Infra Insight Blog

On July 6, 2013, Oregon became the first state to establish a voluntary road usage charge system for transportation funding.  Senate Bill 810 authorizes the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to charge up to 5,000 motorists 1.5 cents for every mile they drive rather than the traditional 30-cent gas tax.  The law comes on the heels of two ODOT pilot programs that examined alternative funding mechanisms to the gas tax and tested the vehicles-miles traveled fee (VMT) system.

As reported here, the Executive Director and CEO of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike ...

On August 16, 2013, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) executed a design-build contract with a joint venture among Tutor Perini Corporation, Zachry Construction Corporation and Parsons Transportation Group Inc. for the initial segment of the first high-speed rail system in the United States.  The initial segment is 29 miles long and is located in California's Central Valley.  The contract is valued at approximately $985 million, plus an additional $53 million in provisional sums.  Please refer to the Authority's web site for further information.

On July 31, 2013, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) executed a $108 million lump-sum design-build contract with Bizzack Construction, LLC (Bizzack) for the design and construction of the rough-grade roadbed for the U.S. Route 460 Connector Phase II.  The 460 Connector Phase II project is a 6.2-mile four-lane, limited access highway located between the U.S. Route 460 Connector Phase I, which is under construction near Breaks Interstate Park, Route 460 and the proposed Route 121 (Coalfields Expressway) interchange in Buchanan County, Virginia.  This route is ...

Today the Federal Transit Administration published final policy guidance to augment its New and Small Starts Program final rule published earlier this year.  The final rule established how the Federal Transit Administration evaluates new major transit projects that seek assistance under these funding programs authorized by Section 5309 of Title 49, U.S. Code.  The final rule does not address changes made by the MAP-21 legislation signed last July, rather it addresses parts of the program left unchanged by the 2012 legislation.

The New and Small Starts programs were developed as the ...

Before departing Washington, DC for the traditional August Congressional recess, Congressmen Mike Rogers (R-AL-3) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11) announced that they are forming the Congressional Caucus on Public-Private Partnerships, or the Congressional P3 Caucus.  In the press release announcing the caucus, Rogers says that he hopes the group will help raise awareness of infrastructure issues and examine public-private partnerships across the country.  Congressional caucuses are formed by Members seeking to work collectively on issues, usually with the goal of increasing ...

A lawsuit recently filed by Scenic America strikes at a guidance issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 2007 related to the use of changeable electronic variable message signs (CEVMS) also known as digital billboards.  These CEVMS, which are seen with increasing frequency on sites adjacent to and intended to be viewed from the highway right of way, rely on state of the art digital technology to provide changeable, high definition commercial messages to the traveling public.

The FHWA guidance being challenged addresses an issue raised by the Highway ...

On August 1, 2013, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and request for comments regarding proposed changes to FHWA’s design-build regulation that would eliminate a requirement for proposers to submit base proposals where the contracting agency allows them to submit alternative technical concepts (ATCs) in their proposals.  ATCs have proved to be highly beneficial, encouraging innovation, cost savings and reduction of environmental impacts and increasing the overall value to procuring agencies through the best value ...

Earlier this year the SHRP 2 Program and the Transportation Research Board issued a report entitled The Effect of Public-Private Partnerships and Non-Traditional Procurement Processes on Highway Planning, Environmental Review and Collaborative Decision Making, which is available on the TRB website.

Public-private partnerships (P3s) have become an important tool in developing and financing infrastructure improvements, and are being used by transportation agencies across the nation.  One issue faced by agencies wishing to explore the use of P3s concerns how P3 strategies ...

Last week the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) conducted a two-day industry workshop at the Golden Nugget Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, for Project Neon, a freeway improvement project on the west side of Las Vegas. More than 200 attendees, including major international developers and local contracting firms, learned about NDOT’s plans to procure the first phase of the project (the P3 Phase) under an availability payment approach where the winning bidder would design, build, finance, operate and maintain the project for approximately a 35-year term. This ...

On July 26, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) held its awards dinner for the 25th Annual P3s in Transportation Conference.   Each year during this dinner, the ARTBA P3 Division honors projects that exemplify the value of P3s in the United States and also recognizes two individuals, one public sector and one private sector, for their exemplary contributions to the development, growth and public education of P3s.  

This year, the Ohio River Bridges – East End Crossing and its public and private participants swept the awards dinner.  The project won Project ...