Infra Insight Blog

The just ended InfraAmericas P3 conference in New York City brought together virtually every active participant, public and private, in the U.S. transportation P3 industry.  A number of public agencies showcased their plans and projects, and there was a palpable sense that opportunities to bring U.S. projects forward are growing significantly.

Perhaps the project producing the most buzz at the conference is the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority’s Knik Arm Crossing project in Alaska.  KABATA came to the conference loaded for bear (a not infrequent pastime in this bountiful ...

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Center for Excellence in Project Finance at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recently released the report entitled "Transportation Governance and Finance: a 50-State Review of State Legislatures and Departments of Transportation," and will be hosting a free webinar on June 21 at 2pm ET to present the findings of the study (previewed during a committee meeting in January).

Listening to the webinar and reading the study is a must for anyone who wants to understand how ...

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) is hosting a free panel on "Rebuilding America's Interstate Highway System" on June 21 from 8-10:30am ET. The program, which will be held at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation in Washington, DC, will also be broadcast live over the Internet for those who cannot attend in person.

The event targets anyone interested in exploring real solutions to the challenge of funding improvements to interstate highways and other major road systems in America including congressional staff, transportation ...

The Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA) was the most comprehensive rail safety legislation in several decades.  Many railroads are busy with the rollout of positive train control, but there are many other rail safety initiatives underway at the same time.  This is the second in a series of posts on what else is going on in railroad safety, besides positive train control.

FRA is in the midst of a rule making to implement the RSIA requirement that  passenger and freight railroads to establish risk reduction programs.  As part of the programs, railroads would be required to produce ...

The roll-out of positive train control (PTC) is a daunting task for many railroads.  Even without PTC we would still call this a very busy time in the realm of railroad safety.  The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA), which included the PTC mandate, was the most comprehensive rail safety legislation in several decades.  It would be easy in light of PTC to lose sight of all the other RSIA initiatives underway, but that would be a mistake.

In an effort to help our readers stay current, we will devote some space here to a series of posts on RSIA implementation issues other than PTC.  I will be ...

During the recent legislative session, TxDOT received authority under Senate Bill 1420 to develop certain projects, including, among others, the SH 99 Grand Parkway project in the Houston area, as well as the I-35E Managed Lanes project in the Dallas/Fort Worth area through a public private partnership procurement process. On June 10, 2011, TxDOT intends to issue requests for information (RFIs) to assist in formulating strategies for the development of these urgently needed projects. Copies of each RFI will be available on TxDOT's website. TxDOT is seeking RFI responses from ...

The Riverside County Transportation Commission, which oversees funding and coordination of all public transportation services within Riverside County, is seeking a Toll Project Manager to manage delivery of toll projects from the environmental phase through design and construction.

This is a contract employee position that will terminate upon project completion or at the discretion of the RCTC. It is expected that the initial contract term will be three years and may be extended based on the needs of the toll program and RCTC.

Ideal candidates should have advanced knowledge of ...

Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced an additional $2 billion in High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program funding, bringing the total awards for the program to $10.1 billion.  USDOT distributed the $2 billion to 22 projects in 15 states, but three big winners together received over $1.8 billion or about 90 percent of the additional money.

We said we will roll out our view of the big winners on three successive days, in reverse order.  On Monday, we explained why we think California is the third biggest winner in this latest round of funding. Yesterday, we ...

As discussed in yesterday's post on California, three big winners have emerged from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s announcement of $2 billion in federal funds to 15 states for 22 different high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects.  The second biggest winner of this funding round is the Midwest region.

Illinois received $186 million for upgrades and improvements to the Chicago – St. Louis corridor between Dwight and Joliet, Ill., to allow trains to operate at 110 mph (from 79 mph) and increase operational flexibility and reliability.  Also on the Chicago – St ...

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Today U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced an additional $2 billion in High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program funding, bringing the total awards for the program to $10.1 billion.

The $2 billion awarded today by the Department of Transportation was largely redistributed from initial awards to Florida, whose governor canceled the state’s high-speed rail project due to concerns about cost overruns and operating subsidies.  DOT distributed today’s funds to 22 projects in 15 states, but three big winners together received over $1.8 billion or ...