Infra Insight Blog

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 ...

Last week, the North Texas Tollway Authority scored a touchdown by closing on $1 billion of bonds and notes to finance an 11.5 mile extension of the President George Bush turnpike in the Dallas Metroplex, which provides convenient access to the new Dallas Cowboys football stadium.  A major factor in the success of the transaction is the participation of the Texas Department of Transportation in the financial structure.  The project was originally to be procured as a P3 under TxDOT's CDA Program, but state legislation gave NTTA an option to develop and operate the project, for which NTTA ...

The Reason Foundation, a non-profit, public policy think tank based in Los Angeles, seeks a policy analyst in transportation.  Qualified candidates should have a relevant degree, a solid understanding of free-market public policy, and an aptitude for written communication. 

Ideal candidates will be very familiar with Reason's transportation policy work and be able to describe what they can contribute to the organization.  Work location is negotiable and salary commensurate with experience.  Applicants at all levels of experience are invited to apply. The application deadline is ...

On Monday March 14, House Transportation Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) conducted the latest of a series of field hearings, this one in his home district in Central Florida, to discuss pending major transportation legislation. It was the only scheduled field hearing in Florida on the transportation bill. The hearing was focused on improving and reforming our nation's surface transportation programs.

Among those asked to testify were:

• Geoffrey Yarema, Partner, Nossaman LLP
• The Honorable Frank Bruno, County Chair, County of Volusia
• Ananth Prasad, Assistant Secretary for ...

The fiscally conservative House majority continues to pursue reductions in federal spending, and federal transportation spending is part of the mix.  Further use of the general fund to supplement the Highway Trust Fund motor fuel taxes, as well as increases in fuel taxes, are opposed by the House majority.  Cuts could come in several forms, including cuts in Title 23 programs overall or cuts to specific programs.

Given the diminishing role of the Highway Trust Fund in funding future transportation investment, federal credit assistance under the TIFIA program needs to grow in ...

On February 17, 2011, Judge Wynne Carvill of the Alameda County Superior Court filed a 38 page opinion denying the efforts of Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG), the union that represents Caltrans engineers, to stop Phase 2 of the Presidio Parkway project in San Francisco.  PECG sued the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)  and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA), as well as the California Transportation Commission and officials of each of these agencies, seeking a halt to Phase 2, which had been awarded as a public private ...

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has released the report "Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation: A Toolkit for Legislators."  The text of the report is short and concise (32 pages, with multiple appendices), yet provides a thorough overview of the the pros and cons of PPPs.  It also sets forth nine principles for consideration by legislators in deciding if and how to pursue public-private partnerships.  

The report is very well sourced, with examples of how projects and jurisdictions addressed matters that affected their programs and projects.  The ...