ACEC/CT Update

Rep Larson calls for more infrastructure spending

Democrats seized on Friday's report that the nation's unemployment rate has reached a 26-year high of 10.2 percent to call for further tax and spending measures to bolster the economy. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) said the unemployment news was confirmation that February's $787 billion fiscal stimulus was not big enough. 

via thehill.com

Of course, the original stimulus bill was supposed to do that.

Transportation Forum for Governor Candidates

Keep CT Moving will host a forum for the top Democratic Candidates for Governor at 8 AM, Friday, December 4, 2009 at the Holiday Inn in North Haven. Registration is only $10. Scheduled to attend are: James Amann, Susan Bysiewicz, Gary LeBeau and Dannel Malloy.

Click here for registration form.

New State DOT Compensation and Audit Rules Webinar

AASHTO is releasing a New Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide which the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) plans to incorporate into future regulations, and that dramatically changes how engineering firms are compensated and audited. The new Audit Guide affects every A/E firm with DOT clients and will change how you do business.

After extensive collaboration with ACEC and FHWA, AASHTO has updated their Audit Guide to ensure compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), improve audit consistency and quality, promote the recognition of a single Cognizant Audit and improve government oversight and overall guidance.

Participants will get an in-depth overview of the new Guide, presented by senior state DOT, FHWA and industry representatives who will discuss the major changes and new requirements, as well as how the new rules will be implemented and enforced going forward.

Click here for registration form.

Congress Extends Highway, Transit Programs Until Dec. 18 | ENR: Engineering News Record | McGraw-Hill Construction

via enr.ecnext.com

Officials Wonder If Upgrading Rail Line Will Be Worthwhile, Produce Results -- Courant.com

HARTFORD — - When federal officials evaluate the idea of upgrading the New Haven-to-Springfield rail line to accommodate high-speed trains, they'll have two core questions: Is the project worthwhile, and can it deliver results quickly? At a weekend conference about the future of America's rail systems, several experts said the New Haven-to-Springfield plan — along with dozens of others throughout the country — will have to meet two essential standards to stand a chance of getting federal funding. Proponents must show how it will significantly improve transportation, but also demonstrate that it will actually work soon. Connecticut is among 34 states trying to get a piece of the $8 billion in high-speed rail funding that President Barack Obama's administration plans to award this winter. Federal transportation officials are reviewing thousands of pages of applications before selecting winners, and won't discuss the chances for any specific project or region. But since Obama announced the initiative in April, talk has become steadily more open about a political reality: His administration needs some quick successes from whichever ones are chosen. "This first round [of funding] is important. We cannot fail in any way, shape or form, or there's no future for this program," Karen Rae, a senior federal railway administrator, said Friday at the annual Rail-Volution conference in Boston. "How well we spend that $8 billion will determine the future funding for high-speed rail." Connecticut has applied for about $80 million to double-track a section of the 60-mile route from Springfield to New Haven, a tiny start to a project that would eventually require the state, Massachusetts, Amtrak and the federal government to jointly come up with $1 billion or more to electrify the line, install modern signals, redesign grade crossings, rebuild bridges and double-track the entire corridor. With dozens of states putting forward even more elaborate and costly projects, the competition is stiff — and nobody expects the initial $8 billion to go very far. But states are trying to get even a small piece of that funding, hoping that the Federal Railroad Administration will give them priority when it doles out later rounds of cash. U.S. Rep. James Oberstar of Minnesota, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, is pushing for legislation next year that would overhaul the national transportation funding system, largely pulling back from new highway construction while pumping hundreds of billions into better maintenance of existing highways along with new public transit projects. Included would be $50 billion for high-speed rail systems. When Oberstar was in Connecticut earlier this year, he recommended an aggressive plan to revitalize the region's economy by linking Montreal, Boston, Hartford, Albany and Manhattan through a network of high-speed rail routes. But while a coalition of Midwest states has put together that type of plan centered on Chicago, the governors and transportation chiefs of the New England states haven't. New Hampshire, a part of the Boston-to-Montreal route, recently announced that it won't pursue high-speed rail funding because of a dispute with Pan Am Railways, which owns a key stretch of track. And Connecticut transportation advocates privately acknowledge frustration that Massachusetts isn't working harder to develop a Springfield-to- Boston segment. Without that, New Haven-to-Springfield is little more than a branch of Amtrak's Acela service. Combine it with a high-speed Springfield-to-Boston link, though, and it becomes a valuable, high-use connector for New York to Boston service. Even with delays and setbacks, though, projects like New Haven-to-Springfield will have a chance at eventually getting built if Oberstar's legislation passes, rail proponents said. One prominent rail advocate who asked not to be named said that Oberstar's funding plan is ultimately far more important than how the $8 billion in seed money is split up. "Oberstar's proposal is truly transformational," he said. "But if it doesn't get through, this whole conference has just been people talking. Nothing more."

via www.courant.com

Engineers: Bay Bridge woes show need for critical action - CNN.com

Engineers: Bay Bridge woes show need for critical action - CNN.com

Everyone admits that it was good luck that nobody was seriously injured when this repair failed. However, it does show the poor state of repair for many of our bridges and the need to properly fund the surface transportation system.

Transportation Reauthorization Languishes in Congress

The surface transportation reauthorization legislation continues to languish in Congress as states struggle from one short-term continuing resolution to another. It looks like transportation will have to sit in line until more pressing issues are completed (health care, cap & trade, etc.). Meanwhile, spending that could really stimulate the economy is left idle.  Read the details.

State's Bond Rating Problem

Click here for Governor Rell's announcement and link to Moody announcement.

The immediate impact of this announcement will be an increase in the cost to the state for borrowing money. In order to improve the state's rating, they will have to raise taxes and/or cut spending. This could impact Clean Water Fund bonds as well as bonds for transportation projects. The state Special Transportation Fund is running in the red and legislators had to transfer funds from the general fund to the STF in this two-year budget. Of course, if they hadn't diverted money from the gross receipts tax on fuel, the transfer wouldn't be necessary.

Green renovation – go it alone or hire an expert? | csmonitor.com

Green renovation – go it alone or hire an expert? | csmonitor.com

Homeowners, like this blogger, who are interested in going green find it hard to locate experts. The LEED program is too expensive, but we see that for large owners also. The state of Connecticut wants projects designed to LEED standards but isn't willing to spend the money for the actual certification.

Political Uncertainty Puts Freeze on Small Businesses - WSJ.com

Political Uncertainty Puts Freeze on Small Businesses - WSJ.com

This WSJ article includes the failure of Congress to reauthorize the transportation bill as one of the uncertainties facing small businesses. Other issues hanging over the heads of small businesses are health care legislation, banking reform, and energy legislation. The result is a stalled economy.