator in the state. By the time he reached high school, he used his equipment operator skills on projects such as the Ohio Turnpike, the Central Interchange in Akron and the Route 8 Bridge over the Little Cuyahoga River.

He earned his B.S. in civil engineering from The Ohio State University in 1956. He was then commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Combat Engineers. Upon returning from the service, he began working for Marshal C. Rardin & Sons.

Denver was predeceased by his wife, Mary, and his daughter, Karen. He leaves his son, Denver (Chris) Collins, daughter, Sharen (Lanny) Nowak, and grandchildren Mary, Denver, John, and Thomas Collins and Katie Nowak, along with many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Denver Collins, Jr., Scholarship Fund at Ohio State University, College of Engineering, 470 Hitchcock Hall, 2070 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1275.

ARTBA sends its condolences to the entire Collins family.

the situation very closely and is urging lawmakers to include increased user-generated revenues for the federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF). Due to the unwillingness of elected officials to increase HTF revenues for nearly 20 years, Congress has had to subsidize the trust fund with non-transportation revenues in recent years to prevent highway and transit investment cuts. Outgoing House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) has said an increase in the federal gas tax is “off the table” in the negotiations, but incoming T&I Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) has repeatedly said all options to shore up the HTF should be

explored. Furthermore, President Obama has proposed $50 billion in additional infrastructure as a key component of a fiscal cliff agreement.

As this process continues to evolve, it is important you make your lawmakers aware how important federal transportation investment is to your community and the overall U.S. economy. Contact your member using the ARTBA Grassroots Action Hotline at 888.448.2782 and tell them:• Transportation is the foundation

of the nation’s economic competitiveness and supports millions of jobs.

• Investments in the transportation network create a ripple effect of benefits, including more efficient goods movements, increased productivity, reduced congestion, and improvements to health, safety, and the environment.

• Now is the time to invest in transportation—while materials and labor costs are low and infrastructure needs are high!

Please contact ARTBA’s Hank Webster at 202.289.4434 if you have any questions or if you would like assistance in scheduling a meeting with your elected officials.

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“The product we’re selling Northern Virginia commuters is a faster and more reliable commute. It’s not just about going faster, but it’s also the reliability.”

Jennifer Aument, vice president of corporate relations in North America for Transurban, in “USA Today” on December 5.

“This is not a memorial service by any means.”

Outgoing House T&I Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) during his portrait unveiling and goodbye reception at the Capitol December 5.

“The New Deal-era notion that roads are free is outdated. They aren’t free in reality, of course, but if travelers see them as such, they will use them without regard to the consequences—congestion, road deterioration and pollution. The current federal payment system (taxpayers dollars) is so removed from the product (smooth roads and transit options) that drivers aren’t invested in finding solutions. They’re left to honking their horns.” Fawn Johnson, transportation correspondent, writing in the Dec. 8 “National Journal.”

Overheard“ ”

TRB Newsletter: Dec 4Highlighting new research, technologies, industry best practices and information resources available to the transportation design and construction industry.

A service of ARTBA’s multi-modal 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.

Fostering Innovation

MultimodalNews

Legislative & Regulatory News

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Local Transportation Officials Detail Sandy Damange

Officials from Amtrak, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and New Jersey Transit December 6 told members of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface

Construction Employment Left Behind in Continued National Recovery

Employment in the overall construction industry declined by 20,000 in November, with much of the loss occurring in building construction, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The sector’s unemployment rate rose to 12.2 percent in November from 11.4 percent in October. Employment in highway and bridge specific construction fell by three percent in October compared to the same month last year (highway and bridge specific figures are always delayed by one month). The number of jobs on private and public payrolls economy-wide grew by 146,000 in November, as the national unemployment rate dropped from 7.9 to 7.7 percent.

ARTBA NewsProject Management & Scheduling Academy

Industry News

economics of safety, industry ethics, client relations, and management and leadership.

The P6® Scheduling Academy, February 6-8, will provide 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.

Registration: PMA is $2,000 for ARTBA members ($2,700 for non-members.); P6 is $1,700 for ARTBA members ($2,100 for non-members). Register for both and save $1,000. You also have the option to register for just one.

Up to 32 ARTBA Professional Development Hours are available.

View the full program schedule. Contact ARTBA’s Holly DiGangi with questions at 202.289.4434, ext. 304.

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Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security Committee the effects of Hurricane Sandy on century-old infrastructure were devastating and the region needs significant federal investment to rebuild and guard against future natural disasters. Former ARTBA Executive Committee member Jim Weinstein, now executive director of New Jersey Transit, detailed extensive damage to both coastal and inland infrastructure and said it would take $400 million to restore the agency’s operation to pre-Sandy conditions, and an additional $800 million to fortify New Jersey Transit infrastructure against future disasters. One MTA subway station that was completely destroyed in the storm has a $600 million price tag, not including additional measures to protect it against future storm surges. The total cost of the storm across the region is often pegged above $100 billion including lost productivity.

Panelists urged the committee to work with other lawmakers and the Obama Administration to provide resources and flexibility to allow

the state and local governments as well as the private sector to rebuild and actually bolster the area’s infrastructure. The Obama Administration is expected to submit a Sandy relief package to Congress in the coming days.

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Download a PDF copy of the digital “Washington Newsline.”

200+ attend the ARTBA Regional Meetings

More than 200 transportation industry executives attended the ARTBA regional meetings held in San Francisco (Nov. 27-28), Chicago (Nov. 29-30), Atlanta (Dec. 3-4) and Boston (Dec 5-6). Attendees heard presentations from state departments of transportation officials, updates on key local infrastructure projects, market forecasts by state and region, and political analyses on the 2012 election results.

An exclusive tour of the new Bay Bridge was a highlight at the Western meeting. The Central meeting provided an update on the critical Illiana Corridor Project from Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. Those who attended the Southern meeting had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion on the “Future of Georgia and National Transportation Programs,” and the Northeastern meeting featured MassDot Highway Administrator Frank DePaola.

For more information about these events, contact ARTBA’s Sara Jones at 202.289.4434.

Attendees of ARTBA’s Western Regional Meeting November 27-28 toured the new Bay Bridge in San Francisco at dawn.

Project Management Academy FEB. 4-6, 2013ARTBA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. 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 manag-ers because it teaches the latest technologies, innovations and techniques in seven core subjects:• ConstructionDocumentation• ResourceManagement• PlanningandScheduling• EconomicsofSafety• IndustryEthics• ClientRelations• ManagementandLeadership

Up to 20 ARTBA Professional Development Hours available.

P6® Scheduling AcademyFEB. 6-8, 2013ARTBA 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.

One Outstanding Week3 Professional Development OpportunitiesSave $1,000

www.transportationbuilderinstitute.orgTo register, please contact ARTBA’s Holly DiGangi at 202.289.4434, ext. 304.

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

In this second installment relating to ARTBA’s 110th anniversary, we feature the names of the association’s presidents and official logos: