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Warm-mix asphalt open house to feature new technology The Ohio Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, Flexible Pavements of Ohio, and the Asphalt Pavement Alliance have announced a one-day Open House in conjunction with a field trial of three warm-mix asphalt (WMA) technologies, Sept. 12. Warm-mix asphalt offers environmental benefits including reduced fuel usage and lowered emissions of greenhouse gases. Because warm asphalt mixes are workable at lower temperatures, they also have the potential to extend the paving season in cooler climates. The open house events will be held near the site where three different WMA technologies are being constructed. A morning educational program at the Salt Fork Resort and Conference Center will be followed by afternoon field trips to the asphalt plant and paving site. The paving project represents the most comprehensive field trial of WMA in the U.S. to date. ODOT will construct a 12-mile project in four sections. There will be one section for each of three warm-mix technologies – Aspha-min, Evotherm, and Sasobit – and one for a control section. The educational program will take place from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. After lunch, attendees will board buses to visit the asphalt plant and paving site, returning to Salt Fork Lodge at 3:30 p.m. Presenters will include agency officials, contractors, and representatives of the three warm-mix technologies being tested. Attendees will earn a certificate which can be used as documentation of 3.5 Professional Development Hours (PDHs). For more information and online registration, visit www.flexiblepavements.org or call 614-221-5402. The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) is a coalition of the Asphalt Institute, the National Asphalt Pavement Association, and the State Asphalt Pavement Associations. The APA’s mission is to further the use and quality of hot-mix asphalt pavements through research, technology transfer, engineering, education, and innovation. Shelby Nebraska Highway/Rail Grade Crossing - Installed in May 2006 After repeated attempts to repair the Highway 81 grade crossing surface in Shelby, NE, the Nebraska Department of Roads tried a new solution. After an extensive evaluation of foundation underlayments and premium crossings surfaces, they selected a polymer concrete grade crossing system manufactured by Transpo Industries of New Rochelle, NY. The Department had used their system, called BODAN®, to solve a similar surface degradation problem last year. With the favorable experience and a similar high traffic rate, they felt the system would give them a long life expectancy knowing that trucks rates and weights would increasing steadily. Transpo says the polymer concrete used to manufacture the BODAN crossing surface panels has a compressive strength twice that of Portland cement concrete which is used in traditional crossing surfaces, more than 14,000 psi. The company says its system utilizes a bridge design concept that transfers the axle loads of vehicles directly to the rails of the track. Unlike other crossing systems, there are no permanent attachments of the modular panels to the cross ties. This eliminates stress on the crossing surface and allows for easy access to perform routine maintenance. The polymer concrete panels are said to be resistant to road salts and diesel fuel, and to have a lifetime skid-resistant surface that enhances safety in wet weather conditions. For more information on this product, please phone 800-321-7870 and ask for Rich Brown at extension 635, or visit the company website at www.transpo.com. Missouri Nixes Crossover Crashes In one decade, 400 fatalities occurred in Missouri
because of crossover accidents and more than 2,400 were injured from the
same type of crash on I-44, I-55, and I-70. Pet Projects Continue Drivers and agency managers alike look at the
growing list of pork-barrel projects in the highway bill and wish that
the money could be turned toward maintenance and major needed works.
According to a recent report, last year’s highway bill included 6,371 of
the special projects, including one in Alaska that has been cynically
called “the bridge to nowhere,” which was eventually dropped after
adverse publicity. Actually, the proposed project included two bridges.
One was the Knik Arm Bridge to connect Anchorage with a little-used
port. The other was a bridge to link Ketchikan to little-populated
Gravina Island. Total earmarked funds were originally $454 million. Fatality Figures: Drive the Interstates The Federal Highway Administration recently
released numbers of traffic fatalities in 2004. The total was 42,630,
but only 5,762 of these were on Interstates, where the largest volume of
driving occurs. Rubber Sidewalks Tired of getting complaints about tree-trunk
uprooted sidewalks in the public area of a residential street? Rubber
pathways may provide one answer. Driver Tax by the Mile Oregon recently began experimenting with charging
drivers a user per-mile fee rather than a state gasoline tax. The
program, using 280 volunteers’ vehicles, charges drivers $0.012 for
every mile driven, but does not charge the state’s $0.24-per-gallon gas
tax. State-installed GPS systems and a special transmitter in the
vehicle keep track of the miles traveled. Massachusetts highways chief resigns while under fire for Big Dig
The Massachusetts Turnpike
Authority chairman, under fire since 12 tons of falling ceiling panels
killed a motorist in a Big Dig highway tunnel, agreed Thursday to resign
after weeks of pressure from the governor.
PICA “Measures of Success” Awards Program Recognizing excellence in off-road equipment manufacturing marketing communications Deadline to Submit Entries is November 3, 2006. The PICA “Measures of Success” Awards Program recognizes outstanding marketing communications efforts in the off-road equipment manufacturing industry (construction, agriculture, forestry, mining, utility). The awards also serve as an educational guide for the industry by spotlighting examples of quality communications, and aim to elevate the role of marketing communications within companies by showcasing mar-com “best practices” to a larger audience. WHO SHOULD ENTER The awards program is open to all off-road equipment manufacturers or industry service providers who are AEM members (or eligible for membership) plus agencies with these companies as clients. Companies or their agencies may submit entries for consideration. WHAT TO ENTER The PICA awards program recognizes outstanding marketing communications programs in the following areas: Product Literature (any length), Direct Mail campaigns (single and 2-or-more-pieces), Magazine Ads (fractional, single-page and series) and Press Kits (print, electronic, CD-ROM, etc.). Categories are divided by company sales volume to encourage participation by all sizes of companies. Check the website for full details (www.aem.org/Links).
ARTBA Foundation Provides College Financial (Washington, D.C.)—The children of highway workers killed or permanently disabled on the job will receive financial assistance in their pursuit of higher education thanks to scholarships announced by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF). Students from Iowa, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana and Montana have been named 2006 recipients of the ARTBA-TDF’s Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship. The program was established in 1999 with a gift to the Foundation from two Roanoke, Va., highway contractors and their companies—Stan Lanford, president of Lanford Brothers, and Jack Lanford, president of the Adams Construction Company. Both men are past chairmen of the national association. More than 1,000 people—including more than 100 highway workers—died in 2004 in roadway construction work zone accidents. An additional 40,000 people—enough to fill most major league baseball stadiums in the U.S.—were injured in these sites. This year’s scholarship winners are: Kristin Cooper, Hanlontown, Iowa Kristin’s father, Ron Cooper, Sr., an employee of the Iowa Department of Transportation, was killed in April 1998 while working on a highway project. Kristin is a student at Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa, and is pursuing a degree in criminal justice. Robin Evans, Holly Springs, Miss. Robin’s father, Robert Lee Evans, was killed in an accident in 1987 while working for the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Robin will be a first-year graphic design student this fall at Savannah College of Art & Design in Georgia. David Macloon, Reading, Mass. David’s father, Robert Macloon, was injured in an accident while working for DeMatteo/Flatiron in 1999. David will attend St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., in the fall and plans to major in criminal justice. Lily Beth Parsons, Sandyville, W. Va. Lily Beth’s father, Douglas Parsons, was killed in a 1988 accident while working for the West Virginia Department of Highways. Lily Beth attends the University of West Virginia in Morgantown and is studying to become a nurse. Bradley Patterson, East Helena, Mont. Brad’s father, Eldon Patterson, was killed in an accident while working as an employee of the Montana Department of Transportation in April 1996. Brad attends the University of Montana-Helena College of Technology and is working on an associate’s degree in carpentry. William “Brandon” Rice, Centerville, Ind. Brandon’s father, Willie Rice, Jr., was disabled in a 2002 accident while working for Atlas Excavating, located in West Lafayette, Ind. Brandon is attending Purdue University in West Lafayette and is studying to become a veterinarian. Loria Wright, St. Louisville, Ohio Loria’s father, Steven W. Wright, was killed last Christmas Eve while driving a truck for the Ohio Department of Transportation. Loria attends Central Ohio Technical College in Newark, Ohio and is studying electronic engineering technology. The ARTBA-TDF is interested in receiving contact leads on students who could benefit from the scholarship program. Please share them with ARTBA Scholarship and Awards Manager Rhonda Britton at 202-289-4434. Individuals and firms interested in supporting the scholarship program can do so by sending a check payable to the ARTBA-TDF, at 1219 28th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007. The ARTBA-TDF) was established in 1985 as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt entity to promote research, education and public awareness. It supports an array of initiatives, including educational scholarships, awards, roadway work zone safety and training programs, special economic reports and a national exhibition on transportation. ARTBA, founded in 1902, is the only national association that exclusively represents the collective interests of all sectors of the U.S. transportation construction industry. Funding Ideas Sprout States, counties, and other agencies keep expanding their funding options, hoping to fill the money gap in maintaining and building roads. An extra $118.9 billion above current projected revenues are needed through 2022, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Toll roads have become an obvious solution for many. In South Carolina, the state petitioned the federal government to turn its part of I-95 into a toll road. Oregon reports considering elimination of the state gasoline tax, exchanging it for toll roads with a use charge per mile. Other agencies, including Atlanta, may copy its European peers by leasing roads to companies that will maintain them and charge tolls. Illinois plans to get $15 billion by leasing some or all of its 274-mile state tollway. Pennsylvania is also considering highway leasing, according to a report in USA Today. Denver is raking in extra cash by charging tolls for high-speed, limited access lanes on its I-25. While some motorists grumble at the thought of paying to drive on a road, others realize that this may be the only option for having roads that are fit to use. In California, for example, 60% of those surveyed in a commuting research by Lake Research Partners, said they would be willing to pay tolls to ease their commuting time and turmoil. One concern about leasing and road asset sales is whether the state will really use the monies collected to build and maintain roads, or whether the funds will go for other purposes. High-Risk Rural Road Guidelines Issued The Federal Highway Administration recently issued guidelines for implementing a high-risk rural roads program. The program uses $90 million of Highway Safety Improvement Funds set aside under SAFETEA-LU. Projects that qualify under the program include:
Bridge, Tunnel Security Workshops The Federal Highway Administration now offers workshops providing best practices for state and local agencies to strengthen the security of bridges and tunnels. The workshops were developed from a broader, three-day course. The new workshops are one-and-a-half days long and are aimed at bridge and highway engineers and managers. Topics include identifying threats to bridges and tunnels and their potential impacts on the structures, as well as developing a cost-effective risk mitigation plan. States can schedule the workshops at no cost, but need to provide a facility. For more information, contact Shay Burrows at 410-962-6791, or e-mail him at shay-burrows@fhwa.dot.gov . Bridges and Pittsburgh Anyone who attends the annual International Bridge Conference in Pittsburgh knows the city is ideal for the meeting because of its wealth of major bridges. Now, a book, The Bridges of Pittsburgh, gives you details about the engineering, architecture, and construction of these bridges. The 182-page book, by Bob Regan with photos by Tim Fabian, includes more than 150 photos, maps, and drawings, as well as 10 walking tours. It lists all of the 446 bridges in the City of Bridges, Pittsburgh. Reagon is a geophysicist affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh. Fabian is a Pittsburgh-based photographer. For more information, contact CherylTowers@TheLocalHistoryCompany.com .
Fraud on Federal-aid Highway Projects On June 20, Minnesota Valley Landscape, Inc. (MVL) and its President, David Allyn Lindstrom, were sentenced in U.S. District Court in St Paul, Minn., for conspiracy to defraud the Federal Highway Administration on federally funded highway construction projects. Lindstrom was ordered to serve 18 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release and was fined $4,000.
MVL was sentenced to 5 years
probation; and both MVL and Lindstrom were ordered to pay $396,257 in
restitution. Lindstrom and MVL pled guilty in June 2005 to the felony
charge.
Our investigation found that
during that time, MVL invoiced for and was paid $396,257 through the
federally-funded contracts for work either billed at other than the
prevailing wage rates or for overtime charged, but for which the MVL
employees were not paid. In June 2005, MVL and Lindstrom were debarred
by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MN-DOT) for three years.
The investigation was conducted jointly with the FBI, with assistance
from the MN-DOT. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta resigns Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, the only Democrat in President Bush’s Cabinet and one of its three remaining original members, will step down July 7. Mineta, who oversaw the huge transportation security buildup after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, had been plagued at times by back problems and spent months working from home and the hospital. But he has since recovered. He is “moving on to pursue other challenges,” his spokesman, Robert Johnson, said. White House press secretary Tony Snow announced the resignation. Asked why Mineta, 74, decided to leave, Snow said: “Because he wanted to.” “He was not being pushed out,” Snow said. “As a matter of fact, the president and the vice president and others were happy with him. He put in five and half years – that’s enough time.” Snow credited Mineta with establishing the Transportation Security Administration, cutting regulations and red tape to liberalize the commercial aviation market, helping shape the legislation that finances the nation’s highways, and injecting “sound economic principles” into the nation’s passenger rail system. Snow also paid tribute to Mineta’s long history in public life: his service in the Army, his elections to local positions in California, his 20 years representing California in the U.S. House, and his tours in two Cabinet positions, the first as commerce secretary under former President Clinton. Mineta joined Bush’s Cabinet on Jan. 25, 2001, and became Transportation’s longest-serving secretary. Bush’s only other two original Cabinet members still serving are Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao. There had been speculation for years that Mineta was on the verge of resigning, sometimes because of his health and sometimes because of Cabinet shake-ups. The Transportation Department changed dramatically during his tenure, swelling to 160,000 people when the Transportation Security Administration was created in 2002, then shrinking to fewer than 60,000 when the TSA and the Coast Guard left to become part of the newly created Homeland Security Department. One of Mineta’s main achievements was the passage of a six-year, $286.4 billion highway-spending plan in July, after nearly two years of wrangling. The plan has since been criticized for containing too many “earmarks,” special projects sought by lawmakers. The son of Japanese immigrants, Mineta’s career has been a series of firsts for Asian-Americans: first to serve as a Cabinet secretary when Clinton appointed him in 2000; first to serve as mayor of a major city— his native San Jose, Calif., where the airport bears his name; and first to chair a congressional committee, the House Transportation Committee. After terrorists hijacked airplanes for the Sept. 11 attacks, Mineta oversaw the creation of the TSA, which put thousands of air marshals on commercial flights, installed high-tech equipment to check baggage at airports and hired tens of thousands of workers to screen air travelers and their baggage. One of Mineta’s signature accomplishments in the House was passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, through which the United States apologized for sending Mineta and 120,000 other Japanese-Americans to internment camps and paid reparations of $20,000 to each survivor. Mineta was 10 when he was herded to a camp in Wyoming with his family after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941. (Source: Associated Press, with AP writer Leslie Miller contributing to this report.) More Cameras in Illinois The Illinois legislature recently approved a bill allowing use of photo enforcement cameras in cities within an eight-county area, including Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Madison, and St. Clair Counties. Seventy percent of the people in Illinois live in those counties. Cities covered include Aurora, Belleville, East St. Louis, Elgin, Evanston, Joliet, Naperville, Wheaton, and Woodstock. Registered vehicle owners will be responsible for photo enforcement citations for red-light running, but speed citations cannot be issued with the technology. Seat Belt Compliance Not Complete About 18% still fail to buckle seatbelts, contributing to higher on-road death and injury rates, according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The report gives a state-by-state summary of use, but young males, living in rural areas, who drive pickup trucks are the least likely to buckle their seat belts (58% of those killed on rural roads were not wearing a seat belt). Of crashes involving pickups, about seven in 10 people who died were not wearing belts. Men account for 65% of the more than 31,000 people killed each year in passenger vehicles, and more than 60% of people ages 8 to 44 who were killed in passenger vehicles were not wearing belts. The agency says that belts reduce the risk of death for those in the front seat of a passenger vehicle by 45% and reduce the risk of moderate-to-critical injuries by 50%. Higher reductions result for those in sport utilities, vans, and pickups when wearing belts. Eight states and Puerto Rico have safety belt rates above 90% compliance; 25 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have primary enforcement belt laws allowing law enforcement personnel to stop a vehicle solely for noncompliance.Texas State Highway 130 becomes roadbuilding experiment Researchers at the International Center for Aggregates Research (ICAR) hope to find the key to longer lasting, more durable roads that can be constructed in less time. The time has come for Texas to look into more efficient options in creating roads, ICAR Managing Associate Director Joe Allen said. “Ever since we’ve been building roads we’ve been looking for new ways to take standard earth materials and put them down faster, make them stronger and make them last longer. Even though we’ve had newer equipment our methods haven’t changed,” Allen said. ICAR, a joint operation of The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, hope to discover better methods for road construction during a study this summer. The study is taking place on four stretches of road on the new State Highway 130. “We had the opportunity to get in as the road was being constructed,” said Allen. Lone Star Infrastructure is building SH 130. They donated 2,000 tons of rock through KBDJ quarry in Buda. KBDJ spokeswoman Kirsten Voinis said they had to provide a very specific type of rock. “KBDJ was asked to crush a specific type of road base material for the testing project. We had to meet certain specifications as far as the type of rock and size of rock,” Voinis said. The quarry is pleased to be a part of the project, Voinis said. “Researchers and construction companies must work together to build the best roads as possible, as Texas undertakes the largest road building push in the state’s history,” Voinis said. The size and type of rocks KBDJ quarry provided will go head to head with three other combinations. Researchers will do both laboratory and on-site testing, Allen said. Once complete researchers plan to show their findings to contractors and the state in hopes of changing the way they construct roads for the better. “It should save some time and therefore save some money. In the case of road reconstruction, it could turn the roads over to traffic sooner,” Allen said. Similar projects resulted in changes in road construction in Georgia and Tennessee, Allen said. (Source: www.news8austin.com, by Veronica Castelo, June 22, 2006.) ARTBA attorney highlights need for national environmental policy act reforms at California meeting of American Bar Association A U.S. House of Representatives task force established to consider reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has put forward several important proposals that could help ensure decisions made by federal, state, and local government agencies to add new highway capacity are not subject to endless legal challenge, an American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) staff attorney said June 2. ARTBA’s Nick Goldstein delivered his remarks before an American Law Institute/American Bar Association environmental litigation conference in San Francisco, Calif. He was part of a panel analyzing the recent draft report by the House task force, which contained more than 20 recommendations for updating NEPA. NEPA is a 1969 law that regulates the environmental review process all transportation projects must undergo before construction can begin. NEPA’s original intent was to protect the environment by ensuring the public has a role in the federal decision-making process and in minimizing the environmental impacts that result from federal activities. Provisions in the law, however, have been increasingly used by anti-growth groups to shut down or delay transportation improvement projects. Goldstein said the NEPA task force report contained a number of valuable ideas for improvement, such as eliminating duplicative reviews and curbing excessive and frivolous environmental litigation. The report calls for establishing lead agencies for conducting environmental reviews and a 180-day time limit for filing project-related NEPA lawsuits. Such a statute of limitations, Goldstein said, would lead to more certainty in the transportation planning and help speed the delivery of highway improvement projects. Goldstein also highlighted a number of the positive environmental reforms ARTBA worked to achieve in the 2005 federal highway and transit program reauthorization bill, SAFETEA-LU. High oil prices sparks Charleston, W.Va. to cut paving to about 60 asphalt streets The city of Charleston (in West Virginia) is cutting back this year on its asphalt street paving because of high oil costs and to give some of the older concrete streets some overdue attention. The city has a tentative list of sections of about 60 asphalt streets that will be given priority for paving that will begin this summer. City Council is expected to consider a $1.7 million bid for the asphalt paving at its June 5 meeting. Bids were accepted until May 30. Last year, sections of 100 streets were paved for about $1.6 million, but crude oil prices have driven barge fuel costs up and made asphalt more expensive. "One thing drives the other," said City Engineer Chris Knox. The city has compiled a list of about 20 concrete streets, mostly in residential areas, on which damaged "panels" will be repaired, Knox said. Two contracts will be awarded to handle the different projects. The money to pay for the paving will come from the city's user fee revenue. Knox said the work constituting that $1.7 million figure likely would be shaved back to free up some money to pay for the concrete repairs, though he was reluctant to say how much would be cut out of the asphalt bid. The city's downtown will get the most attention this round of paving. Eight streets in the area are on the tentative list, including sections of Clendenin, Hale and Quarrier streets and Kanawha Boulevard between McFarland Street and the Elk River Bridge. Two sections of Virginia Street East are on the list between Capitol and Bradford and Court and Laidley streets. The West Side is next with seven streets, including sections of Falcon, Neighbors, Upper Edgewood and Summit drives. Knox said the city spends the year compiling a long list of potential streets that are brought up by various council members and city department heads who drive them every day and hear the gripes from residents. The list is then prioritized, taking into consideration the average daily traffic, immediate condition of the street and when the street was last paved, Knox said. The streets are then prioritized again into a three-tiered list. If the budget allows, some “No. 2” streets are included, Knox said. The No. 3 priority streets are left for another paving season. Asphalt paving should begin shortly after the bid is awarded and last until Thanksgiving, when the paving plants shut down, Knox said. The city collects about $2.8 million a year from the $1-a-week user fee. The money pays for the street repairs and hiring police officers. The fee is levied on everyone working within city limits. The state Supreme Court in December ordered the city to hold a special election on the fee, after it found problems with the procedure by which the city passed the fee ordinance in 2004. Only registered voters who live in the city can vote on it. The special election will take place on July 24. Absentee voting by mail begins June 12. Knox said in an earlier interview that if voters shoot down the user fee, some of the lower priority streets on the list would be lopped off, since paving already will have begun. (Source: Daily Mail. Article by Justin D. Anderson, who may be contacted at 348-4843. Article originally published May 31, 2006.) Interstate 50th anniversary convoy across America to feature Web casts at each city Stop The Interstate 50th Anniversary Convoy, June 16-29,
organized by the American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO) will be featured during Internet TV
Web cast reports on National League of Cities’ National City Network TV
(NCNTV, www.NCNTV.org ). The announcement was made by TV Worldwide, (www.TVWorldwide.com
), NCNTV’s Internet TV partner. TV Worldwide and NCNTV production crews
will report on the Interstate 50th convoy activities through 18 city
stops, while featuring city transportation issues and covering convoy
member Operation Interdependence, (www.OIdelivers.org ), a civilian to
military distribution system with volunteers who will be collecting care
packages at each stop and communicating with troops overseas from each
city during the Web casts. Visitors to the Web casts will be able to post questions to interviewees and participate in Q&A via e-mail, providing a fully interactive forum for sharing information. The event will be archived for viewing for full year at NCNTV (www.NCNTV.org). Questions can be directed to 703-961-9250, ext. 223 before and during the convoy Web casts. (Source: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials via Aggregate Research Industries) AARP joins lawsuit against Cat The AARP has joined a lawsuit against Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc. filed by retirees who believe the company owes them health benefits for life. The A-A-R-P is a national advocacy organization for people more than 50 years old. Attorneys for the AARP Foundation Litigation have become co-counsel in the lawsuit, which could attain class-action status. The suit filed in late March in Nashville, Tenn., claims that all Caterpillar retirees who left between Jan. 1, 1992, and March 1998, are owed free lifetime health insurance. There was no valid contract between Peoria-based Caterpillar and the United Auto Workers at that time. The suit claims that, because no formal contract was in place, workers who retired then are entitled to the terms of the previous contract, which provided the free health care. (Source: Associated Press) Meth-lab litter poses hazard for road crews Volunteers and maintenance crews who clean up roadside litter are being urged to watch for potentially toxic debris discarded from methamphetamine labs. Transportation agencies in several states and organizations that promote highway cleanups are creating brochures and DVDs to educate workers about dangers from materials used to make the drug, also known as meth or speed. “We felt it was important to notify the public that the trash you might as a Good Samaritan be out picking up on the side of the road could possibly be dangerous to you,” says Lt. John Eichkorn of the Kansas Highway Patrol. The agency issued a news release in March that warned volunteers and highway cleanup crews. Bystanders who come across materials used to make the drug can be burned or their lungs damaged from inhaling fumes. Clues indicating a dumpsite include empty bottles attached to a rubber hose, the smell of ammonia and coffee filters stained red or containing a white powder residue. Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that can be made using household chemicals and equipment and common cold remedies containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. To combat the drug’s spread, most states have passed laws restricting access to those medicines, including limiting how much a customer can buy and having buyers sign a log, says Blake Harrison of the National Conference of State Legislatures. President Bush in March signed a federal law that imposes similar restrictions. Such legislation has dramatically reduced the number of illegal meth labs found inside homes, says Ashley Cradduck, spokeswoman for Gov. Dave Heineman of Nebraska, where a law was passed last year. Among actions: •Keep Nebraska Beautiful, a civic group, launched an education campaign last year and created a DVD on meth litter for the thousands of 4-H clubs, Scout troops and Rotary clubs involved in cleanup efforts. “We recommend to every single group to view that video before they go out so they know how to respond,” says Jane Polson, the group’s executive director. •Colorado’s Department of Transportation offers an instructional video warning that meth litter is “a deadly threat to all Adopt-A-Highway volunteers.” The video urges group leaders to scout areas before volunteers begin work. “There was a need for a higher level of attention to it because I don’t think the crews really realized the risk they were in,” says Stacey Stegman, a department spokeswoman. A maintenance worker was overwhelmed two years ago by fumes from meth materials tossed in a rest stop trash bin, she says. “It burned his lungs,” she says. “He was off work for close to a month.” •Wyoming is distributing brochures on meth litter to more than 900 organizations that volunteer to clean up a stretch of road as part of its Adopt-A-Highway program. There have been few reports of people being injured after stumbling across meth materials, and no one reports a dip in volunteers, cleanup leaders say. “They haven’t been scared away,” Polson says. “I think the key is education.” (Source: USA Today online edition, usatoday.com. Posted May 30, 2006. Article by Charisse Jones) Prefab Bridge Decisions Deciding whether to use prefabbed bridges or not can be easier when you use the new Federal Highway Administration’s Framework for Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems Decision-Making. The tool gives agencies and contractors a quick, simple tool to use in deciding whether to prefab for a specific project. The framework presents issues such as traffic volume, purpose of replacement, worker safety concerns, environmental matters, and so on. Three formats can be used: a one-page flow chart, a one-page matrix, and a detailed question-and-discussion format. The framework and other data can be obtained online at www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/prefab/index.htm . Highway Deaths Increase Early information estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that the highway death rate last year increased for the first time in about two decades, going to 43,200 from 42,636. Death rates per million vehicle miles went from 1.44 to 1.46. While this increase is small, it shows the need for greater safety in driving. According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, about 80% of crashes and near-crashes include driver inattention such as cell phone use, sleepiness, reaching for a moving object within the vehicle, and so on. Leonard Evans, president of Science Service Society, told a University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies group that automatic detection and enforcement could help reduce traffic fatalities. The safety expert pointed out that the United States has dropped from having the safest roads (lowest death rates) in the world in the 1960s to 16th place. Fatalities in comparable countries — Canada, Great Britain, and Australia — fell by about half from 1979 to 2002. In the U.S., rates fell only 16%. If we could match their performance, Evans says, we would have about 15,000 fewer deaths on our roads each year. Evans says U.S. safety has historically relied on better vehicle design, including safety devices, such as seat belts, in the vehicle. An approach of avoiding risky driving helps avoid the problem better, he says. Evans recommends photo radar, red-light cameras, and other technologies. “Studies of various automatic speed-detection systems found a 19% crash reduction,” he says, “and a review of red-light cameras shows a 25 to 30% drop.” A recent report from HNTB gives a list of elements included in Intelligent Transportation Systems. Many of these could be used to help reduce highway deaths and make roads safer, too. They include: * Advanced traveler information systems to help drivers choose better routes or modes of transportation. * Advanced traffic management systems with detectors, cameras, and communication systems to monitor traffic, optimize signal timings on major arterials, and improve the flow of traffic. * Incident management systems to respond quickly and efficiently to accidents and other emergencies. * Intersection collision avoidance systems to monitor a vehicle’s speed and position relative to an intersection and other vehicles and advise the driver of appropriate actions. * Road departure collision avoidance systems with lane or road edge detectors that interface with in-vehicle communication devices. Arizona Collects Crash Info In an effort to improve road safety, the Arizona Department of Transportation recently sponsored a crash data collection and analysis study to examine possibilities offered by technological innovations such as Electronic Data Entry, Relational Database Management Systems, and Geographic Information Systems. The resulting report provides best practices in these areas currently in use in the United States. The report also provides step-by-step details of how the study was conducted and the results. The report, FHWA-AZ-06-537, can be obtained on the FHWA Web site. Or, you can contact ADOT’s Arizona Transportation Center for a copy by faxing 602-712-3400. ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation announces winners of 2006 ‘PRIDE Awards’ Transportation construction organizations from Maine to Mississippi were recognized at the American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation’s (ARTBA-TDF) seventh annual “PRIDE Awards” luncheon, held May 17 during the association’s “Federal Issues Program” in Washington, D.C. Established by the ARTBA Board of Directors in October 1999, the PRIDE Awards honor “excellence in community relations and public education that enhance the image of the U.S. transportation construction industry.” This year’s awards competition was sponsored by Better Roads and Roads & Bridges magazines. An independent panel of public relations professionals and construction industry journalists selected the winners. State transportation departments and private sector firms were recognized in the following categories: Public-Media Relations/Education: This category recognizes programs and activities that educate the public and opinion leaders about the significant contributions the transportation construction industry (or a specific sector of it) makes to the economy and/or quality of life. Community Relations: This category recognizes programs and activities that demonstrate positive civic involvement with the community in which a public agency, firm or association is located. Public-Media Relations/Education: Private SectorFirst Place: The Louis Berger Group and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) The NJTA’s plan to construct a new interchange on the Turnpike in Secaucus included the proposed disinterment of an unmarked burial ground dating back to 1880 known as Potter’s Field. The agency joined forces with The Louis Berger Group to disinter all human remains in the field, reclaim their identities and relocate them to an existing and functioning cemetery. Berger Group worked with the news media and relatives of the deceased to keep them informed and reassure the project was being handled sensitively and with all due care. After nearly nine months, more than 4,000 remains were relocated and financial resources were dedicated to creating a permanent memorial monument and providing perpetual care of the reinterment site. Second place: CTE Engineers, Inc. The most expensive project ever undertaken by the New York State Thruway Authority, the Interchange 8 Reconstruction Project involved a new configuration of connecting roadways linking interchange 87 with interchange 287, and two new higher-speed E-ZPass lanes. The project’s education outreach program (EOP), developed from an idea by a local resident, was designed to teach local students about the transportation construction industry and road building process and how the project affected their daily lives. Reaching more than 1,000 students in four school districts, the EOP was successful in supplementing and combining the students’ regular curriculum with information about the project. Third place: Ayres Associates In many places across the country, transportation investment levels are not keeping pace with current demand on highways, bridges and transit systems. Ayres Associates developed the “Transportation Funding & Maintenance Education Initiative” in Wisconsin to provide public officials, private sector transportation design and construction firms and the business community with strategies to meet these funding challenges. Presentations made by Ayres Associates executives reached over 2,000 transportation stakeholders throughout the state with key messages about the importance of transportation infrastructure to the economy and quality of life and of participating in the political process to build support for increased investments by elected officials. Honorable Mention: Honorable mention was also awarded in this category to KCI Technologies, Inc., and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission for their comprehensive public relations initiative relating to construction of the Susquehanna River Bridge. State Transportation DepartmentsFirst Place: Arkansas State Highway & Transportation Department (AHTD) To help the general public better understand its commitment to environmental stewardship, the AHTD produced “Beyond the Pavement,” an educational video designed to provide greater insight into the agency’s day-to-day activities. It highlighted the processes used to assess environmental impacts of highway projects before plans are made or land is altered. Nearly 1,500 videos were sent to public schools and libraries in the state and it is being shown in each Arkansas Welcome Center. Second Place: North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) In an effort to better prepare teen drivers for the safety hazards associated with road construction zones, the NCDOT, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and ARTBA state affiliate — the Illinois Road & Transportation Builders Association — joined forces to produce “In the Zone.” The fast-paced video, featuring NASCAR driver Todd Bodine, contains powerful images and messages that are helping impress upon students the need to navigate safely when driving through these sites. More than 1,500 copies have been distributed to driver’s education classrooms across the state. Third Place: Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) “I’m Not Your Mama — Pick It Up, Mississippi” was the feature slogan of a multi-faceted campaign launched in 2003 by the MDOT that has successfully helped reduce the amount of litter along the state’s highways. Television and radio advertisements and other public education materials delivered a clear message that was humorously geared toward distinct targeted audiences, such as young men ages 18 to 34, who were identified as being responsible for the greatest percentage of highway litter. The campaign also educated the public about the connection between clean highways and a strong state economy. Community Relations State Departments of TransportationFirst Place: Maine Department of Transportation (Maine DOT) When Maine DOT engineers begin designing a replacement for the historic and iconic, steel-suspension Waldo-Hancock Bridge over the Penobscot River, time was one of the biggest hurdles. Unexpected levels of cable corrosion on the historic bridge meant that construction had to begin right away, and that meant gaining community support in short order for a newly designed cable stayed bridge. The department initiated an extensive public involvement process that moved at an unprecedented pace. Community workshops soliciting advice about the bridge design, a project website with questions and answers page, live web cams showing the construction and a final town hall style meeting, were all part of the department’s program. Construction of the bridge continues on pace and with the strong support and pride of area residents. Second Place (tie): Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Dubbed “Upgrade 74,” the $460 million, multi-year reconstruction of I-74 through Peoria and East Peoria was initiated to better handle the traffic flow that has more than doubled in the past 40 years. IDOT created a speaker’s bureau for the agency’s engineers to deliver more then 200 presentations to local groups and businesses detailing construction activities. IDOT’s outreach campaign also included development of a project Web site, toll-free hotline, print and radio advertising and a special newspaper supplement to educate motorists about the timing of construction activities and help them avoid delays. Second Place (tie): Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) Last fall when Hurricane Katrina came ashore on the Gulf Coast, the MDOT demonstrated extraordinary commitment and courage in preparing for and responding to the deadly storm. MDOT law enforcement, maintenance, and construction personnel quickly and safely opened roadways and bridges to facilitate evacuation, emergency response and ongoing relief efforts, including setting up contraflow on Interstates 55 and 59 in just six hours. MDOT implemented an agency-wide emergency plan before Katrina hit, set up make-shift camps for displaced residents, provided 24-hour live information, loaned and donated patrol cars to neighboring municipalities and repaired storm sewers and traffic signals in an effort to rebuild the infrastructure. Third Place: Sam Schwartz PLLC The design team of Sam Schwartz PLLC successfully took on the challenge of creating a design alternative that allowed for traffic flow and minimal congestion on New York’s West Side Highway/Route 9A and also preserved one of Manhattan’s oldest city squares. After working with the state DOT and residents of the Tribecca neighborhood, the engineers’ final design reconfigured the intersection to decrease the number of lanes and improve crossing conditions. Traffic continues to flow unimpeded from Canal Street to much of the city accessible via West Side Highway/Route 9A. And after an eight-five year absence, Canal Street Park re-opened to tourists, visitors and residents in October 2005. The new park, which is twice the size of the 1807 original, features ornamental fences, granite pavement and evergreen plants and faces the sunset on the Hudson River. Private SectorFirst Place: Cashman/Balfour Beatty Construction & Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Cashman/Balfour Beatty, JV, in partnership with the MBTA developed and executed an extensive community outreach program to educate and inform residents and businesses about the design and construction of the $250 million Greenbush commuter rail line in south shore suburbs of Boston. It included development of a project-related telephone hot line and Web site, e-mail alerts, and a radio call-in show. Regular meetings with civic associations, rotary clubs and local chambers of commerce to provide progress reports were also key to building community support for the project. Second Place: CTE Engineers, Inc. and City of Chicago The 6.4 mile complete reconstruction of South Lake Shore Drive (SLSD) improved a major commuter route, restored two cherished lakeside parks and demonstrated that a major urban engineering project can be enhanced by community involvement. The SLSD is one of Chicago’s major commuter routes, carrying more than 100,000 vehicles daily, but is also a scenic drive located entirely within historic Jackson and Burnham Parks along Lake Michigan. The project team, with the continual involvement and feedback of a local advisory group, was successful at reconciling the demands of building an efficient modern highway in a major urban park while still preserving a strong connection to the lake and allowing for outdoor activities. Third Place: KCI Technologies, Inc. KCI Technologies, Inc., implemented a comprehensive community relations program for the archaeology recovery efforts related to widening U.S. Routes 0011/0015, located in the valley between the Appalachian Mountains and Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Excavations conducted at five prehistoric sites recovered artifacts dating back 12,000 years. The program included scheduled and spontaneous tours during excavations, lectures at nearby schools and before community groups, a pamphlet, poster, and project Web site. Nine articles describing the project were published in local and national periodicals. Several thousand visitors passed through the site during excavations. The outreach program captured audiences, reinvigorated in residents a sense of local history and common heritage and enlightened children and adults, alike. The ARTBA-TDF also presented a special PRIDE Award to New Orleans-based Boh Brothers Construction in recognition of the firm’s outstanding leadership in recovery and rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Katrina. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation) American Road & Transportation Builders Association offers 10 reasons why suspending the federal gas tax is a bad idea to address gas prices With the retail price of gasoline and diesel fuel around $3 per gallon, some are calling for a suspension or repeal of the 18.4 cents-per-gallon federal tax on motor fuel sales. Since 1956, this excise has served as a user fee to generate dedicated revenue for the Highway Trust Fund, the source of federal investments in state and local highway and public transit improvement programs. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association offers the following 10 reasons why such a move would be “extremely bad public policy”: 1. Starving the federal Highway Trust Fund of revenue is not a solution to higher gas prices. Providing and maintaining transportation infrastructure is a core function of government. It is an essential platform for economic activity and facilitates the provision of virtually all essential public services — fire and emergency response, law enforcement, homeland security and national defense. 2. Suspending the whole federal motor fuels tax would reduce revenues to the Highway Trust Fund by $2.5 billion per month. The resulting cut in state and local highway and transit improvement programs would jeopardize 120,000 American jobs. 3. Even if the federal excise were reduced, the federal government could not guarantee that gas prices would drop commensurately at the pump. In fact, research shows that when the states of Illinois and Indiana temporarily suspended their sales tax on motor fuel purchases in 2001 in response to escalating retail prices — the impact on consumer pocketbooks was minimal and state transportation improvement programs were shortchanged by tens of millions of dollars. 4. Reducing or eliminating the federal motor fuels tax would do nothing to increase the supply of motor fuels—a major reason why motor fuel retail prices are up. 5. Repealing the federal gas tax, even for only a few months, would threaten the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. The recently enacted highway and transit bill, SAFETEA-LU, utilizes all available revenues projected to be collected for the Highway Trust Fund through September 2009. Right now, the trust fund balance stands at less than $10 billion. The U.S. Treasury Department predicts the trust fund could run out of money before the end of FY 2009 even with current revenues. Without the collection of highway user fees, spending for highway and transit programs would have to be cut or supported from the general fund, thus increasing the federal deficit. 6. Cutting federal investments in highway and transit improvements would exacerbate traffic congestion across the nation—causing motorists and truckers to spend even more on motor fuel. Research by the Texas Transportation Institute shows traffic congestion is now responsible for 5.7 billion gallons of wasted motor fuel in the U.S. each year. 7. Cutting federal investments in highway and transit improvements would affect traffic safety. Nearly 43,000 Americans died last year in motor vehicle crashes. Poor road conditions and outdated alignments were a factor in an estimated one-third of them. Highway crashes cost American society $230 billion — $820 per person — each year. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death of Americans 6 to 28 years of age and result in more permanently disabling injuries than any other type of accident. 8. The federal gas and diesel excises have had nothing to do with the recent dramatic increase in gasoline and diesel fuel prices. The federal gas tax rate has not changed since Oct. 1, 1993. 9. What would happen when the federal gas tax suspension is lifted? Would Americans experience—in one day—an 18.4 cent-per-gallon spike in the retail price of motor fuel? 10. Using the gas tax as a political expediency would be bad public policy and set a dangerous precedent (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association) ARTBA Foundation accepting applications for 2006 ‘Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness Awards’ The American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) is now accepting nominations for the 2006 “Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness Awards.” Sponsored by ARTBA-TDF and the National Safety Council, this annual awards competition recognizes specific programs, education campaigns or innovations in technology that demonstrate excellence in promoting safety in roadway construction zones. The awards program is divided into the following four categories: Government Outreach — Recognizes the specific public outreach campaigns or safety programs by federal, state, or local government agencies aimed at improving work zone safety. Private Outreach Campaigns — Honors the efforts of national, state and local private sector organizations, such as construction companies, utility companies or trade associations, that promote roadway work zone safety through implementation of employee and/or public education campaigns and training programs. Worker Training –– Recognizes special national, state and local training programs by public or private sector organizations targeted towards improving the safety of workers impacted by roadway construction. Innovations in Technology — Honors manufacturers of equipment and products that use innovative technology to improve safety for motorists and workers in and around roadway work zones. The competition is open to all interested individuals and organizations. An independent panel of judges will evaluate the entries. Applications must be received at The ARTBA Headquarters Building in Washington, D.C., by Monday, Aug. 1. Winning entries will be notified on or before Aug. 18, 2006. To inquire about the award program or obtain a copy of the application form, contact ARTBA’s Rhonda Britton at 202-289-4434. The application is also available online at www.artbatdf.org. The awards will be presented at a special awards banquet, during the ARTBA Annual Meeting, Sept. 26-29, 2006 in San Diego. The safety awards program is a TDF project that complements ARTBA’s “PRIDE in Transportation Construction” campaign to focus public attention on the many positive contributions the transportation construction industry makes to the U.S. economy and quality of life. Celebration of 50th anniversary of national interstate highway system underway Activities celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the National Interstate Highway System are being planned. The Federal Highway Administration has a 50th Anniversary Web site that can be accessed at www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/homepage.cfm. The American Association of State Highway Officials’ 50th Anniversary Web site, which can be viewed at www.interstate50th.org/index.shtml, lists the activities underway on a state-by-state basis. It also contains details on the convoy, which is a recreation of the first Transcontinental Motor Tour that led President Eisenhower to sign the law creating the National Interstate Highway System almost four decades later. The convoy will end at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., on June 29, the actual anniversary of the signing of the act. National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study commission named A key provision in the SAFETEA-LU highway authorization legislation was the establishment of a National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission to make recommendations for a long term plan to ensure that the surface transportation system will continue to serve the needs of the United States and recommendations on how to fund future needs. The law directed that commissioners be appointed by the majority and minority leaders in the House and the Senate and by the president. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta was designated to serve as the chair of the commission. Many believe that the Commission’s recommendations will be the framework for the next highway reauthorization bill. The president has now announced his “intention to appoint” the final three Commissioners as follows:
Congressional appointments are as follows:
Once the appointments are officially made, the commission is required to meet within 30 days. The White House announcement represents just an “intent to appoint” pending completion of a background check which is expected to be completed by Mid May. Once this is completed and the actual appointments are made, the commission will meet within 30 days (Source: Highway Facts Bulletin, April 10, 2006 edition. Associated General Contractors of America.) Larry Russell named American Road and Transportation Builders Association national field director The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) named Larry C. Russell national field director. Working out of a regional office, Russell manages a team that focuses on providing ARTBA membership services, new member development, fundraising and expanding the association’s grassroots activities throughout the U.S. Russell and the field team are focused on building a national coalition of transportation design and construction firms around the country to actively engage in critical issues in the Nation’s Capital — particularly leading up to reauthorization of VISION-100 in 2007 and SAFETEA-LU in 2009. Russell first joined ARTBA as director of western operations in early 2005. Previously, Russell led grassroots and field operations in Ohio for the Bush-Cheney 04 re-election campaign. Russell also served as executive director of South Dakota “Victory 2002 and 2004” — the grassroots arm of the state’s Republican Party — at the request of now Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). During these campaigns, he worked daily with the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the White House. He managed 15 field offices, administered a multi-million-piece direct mail and coordinated phone program and implemented a statewide voter ID initiative. He also built coalition relationships with statewide and national organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Businesses. After earning a B.S. in social science from Black Hills State University in 1995, he spent five years on the staff of then Rep. Thune. He managed Thune’s congressional office and staff in the western part of the state and later was field director and statewide economic development director. Russell has extensive experience as a grassroots consultant and lobbyist. He has conducted numerous grassroots training seminars for the Republican National Committee and state Republican organizations. He also directed grassroots campaigns for the Anheuser-Busch Companies in seven states. Russell spent time as manager of business development for Cedar American Rail Holdings, Inc., in Sioux Falls, S.D. He served as the firm’s primary liaison with state transportation departments and was responsible for business development, government and public affairs and special projects in eight states. He was involved in the development of North America’s largest rail project in a century — a $2.5 billion expansion into Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. He and his wife, Joey, have two daughters. ARTBA Foundation completes U.S. Department of Labor roadway work zone safety training program During the past two years, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) has provided custom safety training to over 1,000 road construction workers under a just-completed contract from the federal government. The Susan Harwood Grant, “Targeted Safety Training for the Roadway Construction Industry,” from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration, was administered in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 by the ARTBA-TDF in partnership with the National Safety Council and CNA Insurance. It provided four hours of transportation industry-specific training in work zone safety for road construction workers. While initially basing the training on the existing curricula of the industry-focused OSHA 10-Hour course, the ARTBA-TDF soon expanded the training to cover two additional hazards identified by reviews of roadway industry insurance data. The training modules addressed manual materials handling (ergonomics) and fleet safety management — two of the top five hazards evidenced by industry insurance claims. Under the contract, ARTBA-TDF and its partners developed nearly a dozen laminated “Safety and Health Checklist” pocket cards, which were widely distributed to training participants and handed out at conferences, seminars and expositions. Copies of the cards can be downloaded in PDF format at www.artba.org and from the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, http://wzsafety.tamu.edu. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association)
World of Asphalt 2006 breaks attendance, The World of Asphalt 2006 Show and Conference set attendance and exhibit space records during its run March 13 – 16, 2006 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. More than 4,145 asphalt, highway and maintenance industry professionals attended World of Asphalt 2006, a 26-percent increase compared to the last show, held in 2004, and more than two-and-one-half times the attendance at the inaugural 2001 event. Attendees came from companies large to small and from businesses in the United States and worldwide. A record 68,800-plus net square feet of space was used by 221 exhibitors to showcase the latest equipment, product innovations and services to enhance job performance and productivity. This was a 26-percent increase in the amount of space taken at the 2004 show and almost two-and-one-half times the exhibit space at the first World of Asphalt, held in 2001. The show attracted a highly qualified audience, with a majority of attendees in management roles – with titles including president, owner, vice president, general manager, chief financial officer and purchasing, sales, or marketing manager. “More than numbers, this year’s World of Asphalt had such a positive energy and was truly an industry gathering place where we could exchange experiences and learn from each other,” noted R. Wayne Evans, World of Asphalt 2006 Chairman and Senior Vice President Business Development for Hubbard Construction Company in Orlando, Fla. “Attendees found all they needed to keep up to speed on what’s happening in the asphalt industry today – from the latest equipment on the show floor to the latest trends discussed in the education sessions and live equipment demonstration event,” he added. Education and Equipment Demonstration Event Complement Exhibits World of Asphalt 2006 education also set records, with 4,185 tickets sold for the People, Plants and Paving Training Program and the Asphalt Pavement Alliance’s (APA) Asphalt Pavement Conference. This represented a 62-percent increase compared to the last show and a 74-percent gain compared to the first World of Asphalt educational programming, in 2003. The event featured a live equipment demonstration event that illustrated technological advancements in roadbuilding techniques to help industry professionals meet today’s ever increasing demands on project specifications. More than 25 equipment manufacturers, contractors and suppliers joined together in the cooperative effort as an educational service to the industry. Global scope of show grows The international scope of World of Asphalt continued to grow, with visitors coming from more than 50 countries outside the United States, accounting for almost 19 percent of total show attendance compared to about 10 percent for the last show. Among the global attendees was a Chinese delegation of approximately 15 roadbuilding professionals ranging from company presidents to engineers. The Russian attendance of 55-plus industry professionals included delegations organized by the Moscow-based Center for International Studies and the Russian Services Bureau of Miami, and was a result in part because of promotional support from the Russian magazine “Stroitelstvo” (Construction). And, a continuing cooperative liaison with the Mexican Asphalt Association, based in Mexico City, helped bring a large Mexican contingent to World of Asphalt 2006. World of Asphalt 2006 also had the support of more than 25 domestic and international industry organizations as well as government groups at the county, state and national level. Supporters included the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and, for the first time, a Chinese roadbuilding organization. The next World of Asphalt will be held March 19-22, 2007 in Atlanta. The event is held annually except in years when the CONEXPO-CON/AGG exhibition is staged. World of Asphalt co-owners are the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) and National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA). For more information contact World of Asphalt, call 800-867-6060 (toll free) or 414-298-4150, fax 414-272-2672, e-mail info@worldofasphalt.com or visit the show Web site www.worldofasphalt.com. Federal Issues Program & Fly-In slated for May 16-18 in Washington, D.C. With a huge budget deficit again facing Congress, the competition for federal funds is expected to be even more fierce than usual this year. That’s why it’s critical for transportation construction industry executives to participate in the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) “Federal Issues Program” and 2006 Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) Fly-in, held May 16-18 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. The day-and-a-half ARTBA program will feature direct interaction with federal agency policymakers, providing the opportunity to see where federal policies and regulations impacting the transportation construction industry are headed — and ensuring that those creating policy and regulations are hearing “real world” feedback. Policy decisions will also be at the forefront during the ARTBA Board of Directors and Committee meetings. The annual TCC Washington Fly-in, which immediately follows the ARTBA program, brings together hundreds of executive members from 28 national associations and labor unions to directly lobby Congress on transportation funding issues. The TCC program features issue briefings, a reception with members of Congress and their staffs, and a half-day of face-to-face meetings in congressional offices about the fiscal year 2007 transportation appropriations bill, implementation of SAFETEA-LU and other issues. ARTBA will also be hosting on May 16, a reception and open house tour of its new headquarters building, located at 1219 28th Street, N.W. To review the ARTBA and TCC programs and register online, check out the “Meetings and Events” section of the ARTBA Web site at www.artba.org. Room reservations may be made by calling 1-800-228-9290. Mention the “ARTBA Federal Issues Program” to receive the discounted $279 per night rate. For additional details, call ARTBA’s Ed Tarrant at 202-289-4434. Research Marches On The Arizona Transportation Research Center recently reported on a number of pertinent research projects. One report analyzed crash risks. Project goals were to identify and recommend improvements to the Arizona Local Government Safety Project Analysis Model, enhancing its ability to accurately identify high-risk sites. After completion, the project showed that Empirical Bayes method yields a higher percentage of truly high-risk sites, shows more truly safe sites and identifies them as such, and provides the best site consistency and method consistency of alternative methods. The full report is High-Risk Crash Analysis by Simon Washington and Wen Chang, report number FHWA-AZ-05-558. Another project evaluated photo speed enforcement on freeways. The question was whether current photo speed enforcement systems provide a viable technical solution that will accurately measure regional freeway speeding problems. Systems were initially evaluated on several factors including mobile deployment options, relocation ease, color photography, ability to ID both driver and rear license plate, system costs, ease of data handling, no need for sensors in the pavement, and ability of the system to cover five lanes of freeway traffic in one direction. Six vendors were evaluated. Research conclusions show that current systems have gaps in needs and abilities and that continued progress should eventually lead to field trials. The full report is Technical Evaluation of Photo Speed Enforcement by Craig A. Roberts, Ph.D. and Jamie Brown-Esplain. It is the Arizona Department of Transportation’s report number AZ-05-596. The third report looked at the cost of overweight vehicle travel on Arizona Highways. Overweight vehicle enforcement remains a problem in most states and hard data on overweight vehicles is not readily available. There is no coherent vision of weight enforcement among practitioners, the ARTC notes say. Ports of entry aren’t consistently manned and operated. When POEs are closed, violators have an open road. Few ports have cutting-edge technology to identify violations. Overweight vehicles cause between $12 million and $53 million a year in uncompensated damage on Arizona roadways alone. Expansion of mobile enforcement could have a 4.5-to-1 benefit/cost ratio. Various agencies estimate the percentage of overweight vehicles on our roads from 10 to 38%, with most saying about 25% or more are overweight. The full report is Estimating the Cost of Overweight Vehicle Travel on Arizona Highways by Sandy H. Straus, ESRA Consulting Corporation. The report is the AZDOT’s report number FHWA-AZ-04-528. SHRP II Hits the Web A new Web site providing information about the Strategic Highway Research Program II is now up and running. To check it out, go to www.trb.org/shrpii/ . SHRP II is a targeted, short-term, results-oriented program of strategic highway research designed to advance highway performance and safety for U.S. highway users. It will focus on applied research in four areas: 1. Prevent or reduce the severity of highway crashes by understanding driver behavior (safety). 2. Address the aging infrastructure through rapid design and construction methods that cause minimal disruption and produce long-lived facilities (renewal). 3. Reduce congestion through incident reduction, management, response, and mitigation (reliability). 4. Integrate mobility, economic, environmental, and community needs in the planning and designing of new transportation capacity (capacity). You’ll find access to a PowerPoint presentation describing SHRP II on the site. The slides touch upon the focus areas, philosophy, funding, duration, governance, and oversight of the program. A brochure is also available online answering questions associated with the who, what, when, where, and why of the program. Technical advisory committees are being formed this spring and first requests for proposals for research activities will be issued this summer. Contracts will be let through 2009, with all work in the program to be completed by 2011. Materials: Good and Bad News A 22% increase in the cost of materials used for highway and street construction over the past two years is eroding the impact of the new federal highway bill and will likely limit the ability of states to meet their ever-growing transportation needs, according to an analysis by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Increases include iron and steel, up 60% during the two-year period; asphalt paving mixtures up 10%; construction sand, gravel, and crushed stone up 11%; and ready-mix concrete up 18%. The cost of construction machinery rose 10%, while diesel fuel for construction vehicles jumped 88% in the two years. In New York, the State Department of Transportation now requires epoxy-coated rebar be provided by certified plants. The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute administers the certification program, with a third party performing independent inspections. The U.S. Department of Commerce says that Mexican gray portland cement producers continue to dump products in the U.S., charging local Mexican customers 42% more than those in the U.S. This violates an anti-dumping order. On the brighter side, A.I.M. Resources introduced new salt water concrete that is said to be more effective and durable than fresh-water concrete. The cornerstone of the technology is the use of treated water used with existing mixes. Salt is not removed during the treatment. Faster drying time and greater resistance to harmful elements are cited as advantages for the C*-Crete material. Truck Bottlenecks Named A new study prepared for the Federal Highway Administration lists the worst highway bottlenecks for trucks. Of course, this means that those same areas cause congestion problems for all drivers. The study by Cambridge Systematics with the Battelle Memorial Institute says the worst bottlenecks are in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Columbus, and Portland, Oregon. Truck-related delays along freight corridors cause direct users $32.15 an hour, the study estimates, including time spent at interchanges, signalized intersections, steep grades, and lane reductions. Bottlenecks account for 40% of vehicle delays, with the balance caused by construction work zones, crashes, breakdowns, bad weather, and poor signal timing. About 40% of the $40 billion in annual revenue collected into the federal Highway Trust Fund comes from fuel taxes paid by trucks, highway use taxes, sales taxes, and tire taxes. Billions more in state diesel and truck registration fees are collected. Even so, many agencies believe the damage done to highways from heavy trucks outweighs the amounts they pay. The five worst bottlenecks for trucks are: 1. I-90 at I-290 in Buffalo-Niagara Falls, with 1,661,900 hours of truck delay annually. 2. I-285 at the I-85 Interchange in Atlanta, with 1,641,200 hours of truck delay per year. 3. I-17 at the I-10 Interchange to Cactus in Phoenix, with 1,608,500 hours of truck delay annually. 4. I-90/94 at the I-290 Interchange in the Chicago-Northwestern, Indiana area, with 1,544,900 hours of truck delay per year. 5. San Bernardino Freeway in Los Angeles with 1,522,800 hours of delay for trucks each year. For the complete list, link to the FHWA study available at www.Truckline.com. Gradall has been sold to the Alamo Group Inc. The
sale was announced at an employee meeting at the plant on Feb. 3 and in
news announcements distributed by Gradall, Alamo Group and JLG
Industries, Inc., which had owned Gradall since 1999. Beyond the construction equipment industry and
government applications, Gradall produces models for mining, metal mill
maintenance, railway construction, and components for the firefighting
industry. More than one-half of Gradall’s sales are to
governmental buyers and related contractors for grading and maintenance
along right-of-ways, which makes it an ideal fit with our Industrial
Division. This division sells a variety of products including mowing
equipment, street sweepers, road patchers, snow removal and other
equipment for maintenance along roads and right-of-ways. Highway construction material costs have skyrocketed A 22-percent increase in the cost of materials used for highway and street construction during the past two years is eroding the impact of the new federal highway bill and will likely limit the ability of the states to meet their ever-growing transportation needs, according to an analysis by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. In 2005 alone, highway contractors paid 13 percent more for materials over the previous year, ARTBA’s analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics’ data found. By contrast, the overall rate of inflation for 2005, as measured by the consumer price index, was just 3.4 percent. “Construction costs are going up much faster than highway construction budgets,” said Alison Premo Black, the ARTBA research economist who conducted the analysis. “Last year, Congress enacted a new highway bill that increases federal funding for highways about 4.5 percent per year. This is only a fraction of the recent rise in construction costs. State governments will need additional financial resources to move forward on transportation projects that could improve road safety and reduce traffic congestion.” Black’s analysis found that materials and services account for about one-half of total project costs. Increases have hit a number of important highway construction materials including iron and steel, which rose more than 60 percent in two years; asphalt paving mixtures up 10 percent; construction sand, gravel and crushed stone up 11 percent; and ready-mix concrete up 18 percent. The cost of construction machinery rose 10 percent, while diesel fuel for construction vehicles rose 88 percent in two years. Black said highway contractors are facing much higher material price increases than other sectors of the construction industry. Material prices for non-residential construction were up 7.6 percent in 2005, maintenance and repair construction material prices were up 8.7 percent, and residential construction material prices increased 7.9 percent. These differences are due to the different types of materials used in the construction process, she said. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association) Highway bottlenecks costing truckers nearly $8 billion in lost time Bottlenecks on highways throughout the nation idled trucks for more than 243 million hours in 2004, costing U.S. trucking companies $7.8 billion, according to a study prepared for the Federal Highway Administration. The study by Cambridge Systematics, Inc. in association with the Battelle Memorial Institute is an initial effort to identify and quantify highway bottlenecks that delay trucks and increase costs to businesses and consumers. It found the worst bottlenecks in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Columbus, and Portland, Ore. The study estimates a direct user delay cost of $32.15 per hour based on four major types of truck-related delays along freight corridors, including constraints at interchanges, signalized intersections, hold ups caused by steep grades, and lane reductions. When truck deliveries are delayed by congestion, freight transportation costs increase due to unnecessary fuel consumption, lost driver time and productivity, and disruption of pick-up and delivery schedules, particularly with critical just-in-time freight. Overall, bottlenecks account for 40 percent of vehicle delays, with the balance caused by construction work zones, crashes, breakdowns, bad weather and poor signal timing. “Ultimately, it is the consumer who will pay the price when increasing congestion forces the cost of goods on store shelves go up,” said Bill Graves, President and CEO of the American Trucking Associations. “This should encourage all Americans to insist on highway projects that improve the mobility and reliability of freight. The Congress now has a roadmap to follow when making critical decisions about how to invest scarce transportation resources.” “Bottlenecks that harm truckers hurt other highway users and the public at-large,” said Greg Cohen, President and CEO of the American Highway Users Alliance. “Unfortunately, all levels of government are failing to focus their resources on the efficient movement of goods. Yet the societal benefits of a national plan to fix the worst freight chokepoints would be astounding: Not only money, time, and hundreds of millions of gallons in diesel fuel would be saved, but roads would be safer, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions would decrease dramatically.” Nearly 40 percent of the approximately $40 billion in annual revenue collected into the federal Highway Trust Fund comes from fuel taxes paid by trucks, highway use taxes, sales taxes and tire taxes. Billions more in state diesel and truck registration fees are collected. However, a significant amount of this revenue is diverted to projects that have little or no benefit to the truckers paying the taxes. Increased congestion is hitting the trucking industry at a time when the economy is relying on trucks to haul more goods. Trucking is projected to haul 13 billion tons of freight by 2016, compared with 9.8 billion tons in 2004. By 2016, ATA projects 3.7 million “18 wheelers” will be operating on the nation's highways, up from 2.7 million in 2004. Yet most state transportation plans do not anticipate breaking with the current trend of limiting highway capacity expansion, which has caused the current congestion problems. The study authors concluded that these bottlenecks are a federal concern because “they are a significant national problem for trucking and the efficient operation of the national freight transportation system.” The report recommends, therefore, that federal resources should focus on improving highway bottlenecks. For its part, the trucking industry, through a partnership between the FHWA and the American Transportation Research Institute, is developing a “Freight Performance Measures” initiative that will promote future highway efficiency tactics and strategies through a freight-focused lens. The joint effort will use practical travel time averages, reliability indices, and truck position data along freight-significant corridors. Of note, the report indicates the majority of bottlenecks occur on the nation's Interstate Highway System. Last week in Washington, DC, an alliance of interstate highways users kicked off a year-long commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the system with “The Interstate of the Future” as its theme. Modified Asphalt Producers Annual Meeting will focus on better pavement performance The mounting pressure to provide an ever-demanding public with longer-lasting roadway pavements in the face of increasing traffic volume and heavier loads is causing state and local transportation officials across the United States to turn to polymer-modified asphalt for solutions — and with good reason. A recent performance field study of 84 asphalt pavements throughout North America revealed that those pavements containing polymer modifiers performed significantly better than those asphalt mixes without modifiers. This first-of-its-kind study conducted by the Asphalt Institute will be among the topics of discussion at the Association of Modified Asphalt Producers’ 7th Annual Meeting at the Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 13-15, 2006. While numerous laboratory studies have examined the performance-related properties of polymer-modified asphalt (PMA) and PMA mixtures, the study, “Quantifying the Effects of Polymer-Modified Asphalt for Reducing Pavement Distress,” is the first field study of such a large national scope. Open to all highway industry professionals, the Association of Modified Asphalt Producers (AMAP) annual meeting is an opportunity for government officials, engineers, and contractors to meet with modifier producers, suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and researchers to discuss the latest research, technology, specifications, and applications in modified hot-mix asphalt pavements. Development of standardized testing, life cycle cost analysis, and technological advances in modifier production equipment are also on the meeting’s agenda. Research and field studies of modified asphalts in Florida, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Louisiana, and Arkansas will be discussed. On Feb. 13, AMAP will conduct a special introductory workshop on modified asphalt. For more information on AMAP and the 7th Annual Meeting, contact Robert Berkley, AMAP executive director, at 314-843.2627, amap@sbcglobal.net, or visit www.modifiedasphalt.org. For more information about “Quantifying the Effects of Polymer-Modified Asphalt for Reducing Pavement Distress,” which is available in a full report (ER-215) or an abbreviated version (IS-215), visit www.asphaltinstitute.org or call 859-288-4961. Self-Consolidating Concrete Following in Europe’s footsteps, American states are beginning to use self-consolidating concrete, especially for bridges, including some built in New York, Virginia, and Nebraska. A National Cooperative Highway Research Program is underway to develop SCC mixes, structural design parameters, and construction specs for precast, prestressed concrete elements, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Using SCC is faster, better, and costs less according to Myint Lwin, director of the FHWA’s Office of Bridge Technology. SCC doesn’t require vibration to achieve full consolidation. It has a high degree of workability and remains stable during and after placement. You can reach Lwin at 202-366-45589 or e-mail him at myint.lwin@fhwa.dot.gov . Public-Private Step in Georgia The Georgia Transportation Partners received approval for the next phase of its proposal to help ease congestion on I-75 and I-575 north of Atlanta. The GTP is the first under the state’s new public-private initiatives legislation to reach this point, and is a joint venture of Bechtel Infrastructure in Maryland, Georgia’s Gilbert Southern, and C.W. Matthews Contracting. The GTP is working with the Georgia Department of Transportation to add both highway and rapid-transit capacity to the Northwest Corridor. New, congestion-priced express toll lanes are part of the plan. These will let motorists have a reliable and congestion-free drive — for an extra cost. Barriers will separate drivers from accidents and tie-ups in existing lanes, which will remain free. Tolls will be collected electronically at highway speeds, eliminating the need for toll booths. Prices will vary according to traffic flow to maintain free-flowing traffic in the toll lanes. GTP will design and build the project, and tolls will be collected by the state. The project will be financed with a mix of federal funds, toll-backed revenue bonds, and state sources. Wages and Benefits Do you wonder if you’re paying your highway construction workers enough? The American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s most recent Transportation Construction Wage and Benefits Survey could tell you. The 2006 survey covers data for 30 office and field positions found in a typical firm in the transportation construction industry. Detailed salary, bonus, and benefits information is included. Survey results were based on responses from contractors representing firms of all sizes and from across the country. Results are presented nationally and in five regional divisions. Data is also broken out on compensation for small, medium, and large contractors. In addition to average figures, the study gives high and low salaries and bonuses for top executives, office personnel, and field crews. Hourly wage and benefit information is given for both skilled and unskilled hourly workers. Data is also broken out by number of unionized, Hispanic, African-American, and women hourly and salaried workers. Cost of the 150-page study is $200. Contact Beth Tilahun at ARTBA at 202-289-4434 or go to www.artbasalarysurveys.com . Young Executive Development Program (YEDP) Ingersoll Rand, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of construction equipment, has demonstrated its commitment to developing the next generation of industry leaders with a major financial contribution to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) Young Executive Development Program (YEDP). The YEDP, held each spring in the Nation’s Capital, offers the industry’s “rising stars” an intensive three-day introduction to the federal legislative and regulatory processes that affect the transportation construction industry. Participants learn about the role of trade associations in the policy-making process and how leadership in their national association cannot only benefit their industry but also their own careers. Sessions cover the annual transportation appropriations and federal regulatory rulemaking processes, and environmental, health, and roadway safety issues. YEDP participants also have the opportunity to meet with their congressional delegations to discuss transportation development issues. Ingersoll Rand’s contribution will be used to help expand the program’s scope and support scholarships for public agencies or industry organizations that might not otherwise be able to participate. Former IR executive, Bill Mulligan, helped launch the YEDP program in 1995 while serving as ARTBA chairman. Throughout the past 10 years, more than 225 young executives from 137 companies, public agencies, and state contractor organizations in 34 states have completed the program, and are active leaders through ARTBA in helping grow the federal transportation construction market. Several past participants also serve on the ARTBA Board of Directors. The 11th annual YEDP will be held May 17-19, 2006. Applications can be accessed online at www.artba.org. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association)
2006 ARTBA Honoring Excellence in Community Relations and Public Education That Enhance the Image of the U.S. Transportation Construction Industry The ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) is now accepting applications for the 2006 “PRIDE Awards” program—which annually recognizes extraordinary efforts of individuals, companies, public agencies and industry-related associations that serve to enhance the image of the U.S. transportation construction industry. Awards are presented in two categories: Community Relations: Programs and activities that demonstrate positive civic involvement with the community in which a firm/agency is located. Public-Media Relations/Education: Programs and activities that educate the public and opinion leaders about the significant contributions the transportation construction industry (or a specific sector of it) makes to the economy and/or quality of life. Award entry forms are available online: www.artba.org
Brad Sant elected vice chairman American Road & Transportation Builders Association Vice President of Safety & Education Brad Sant has been elected vice chairman of the Virginia-based Safety Equipment Institute. SEI is a private, non-profit organization established in 1981 to administer the first non-governmental, third-party certification programs to test and certify a broad range of safety equipment products. As vice chairman, Sant will help develop policy and provide guidance to SEI staff, officers and other board members on key safety issues. Sant, who has been a safety leader for more than 15 years, joined ARTBA in 1998. He is responsible for safety and health issues, association education and training programs, grant administration and the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse project. He also manages ARTBA’s Traffic Safety Industry Division. Prior to joining ARTBA, Sant was director of hazardous materials training for the International Association of Fire Fighters. From 1990 to 1996, he served as assistant director and director of safety and health for the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO. During this time, he also was director of the National Resource Center for Occupational Safety & Health Training — one of SHE’s accredited outreach training centers. He has also been an important policy player on a number of advisory and professional committees. Sant graduated cum laude from Utah State University with bachelors degrees in political science and Spanish. He earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association) General Colin L. Powell Headline Speaker for June 2006 ARTBA Interstate 50th Anniversary Dinner General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) will be the headline speaker at the American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation’s (ARTBA-TDF) June 29, 2006, reception and dinner celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Interstate Highway System. Willard Scott, of NBC-TV’s Today show, will serve as master of ceremonies. The black tie-optional event will take place at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. It will celebrate the enormous impacts of the interstates on America during the past 50 years. It will also honor the leading contractors, engineering firms, materials and services companies, traffic safety firms, labor unions, and state transportation departments for their role in designing and building the System. Net proceeds will be used to support ARTBA-TDF activities, including such programs as the “Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship,” which provides post-high school financial assistance to the children of road construction workers killed or permanently disabled on the job. The ARTBA-TDF has reserved a block of rooms at the Grand Hyatt Washington for those who will be attending the event. The rate is $199. Reservations may be made by calling 202-582-1234. Guests are encouraged to reserve their rooms as soon as possible as there are several major events in Washington, D.C., the week of the dinner and hotel space will be limited. Invitations and sponsorship information are available online at www.artbainterstate50.com or by contacting Karen Evans at kevans@artba.org or 202-289-4434. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association) 5.4 percent growth in 2006 highway construction market forecasted Spurred by a combination of renewed economic growth, emergency repair work following Hurricane Katrina and a new law that increases federal investment in highways, the U.S. highway construction market should grow 5.4 percent in 2006 according to the chief economist for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. The real question, however, ARTBA Vice President of Economics & Research William Buechner says, is how much of the growth will be absorbed by rising construction costs. The value of construction work performed on highway and bridge projects is projected to be a record $70.3 billion in fiscal year 2006, up from $66.9 billion in fiscal year 2005, according to ARTBA. Dr. Buechner, a Harvard-trained economist who served the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress for nearly two decades before joining ARTBA, says several factors should help support market growth next year: State and local budget improvements. Strong economic growth has boosted general state tax revenues and there is much less pressure to dip into highway funds to balance state government budgets. Continued economic growth should provide a solid base for more state and local government investment in highway construction in 2006 and beyond. Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act—A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Signed into law last August, SAFETEA-LU guarantees a record $286.5 billion transportation investment level from FISCAL YEAR 2004-09 and provides predictability in federal funding for highway construction, according to Buechner. SAFETEA-LU’s innovative financing provisions, such as allowing $15 billion in private activity bonds for highway improvements, should also help support future market growth, ARTBA said. Hurricane Katrina. The Bush Administration has requested $2.3 billion in general fund revenue to help repair and rebuild highways and bridges damaged during the hurricane, which should provide an additional one-time market boost in 2006. Buechner cautioned higher construction costs caused by dramatic increases in steel, cement and petroleum prices could impact the overall level of growth in 2006. Materials used in highway and bridge construction will cost about 13 percent more in 2005 than 2004 while total costs including labor and overhead will be up about 7.5 percent. Even if prices stabilize at their current levels, the cost of highway construction in 2006 would be about 4.5 percent higher than in 2005. This could absorb much of the projected 5.4 percent increase, leaving little to finance additional projects, Buechner says. If prices continue to rise, higher costs would consume all of the projected increase in the value of highway construction next year and could force states to postpone some planned projects. Outlook for Airports & Public Transit: The value of construction work performed on airport runways, taxiways and related projects will total about $6.1 billion in 2005—a 20 percent increase from 2004. Strong growth should continue into 2006, due to the resurgence of air travel, a $50 million boost in federal investment through the Airport Improvement Program, and the recent increase in passenger facility charges that many larger airports use to finance construction projects. Transit and light rail construction has eased recently as a number of construction projects funded under TEA-21 have been coming to completion, Buechner says. As the 38 new transit projects designated for funding under SAFETEA-LU get underway, the value of construction work performed on subways and light rail projects should begin to accelerate in 2006. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association)
License plate sales to benefit children The American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s state contractor affiliate—the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors (APC)—is launching a new public awareness campaign to help improve safety in roadway work zones and directly benefit the children of highway workers killed on the job. APC has developed license plates with the message “Slow Down! Highway Workers” and has asked its members to outfit their construction fleets with them. The plates were designed at the direction of the APC/PennDOT Joint Safety Committee to educate motorists about the need to drive responsibly in highway work zones. They are available for $5 each. APC said all of the proceeds will be used to support the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) “Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program,” which provides post-high school financial assistance to the children of highway workers killed or permanently disabled on the job. During the past five years, the Foundation has awarded nearly 50 scholarships to worthy students. “APC has demonstrated once again its unwavering commitment to improving safety in road construction zones,” ARTBA-TDF Chairman Dave Kraemer, a Wisconsin highway contractor, says in a press release. “We are truly grateful for their leadership and financial support of ARTBA’s scholarship program. Together, we are working to provide a better future for the children of highway workers who paid the ultimate price while working to improve America’s transportation system.” A rendering of the plate can be accessed online at www.paconstructors.org. Contact Brian Fraley at (717) 238-2513, ext. 104 for more information
Better
Roads
appointed publisher of the Better Roads magazine has been appointed publisher of the official World of Asphalt’s Pre-Show & Conference Planning Guide by World of Asphalt show management. World of Asphalt 2006 convenes March 13-16, 2006 in Orlando, FL. It is one of the fastest-growing shows in the construction industry with exclusive focus on the asphalt industry. It will be the largest gathering of asphalt professionals in North America in 2006. The Pre-Show & Conference Planning Guide will appear in the January 2006 issue of Better Roads. In addition, the Guide will be featured on www.BetterRoads.com, and the website of companion publication, Aggregates Manager, on www.AggMan.com. The Guide will focus extensively on the most compelling reasons for asphalt professionals to attend the event, such as the unique seminar program, and the new products and materials that will be on display. "What makes this show guide different is that it will convey the important facts a prospective attendee needs to decide whether or not to go says,” says Better Roads editorial director Kirk. Landers. “The Guide will give highway professionals the chance to plan well in advance what activities they will participate in so they can make the most of their time away from their companies or agencies." Along with basic trip-planning facts ranging from how to register and reserve hotel space to maps, show hours, admission fees, and related activities, the Guide will provide a full seminar schedule, exhibit floor plan, and list of exhibitors. New equipment, materials, and related products from World of Asphalt exhibitors will also be previewed in the Pre-Show and Conference Planning Guide. "Product knowledge is a compelling reason for many professionals to come to the World of Asphalt," points out Landers. "The Guide's exhibit preview will highlight the newest products in the industry so attendees can mark their exhibit floor plans and plan their time on the show floor for maximum effectiveness." Better Roads publisher Mike Porcaro says, “We are very pleased to have a direct role in World of Asphalt 2006.Unlike other shows that cross multiple lines, this show revolves around the hottest issues and latest trends in the asphalt industry, and the World of Asphalt Pre-Show & Conference Planning Guide will make potential attendees aware of just how much the event has to offer.” For more information about the Official Pre-Show & Conference Planning Guide contact Mike Porcaro, Publisher, Better Roads (Mike@BetterRoads.com ), and for details about World of Asphalt, contact Susie Rush at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (Srush@AEM.org ). Click here for the web version of the Official Pre-Show & Conference Planning Guide
ARTBA Foundation
Accepting Applications for (Washington, D.C.)—The American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) is now accepting nominations for the “Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program” for the 2006 academic year. The program provides financial assistance to help the children of highway construction workers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty pursue post-high school education. The scholarship program was launched in Oct. 1999 through a generous $100,000 gift from the families of past ARTBA Chairmen Jack and Stan Lanford of Roanoke, Va. The scholarships have a value up to $2,000 and are supported by contributions from highway construction industry executives, firms and labor groups nationwide. Eligibility Requirements:
Scholarship Selection Criteria: There are several criteria considered for selection of scholarship recipients:
Applications must be postmarked by March 31, 2006. To obtain a copy of the application form, contact ARTBA’s Rhonda Britton at 202-289-4434 or go online to the association’s Internet website at www.artba.org. Scholarship winners will be announced on or before June 1, 2006. Over the past five years, more than 30 students have been selected as scholarship recipients. The association created the Transportation Development Foundation in 1985 to support research and education activities. Future Concrete One answer to increasingly expensive cement may be more expensive, but longer-lived, new concrete technology. New mixes use plasticizers to reduce the amount of water used, making the concrete stronger. Carbon fiber-reinforced concrete is another approach. Deborah Chung at the State University of New York runs an electrical current through the material letting the owner monitor material condition. Current building codes and specifications, as well as increased cost, are the main factors slowing acceptance of the stronger, longer-lasting material. Salt Storage Awards Given The Salt Institute presented its annual first-time Excellence in Storage awards to Barrie, Ontario, Canada; Calgary Roads, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; East Lyme, Connecticut; Plainfield, Connecticut; Putnam, Connecticut; Westbrook, Connecticut; Callensburg, Pennsylvania; Knox, Pennsylvania; New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and Tylersburg, Pennsylvania. Numerous agencies were given awards for continuing excellence in storage. Study Shows Popularity of Alternative Procurement A study conducted by PinnacleOne, a consulting firm, showed that public owners are increasingly turning to alternatives to the traditional design-bid-build delivery method. A majority of owners, 57%, indicated their reasons were a goal of reducing costs. About 38% also cited the need to reduce the length of project schedules. And, 53% believe agency construction management/construction management is effective in reducing the risks faced on projects. With 92% of owners reporting increased prices in project bidding and an average price increase of more than 13% on project bids, the alternative delivery methods make sense. Alternative methods used include design-build, job/task order contracting, and public finance/leaseback and construction management. Texas Super Connector Opens The 5.4-mile Segment IV Super Connector of the President George Bush Turnpike between I-35E and I-635 opened after 2.5 years of construction. The connector completes a 30.5-mile link between SH 78 in Garland to SH 161 in Irving, letting motorists headed for the Dallas-Fort Worth airport avoid difficult traffic congestion. The six-lane, north-south, controlled-access toll road with space for future expansion connects seven cities and three counties. The project cost was $338 million. More than 80,000 motorists are expected to use the connector each day. Katrina-related Reconstruction Gets Underway The Louisiana Department of Transportation undertook its first-ever design-build project to support I-10 Lake Pontchartrain Bridge repairs. Boh Brothers is the contractor and HNTB won the design-build subcontract. The project involves repairs of more than 4 miles of damaged bridges at an estimated cost of $31 million. Initial phases were to be completed by mid-November and the end of January 2006 and will use around-the-clock work. A third phase, involving daily bridge inspection, may span three years. Hurricane Katrina’s effects will push cement consumption even higher than current record levels according the Portland Cement Association. The New Orleans region alone could require at least 4 million tons of cement during the next four to five years. Property damage (not including other damage) is currently estimated at $125 billion. Cement costs will probably continue to rise, along with increased consumption. In Washington, D.C., U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta outlined fiscal measures for Hurricane Katrina spending, at least partially in reply to complaints that contracts were being let without proper accountability in some cases. Mineta testified that the DOT has created a special financial integrity team that will ensure all Hurricane Katrina spending is thoroughly documented and there is an accounting for every dollar spent. Mineta also noted that the DOT has submitted to the Officer of Management and Budget a detailed Hurricane Financial Stewardship Plan that outlines existing and additional internal controls intended to safeguard taxpayer funds. A total of $10 million was released to Louisiana and Mississippi as a first installment of federal support for highway and bridge repair work. The DOT approved financial incentives to facilitate work on the Pascagoula Bridge so that it opened in early October. Incentives for repair of the I-10 Twin-Span Bridges between New Orleans and Slidell let temporary lanes open by the end of October and all lanes should be open by the end of the year. The DOT also worked with Mississippi officials to support their efforts to repair and rebuild U.S. 90 along the Mississippi coastline. ARTBA Foundation accepting applications for 2006 Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship The American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) is now accepting nominations for the “Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program” for the 2006 academic year. The program provides financial assistance to help the children of highway construction workers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty pursue post-high school education. The scholarship program was launched in October 1999 through a $100,000 gift from the families of past ARTBA Chairmen Jack and Stan Lanford of Roanoke, Virginia. The scholarships are valued at up to $2,000 and are supported by contributions from highway construction industry executives, firms and labor groups nationwide. Eligibility Requirements are as follows:
Scholarship Selection Criteria: There are several criteria considered for selection of scholarship recipients. They include the following:
Applications must be postmarked by March 31, 2006. To obtain a copy of the application form, contact ARTBA’s Rhonda Britton at 202-289-4434 or go online to the association’s Web site at www.artba.org. Scholarship winners will be announced on or before June 1, 2006. During the past five years, more than 30 students have been selected as scholarship recipients American Road and Transportation Builders Association elects 2005-2006 officers The American Road and Transportation Builders Association has announced its 2005-2006 officers and directors. The following individuals were elected at the association’s annual meeting, held Sept. 12-16 in Palm Beach, Florida, as ARTBA officers: Chairman: Gene McCormick, senior vice president and chairman of the board, Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Naples, Florida. Senior Vice Chairman: C. Michael Walton, E.H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin. First Vice Chairman: Leo Vecellio, Jr., chairman, president and CEO, The Vecellio Group, West Palm Beach, Florida. Northeastern Region Vice Chairman: Jack Kinstlinger, chairman emeritus, KCI Technologies, Inc., Hunt Valley, Maryland. Southern Region Vice Chairman: Garry Higdem, CEO, APAC, Inc., Atlanta. Central Region Vice Chairman: Larry Tate, president, Caterpillar Paving Products, Inc., Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Western Region Vice Chairman: Jack Belvedere, vice president and director of highways and bridges, CH2M HILL, Oakland, California. Vice Chairman At-Large: Ron DeFeo, chairman and CEO, Terex Corporation, Westport, Connecticut. Vice Chairman At-Large: Robert Heitmann, director of business development, Zachry American Infrastructure, San Antonio. Vice Chairman At-Large: Jim Stake, executive vice president, display and graphics division, 3M, St. Paul, Minn. Vice Chairman At-Large: Paul Yarossi, president of HNTB Companies, New York City. Vice Chairman At-Large: Jim Connell, group president, Energy Absorption Systems, Inc., Chicago.Vice Chairman At-Large: Charles Potts, CEO, Heritage Construction & Materials, Indianapolis. Treasurer: Tom Hill, chief executive, Oldcastle Materials, Inc., Washington, D.C. The following individuals were elected for a three-year term as ARTBA directors:
ARTBA initiates task force for 2009 federal highway program reauthorization bill The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is forming a member task force to develop the group’s legislative agenda for reauthorization of the “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act—A Legacy for Users” (SAFETEA-LU), due in 2009. The initiative was announced Sept. 16 at the ARTBA Annual Meeting, held in Palm Beach, Florida. “While 2009 may seem like a long way off, we must begin setting the agenda now to help frame the reauthorization policy debate,” 2005-2006 ARTBA Chairman Gene McCormick says in a press released issued from ARTBA. “The association’s eight membership divisions represent the major public and private sectors of the U.S. transportation construction industry. “Their participation in the task force will ensure the resulting ARTBA reauthorization proposals represent the industry’s consensus position on highway and public transit financing, policy and regulatory issues,” McCormick continues. McCormick, who served as Federal Highway deputy administrator from 1989-1993, said the task force would report on its proceedings at the ARTBA 2006 Annual Meeting to be held Sept. 26-29 in San Diego, Calif. In 1999, ARTBA initiated a similar member task force to develop the association’s legislative blueprint for the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). More than 100 ARTBA members participated in that policy process. ARTBA issued a 72-page report in May 2001 with the association’s policy proposals, which was distributed to all members of Congress, federal agencies and the White House. Many of ARTBA’s transportation investment and financing, environmental and roadway construction zone safety recommendations were incorporated into SAFETEA-LU, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Aug. 10, 2005. SAFETEA-LU provides total guaranteed funding of $286.5 billion over the period fiscal years 2004-09—$227.6 billion for the federal-aid highway program; $52.6 billion for state and local transit programs; and $6.3 billion for the highway safety activities. McCormick said ARTBA will also be working to help ensure full and accurate implementation of SAFETEA-LU. ARTBA Elects New Chairman Eugene R. McCormick, senior vice president and chairman of the board of Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, has been elected 2005-06 American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) chairman. McCormick’s election was announced during the association’s annual meeting, held Sept. 12-16 in Palm Beach, Florida McCormick, a registered professional engineer, has more than 40 years of varied transportation experience, encompassing planning, design, construction and operations in both the public and private sectors. He has been Parsons Brinckerhoff’s (PB) principal-in-charge or project manager on highway, bridge and airport projects in Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Oklahoma, and Argentina. Most recently, he spent six years successfully managing all aspects of the design and construction activities relating to the new multi-agency 12-lane Woodrow Wilson Bridge in the Washington, D.C. area—currently the second largest transportation improvement project in the nation. The 7.5-mile undertaking involves reconstruction of four adjacent interchanges; provisions for high occupancy vehicle or rail transit systems; maintenance of traffic; community relations and involvement; environmental assessments and permitting; intelligent transportation system technology; congestion management; value engineering; financial planning and project controls for budget and schedule. The first span of the bridge is scheduled to open in spring 2006. The $2.4 billion project is on schedule and under budget. Prior to joining PB, McCormick had a distinguished career in public service, serving as the Federal Highway deputy administrator from 1989 to 1993. He spearheaded development of the Bush Administration’s highway/transit reauthorization legislation—known as the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)—which was signed into law in December 1991. It provided record levels of federal transportation investment at the time. McCormick also spent 25 years with the Illinois Department of Transportation, serving as deputy transportation secretary and director of the office of planning and programming. During these years, he was active in the ARTBA Transportation Officials Division and served on the ARTBA Board of Directors. His ARTBA leadership positions include: senior vice chairman, first vice chairman, northeastern region vice chairman, chairman of the Highway Advisory Council and co-chair of the ARTBA-AASHTO-AGC Joint Committee. McCormick frequently testifies before Congress on transportation policy, authorization or appropriation matters. He also was co-chairman of the ARTBA “TEA-21 Task Force,” which developed the association’s legislative blueprint for the surface transportation reauthorization bill. The 2005 highway/transit law, signed by President Bush August 10, contains many of the policy provisions championed by the ARTBA task force. McCormick has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield and has a B.S. in civil engineering from Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana. His other studies include the following: “Program for Senior Managers in Government” at Harvard University (1992); Transportation Executive Institute at the University of Virginia (1986); and “Professional Program in Urban Transportation” at Carnegie-Mellon University (1977). He and his wife, Charlotte, reside in Naples, Florida.
American Road and Transportation Builders Association announces Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), former Federal Highway Administrator Mary Peters, and Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association (WTBA) Executive Director Tom Walker are the recipients of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) highest honor. The 2005 “ARTBA Award” was announced during the association’s annual meeting, held September 12-16 in Palm Beach, Florida. Established 45 years ago, the “ARTBA Award” recognizes individuals for outstanding contributions that have advanced the broad goals of the association. Since 1972, the “ARTBA Award” has been presented annually to at least two individuals, one from the public sector and one from the private sector. Previous “ARTBA Award” recipients have included two governors, more than two dozen U.S. senators or representatives, two U.S. secretaries of transportation, and dozens of other top leaders and executives from government and the private sector of the transportation construction industry. The ARTBA selection committee cited Sen. Grassley’s “outstanding leadership” in reforming federal ethanol tax policy in the 2004 tax bill. The law not only makes the federal highway user fee collection process fairer, it also made possible virtually all of the funding increases for surface transportation investments that will be authorized under the 2005 federal highway and transit act—known as SAFETEA-LU, the ARTBA says in a press release announcing the award recipients. It will help generate an additional $19 billion throughout six years for important federal transportation improvements, the ARTBA says. Mary Peters was recognized for her “exemplary career in public service” at the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. She has been a long-time champion for improving transportation program efficiency at the federal and state levels, and for measures aimed at improving roadway work zone safety. She was a key proponent for SAFETEA-LU’s provisions, which will help streamline the transportation environmental review and approval process for transportation projects, the ARTBA says. She has also been a strong advocate for using public-private partnerships to help finance and deliver transportation capital improvements. The ARTBA selection committee noted Tom Walker’s distinguished career in both public and private service and his extraordinary contributions to policy making at the federal level—through ARTBA—that have directly benefited contractors in Wisconsin and across the country. He is an expert on transportation financing issues, the regulatory environment and the state and local transportation planning and project selection process. He has presented testimony on ARTBA’s behalf before congressional committees and represented the association in meetings with top officials at federal agencies. He has also been chairman of the ARTBA Council of State Executives. Walker was named WTBA executive director in 1996. He spent eight years as executive assistant to the secretary of transportation under Gov. Tommy Thompson. From 1978-1986, he served as the top executive for the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin. Hurricane Katrina to worsen cement shortage Construction industry officials fear Hurricane Katrina will worsen the already-critical shortage of cement in most of the country. New Orleans was the nation’s top port for cement imports. “The disruption to ocean, barge and rail transport from Katrina, and the loss of power to cement plants in the storm’s path will cut further into cement supplies,” says Ken Simonson, chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America. The need to repair and rebuild roads, bridges and buildings also will increase demand for cement, he says. AGC has asked the federal government to allow Mexican cement to be imported into Gulf Coast states without the 55 percent duty now in place. “The need for that cement is truly critical,” Simonson says. Before Hurricane Katrina, cement was in short supply in 32 states and Washington, D.C., according to AGC. For more information, visit the Web site www.agc.org. Source: bizjournals.com/American City Business Journals, originally published Sept. 12, 2005) Pavement Info Online The Federal Highway Administration has a new topic-based Web site that will help you find information on everything from pavement design and construction to maintenance and rehabilitation. In addition to specific topic listings, publications, software, upcoming conferences and events, and training events are featured. Links to other related sites are also included. For more information, go to www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement .Cement Shortages Likely to Continue The Portland Cement Association recently released an estimate that cement consumption will increase 5% this year, the third straight year of increased use. An increase of 3.3% is projected for 2006. The predictions aren’t particularly good news for our industry, where concrete shortages and price increases have caused construction problems and funding woes. Much of the increase will come from public works construction, the PCA reports, although residential construction use continues to climb as well. Washington’s Bridges A spectacular new book with more than 200 illustrations, provides a comprehensive history of Washington’s historic highway bridges, including construction methods, design innovations, failure, demolition, and preservation. You’ll find Spanning Washington interesting reading with examples of the structures’ vulnerabilities to floods, fires, winds, overloading, crashes, and so on. Some of the results of these vulnerabilities have been tragic, including the Spokane Division Street Bridge collapse in 1915, which killed five people. Fireworks that set the Wenatchee Avenue Bridge on fire, a flock of sheep that brought down a wooden bridge on the Spokane River, damage from the eruption of Mount St. Helens, and other examples create a story of the bridges, their designers, builders, communities, and travelers. The book was written by Craig Holstine and Richard Hobbs and published by Washington State University Press in cooperation with the Washington State Department of Transportation. The book’s price is $24.95. For more information go to www.wsupress.wsu.edu . Painted Plows Butler County, Pennsylvania’s Cranberry Township recently involved school kids in a project to decorate their snowplows. The program, headed by Duane McKee, the township’s public works director, was aimed at increasing public involvement and having the students paint themes that depicted school, state, or country pride. After receiving approval from the Seneca Valley School District, McKee approached the principals of Rowan and Haine Elementary Schools and Haine Middle School. Art teachers Mary Jane Hadley and Noele Reynolds agreed to incorporate the project into their classes. Designs were submitted and seven were chosen. The students then had about five weeks to paint the plows. The township provided latex paint and brushes. Designs ranged from school spirit to winter themes to patriotic designs. Once painted, township workers sprayed the painted area of the plows with clear polyurethane paint to protect the finish. McKee expects the painted surfaces to make it through one plowing season and plans to continue the project next year. With gas prices reaching $3 per gallon or more as a result of disruptions to the motor fuel supply chain, some are calling for a suspension or repeal of the 18.4 cents-per-gallon federal tax on motor fuel sales. Since 1956, this excise has served as a user fee to generate dedicated revenue for the Highway Trust Fund, the source of federal investments in state and local highway and public transit improvement programs. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) offers 10 reasons why such a move would be extremely bad public policy. They are as follows: 1. Starving the federal Highway Trust Fund of revenue is not a solution to higher gas prices. Providing and maintaining transportation infrastructure is a core function of government. It is an essential platform for economic activity and facilitates the provision of virtually all essential public services — fire and emergency response, law enforcement, homeland security and national defense. 2. Suspending the federal gas tax would reduce revenues to the Highway Trust Fund by $2.5 billion per month. The resulting cut in state and local highway and transit improvement programs would jeopardize 120,000 American jobs. 3. Even if the federal excise were reduced, the federal government could not guarantee that gas prices would drop commensurately at the pump. In fact, research shows that when the states of Illinois and Indiana temporarily suspended their sales tax on motor fuel purchases in 2001 in response to escalating retail prices:
4. Reducing or eliminating the federal motor fuels tax would do nothing to increase the supply of motor fuels—a major reason why motor fuel retail prices are up. 5. Repealing the federal gas tax, even for only a few months, would bankrupt the Highway Trust Fund as early as 2006, leaving nothing to cover outstanding obligations. The highway and transit bill just passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush August 10 will utilize all available revenues projected to be collected for the Highway Trust Fund through September 2009. Right now, the trust fund balance stands at $10 billion. Without the collection of highway user fees, these bills would have to be paid using general fund, thus increasing the federal deficit. 6. The federal gas and diesel excises have had nothing to do with the recent dramatic increase in gasoline and diesel fuel prices. The federal gas tax rate has not changed since October 1, 1993. 7. What would happen when the federal gas tax suspension is lifted? Would Americans experience — in one day — an 18.4 cents per gallon spike in the retail price of motor fuel? 8. Cutting federal investments in highway and transit improvements will exacerbate traffic congestion across the nation—causing motorists and truckers to spend even more on motor fuel. Research by the Texas Transportation Institute shows traffic congestion is now responsible for 5.7 billion gallons of wasted motor fuel in the U.S. each year. 9. Cutting federal investments in highway and transit improvements will affect traffic safety. Nearly 43,000 Americans died last year in motor vehicle crashes. Poor road conditions and outdated alignments were a factor in an estimated one-third of them. Highway crashes cost American society $230 billion — $820 per person — each year. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death of Americans 6 to 28 years of age and result in more permanently disabling injuries than any other type of accident. 10. Using the gas tax as a political expediency would be bad public policy and set a dangerous precedent. For more information, visit ARTBA’s Web site at www.artba.org. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association) 2006 Concrete Technology Forum
Although pervious concrete has been used for decades recent interest in green building and changes in EPA storm water regulations has heightened interest in the use of pervious concrete for parking areas, streets and other applications. Researchers, contractors, and product manufacturers are quickly improving construction techniques and product formulations to optimize performance. The 2006 Concrete Technology Forum is an opportunity to exchange state-of-the-art practices and research on pervious concrete including:
Intertraffic North America Trade Show Intertraffic North America 2005 hit a major milestone August 4 when North Carolina-headquartered Advance Traffic Markings officially became the 200th company to reserve exhibit space for the September 27-29 trade show, held at the Baltimore, Md., Convention Center. The exhibitors, which totaled 204 as of August 9, will fill more than 35,000 square feet at the event. Intertraffic North America—the continent’s first comprehensive conference and exposition to bring together suppliers and customers for the transportation construction and traffic management industries—is being organized by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) and Amsterdam RAI. A complete list of the firms involved in transportation infrastructure, intelligent transportation systems, parking, traffic safety, control and management exhibiting at the event can be accessed online at www.northamerica.intertraffic.com. WorldSweeper.com New Website
The WorldSweeper.com website already contains hundreds of stories, tips and ideas, and we will be adding to this collection on an ongoing basis. In keeping with the World Sweeper name, and as a result of contacts gained during my sweeping-related travels in Europe and Asia, the website also includes articles and information about sweeping throughout the world. Look for more of these in the months to come. " Award Winning Roundabout In Ohio, the Dublin Muirfield Drive/Brand Road roundabout has proved so successful that the city plans to build three more of the innovative intersections.
ARTBA Directory Available The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has published its 2005 Transportation Officials & Engineers Directory, which provides address, phone and fax information for more than 6,000 county, state, and federal employees. E-mail and Internet contact information is also provided, if it was available. Offered as a pocket-sized publication or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, the TO&E Directory includes key listings for the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration — as well as information on national transportation design and construction-related organizations and key transportation leaders in the U.S. Congress. The pocket directory may be ordered for $195 (ARTBA members) or $249 (non-members). The Excel spreadsheet is available for $395 (ARTBA members) or $495 (non-members). Send a check or money order, plus an additional $11 for shipping and handling to the following address: ARTBA, The ARTBA Building, 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001, or call ARTBA’s Christy Woodall at 888-821-9653. The publication can also be purchased online by clicking on the “newest products” section of www.artbastore.org. Komatsu moving corporate offices Komatsu America said on Aug. 10 it is moving its North American headquarters from Vernon Hills, Illinois, to Rolling Meadows, Illinois. It will eventually place a large corporate sign on top of Continental Towers, a landmark complex along I-90. The Japan-based maker of mining and construction equipment said about 250 workers from Vernon Hills and about 60 from Downers Grove, Illinois, will move into 105,400 square feet of office space by next summer. The lease’s term will be 15 years. “The primary reason for consolidation is leverage and enhanced communications,” said Gary Kasbeer, executive vice president, Komatsu America, which is the major competitor of Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc. “Both construction and mining markets are very strong. As they continue to outperform, so do we.” Rolling Meadows Mayor Kenneth Nelson said the city offered no economic incentives but agreed to signage on top of the western most of the three towers, facing south, overlooking the interstate. “It’s a prestigious company and I think it’ll help bring other international companies to the area,” he said. “And any time you generate jobs it’s a good thing.” The headquarters move is significant in the tight suburban office market, according to Prime Group Realty Trust, the lessor. “We believe the Komatsu America Corp. lease represents the third largest suburban office lease transaction completed to date in 2005 in the Chicago suburbs under challenging market conditions,” said Jeff Patterson, chief executive officer of Prime Group, in a written statement. Since beginning U.S. operations in the 1970s, Komatsu has grown to employ 2,500 workers in North America. (Source: Daily Herald — suburban Chicago newspaper, originally published Aug. 11) Supplier of Big Dig concrete investigated, assurances voiced on safety State and federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that Aggregate Industries, the largest supplier of concrete to the Big Dig, delivered substandard concrete to the $14.6 billion project on hundreds of occasions and falsified records to conceal the poor quality, Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly said on Aug. 10. State troopers and prosecutors raided Aggregate Industries properties in Peabody, Saugus, and Everett in June and turned up evidence that the company had drawn up phony documents to make it appear that truckloads of old or rejected concrete were freshly poured, Reilly said. The state requires that concrete must be prepared within 90 minutes of its arrival on a jobsite, because concrete starts to set, making it difficult to pour. Reilly said after the raid that he quickly began working in concert with the FBI and US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan's office to prosecute the case aggressively. “We got the records that we were looking for and the information we were looking for,” Reilly said. Reilly, who met with a concrete industry specialist about the case, said it does not appear at this time that the concrete used in the Big Dig poses structural or safety concerns. “Right now, we have no information that safety or strength or durability is an issue,” Reilly said. “But we are continuing to look at certain areas. I came away comforted [from the conversation with the specialist], but that does not excuse the behavior.” The allegations concern concrete that was delivered at least five years ago, and if the concrete was causing structural problems, they would probably have appeared by now, Reilly said. “All of this was poured prior to 2000, and you would expect to see deterioration,” he said. Reilly added that he has no reason to believe the inquiry is connected to the discovery of hundreds of leaks in the tunnels, which has sparked separate federal and state investigations. The allegations about the concrete stemmed from a whistleblower suit filed May 16 in Suffolk Superior Court. A Suffolk County grand jury has been impaneled to hear evidence in the case, and Aggregate Industries officials have also appeared before a federal grand jury sitting in Worcester. Samantha Martin, a spokeswoman for Sullivan, would not comment on the allegations against Aggregate Industries, but said Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Wyshak, “is reviewing all aspects of the Big Dig.” R. Robert Popeo, the Boston lawyer representing Aggregate Industries, yesterday [on Aug. 10] said the company stands by the quality of the concrete it delivered. “Aggregate Industries never delivered to a contractor that worked for the state of Massachusetts on the Central Artery or to the state directly any concrete that did not meet the specifications called for in the contract, nor was any concrete delivered to the site which failed to meet the strength specifications called for by the state,” Popeo said. Big Dig concrete inspectors checked mixer-truck deliveries to ensure that concrete arriving at job sites was fresh, that its consistency met guidelines, that it did not have unapproved ingredients, and that it would be strong enough to serve its purpose. Tracy A. Miner, who along with Popeo represents Aggregate Industries, said there was “certainly no concerted effort to send rejected concrete to the Big Dig.” Miner said there were independent inspectors at all Aggregate Industries plants that checked the quality of concrete before it was sent to the Big Dig. “The concrete on the Big Dig passed every single quality control test,” Miner said. “None of the concrete has ever been rejected for quality reasons.” Mariellen Burns -- spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, which oversees the Big Dig -- issued an e-mail statement saying: “We have no information that gives us concern about the strength or the durability of the concrete used on the project. Rigorous inspection protocols were in place from plant to placement and were based on industry standards. The concrete mixes used were conservative by design and generally attained higher strengths than required by design criteria. We have and will cooperate in any way necessary with this investigation.” The inspections of concrete deliveries on the Big Dig were conducted by the project's management consultant, Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff. Andrew Paven, a spokesman for the company, said Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff would “never comment on an ongoing investigation.” Reilly said there was no information unearthed to date that would implicate state overseers or Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff inspectors in the Aggregate Industries allegations, but said the investigation continues. Federal authorities continue to investigate allegations that first surfaced in 2002 that Aggregate Industries officials operated a bid-rigging scheme on several public construction projects separate from the Big Dig. Earlier this year, two former company officials, William Cowhig of Topsfield and Luigi Iuliano of Winchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to witness tampering in relation to the case. Aggregate Industries, acquired earlier this year by the Swiss cement industry giant Holcim Ltd., is the dominant concrete producer in the state, with plants in Everett, Dorchester, Saugus, Swampscott, Watertown, Waltham, Wilmington, and beyond. The company provided 60 percent of the 3.8 million cubic yards of concrete that contractors used to build the new Central Artery tunnels and roadways, a volume of concrete large enough to pave a 3-foot-wide sidewalk between Boston and San Francisco three times, according to the Big Dig. Concrete on the Big Dig was subject to a series of strict quality controls. When companies such as Aggregate Industries created batches of concrete at their plants, inspectors for the project randomly tested the material to ensure that it had the right mix of stone, water, chemicals, sand, and cement and the correct consistency and strength. Inspectors prepared a bill to accompany the mixer-truck drivers as they delivered the material to the construction sites. There, the trucks were subject to additional random inspections by another inspector, who would make sure the material was not more than 90 minutes old and that the concrete was properly mixed. They would also take samples of the concrete and send them to a special laboratory in South Boston that would further test it. Such deliveries took place on hundreds of thousands of occasions over the 14 years of heavy construction on the Big Dig. (Source: The Boston Globe online edition, www.boston.com, originally published on Aug. 11, 2005)) Bush: Highway bill will spur the economy President Bush opened the gates Wednesday for spending a whopping $286.4 billion on roads and bridges, rail and bus facilities, bike paths and recreational trails, saying the projects from coast to coast would spur the economy and save lives. Critics said the 1,000-page transportation bill was weighed down with pet projects to benefit nearly every member of Congress. The bill’s price tag throughout six years was $30 billion more than Bush had recommended, but he said he was proud to sign it. “Highways just don’t happen,” Bush said. “People have got to show up and do the work to refit a highway or build a bridge, and they need new equipment to do so. So the bill I’m signing is going to help give hundreds of thousands of Americans good-paying jobs.” To make his point, Bush signed the measure at a suburban Chicago Caterpillar Inc. plant in the home district of House Speaker Dennis Hastert. The Republican leader oversaw nearly two years of negotiations on Capitol Hill to get a slimmed-down version that Bush would accept. Bush spoke to workers outside the plant, surrounded by sparkling new construction machinery. Two cranes held a sign that said “Improving Highway Safety for America” over the portable stage set up with a wooden desk for the signing. The bill signing was the second ceremony this week that has taken Bush from his Texas ranch, where he is spending about five weeks on a summer break from the White House. On Monday, Bush went to New Mexico to put a new energy policy into law. Two years in the making, the highway bill contains more than 6,371 special projects valued at more than $24 billion, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense. The distribution of the money for these projects “is based far more on political clout than on transportation need,” said Keith Ashdown, vice president of policy for the group. Alaska, the third-least populated state, for instance, got the fourth most money for special projects — $941 million — thanks largely to the work of its lone representative, House Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young. That included $231 million for a bridge near Anchorage to be named “Don Young’s Way” in honor of the Republican. Bush mentioned a pet project in Hastert’s district — the $207 million Prairie Parkway connector to join two major highways in the growing region outside Chicago. Hastert has been pushing the project for years although state officials are not convinced it’s the best way to ease traffic, and some critics say it will promote urban sprawl, hurt the environment and swallow up fertile farmland. The homestate favors for lawmakers helped smooth over political differences between Bush and prominent Democrats who attended the ceremony, including Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama of Illinois, and several House members. The president had threatened to veto the highway bill if it was too fat. White House spokesman Trent Duffy said some House members wanted to spend $400 billion, so Bush considered $286.4 billion a good compromise. Lawmakers backing the bill say projects were included on merit. They say money for infrastructure is well spent, especially considering that traffic congestion costs American drivers 3.6 billion hours of delay and 5.7 billion gallons of wasted fuel every year. Substandard road conditions and roadside hazards are a factor in nearly one-third of the 42,000 traffic fatalities a year, officials say. “This bill upgrades our transportation infrastructure and it’ll help save lives,” Bush said. The president touted a provision that gives states incentives to increase seat belt usage and create vehicle stability standards by 2009 to prevent rollovers. And he noted that with this bill, the federal government is not raising gas taxes to pay for road projects as some have advocated. Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook praised the bill’s safety provisions, particularly the improved standards to protect vehicle occupants in rollovers and side-impact crashes. “This legislation could produce the most significant safety enhancement since air bags were required in all vehicles in the 1991 highway legislation,” she said. (Source: Associated Press) Caterpillar to benefit from federal legislation; transportation bill will give contractors confidence Peoria, Illinois-based Caterpillar Inc. stands to gain from the $286.5 billion federal transportation bill approved by Congress last week from the sale of construction equipment. So Caterpillar is elated that President Bush has chosen its plant in Aurora, Illinois – where much of its highway construction equipment is manufactured – as the place to sign the bill when he visits next on Aug. 10, the company said July 30. Aurora, Illinois also is the largest town in the congressional district of House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and the town will benefit from the transportation bill, as well. Bush will take a break from his vacation in Texas to make the Aurora, Illinois, trip. Caterpillar spokesman Jim Dugan said the White House informed Caterpillar the transportation bill will be signed while Bush is at the Aurora plant, which is where Caterpillar wheel loaders and excavators are made by 3,000-plus employees. "We are certainly thrilled about having the president of the United States come to our facility and thrilled he will be signing such an important piece of legislation while he is there," Dugan said. The transportation bill is important to Caterpillar, he said, because its signing gives contractors who use Caterpillar equipment the assurance construction projects will happen. Those contractors will go ahead and purchase necessary equipment. He said Caterpillar is still finalizing which of its executives will join the Aurora employees for the Bush visit. Aurora would benefit from about $6.8 million in spending under the transportation bill overwhelmingly approved by Congress last month, according to the Aurora mayor's office. Other Illinois projects include $140 million for a western access road to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and $100 million for a Chicago-area infrastructure project to reduce the nation's worst rail bottleneck. Another major prize for the delegation is $240 million for a new Mississippi River bridge at St. Louis. Among Peoria, Illinois-area projects expected to get funding from the bill is the Veterans Parkway extension in Pekin, Illinois and a parking facility in Downtown Peoria, Illinois All 19 of Illinois' House members - nine Republicans and 10 Democrats - voted for the bill. Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama also backed it. Besides Caterpillar, two other companies in Illinois – International Truck and Engine Corp. in Warrenville and Deere and Co. in Moline – expect to gain from the provision as leaders in either making school buses or their engines. (Source: Peoria Journal Star online edition with reports from the Associated Press; report originally published in Peoria Journal Star on Aug. 6, 2005) Permits on the Line Permitting for transportation construction projects could be easier thanks to a U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit court, which overturned a lower court ruling and cleared the way for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association to continue its litigation against a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ proposal to modify the Nationwide Permit Program. A lower court previously denied ARTBA’s attempt to stop the agency’s NWP modifications that reduce from 10 acres to 0.5 acre the amount of land on which a party may discharge dredged or filled material into wetlands without obtaining an individual permit. As a result the Corps was able to make changes to its general NWP requirements without going through any type of public review process. Unless ARTBA is successful with its litigation, agencies and contractors could face rapidly growing numbers of permits within a single project. Clearer Road Signs The Texas Department of Transportation has adopted a new type style called Clearview. Developed after a decade of research, the typeface makes signs easier to read. It was approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation last year. Texas is the second state to use the face. The new signs have brighter, more reflective backgrounds in addition to the use of Clearview, making them legible from 30% further away. Oregon Looks at 120-Year Bridge In a new bridge program, the Oregon Department of Transportation is planning for bridges that will last for 120 years. Key elements include corrosion resistance, freeze-thaw durability, and surface abrasion, the DOT reports. Silica fume concrete was found to have the best resistance to abrasion, the study found. The material also offers reduced concrete permeability and improved corrosion protection for reinforcement. The DOT took two alternative approaches in its study. In one, they plan to completely mitigate the corrosion issue by using non-corrosive steel reinforcement and a very low-permeability concrete. In the other, they plan to use regular uncoated reinforcing steel and introduce a cathodic protection system when corrosion starts. For complete mitigation, the agency uses silica fume concrete to reduce chloride penetration and solid stainless steel reinforcement to prevent corrosion. With one mat of stainless steel at the top and one at the bottom of the deck, the stainless steel reinforcement will not corrode even if the concrete becomes contaminated with chlorides. Cost of using the material is 10 to 15% of the total cost of the bridge, depending on whether it is also used in girders.Washington , D.C. [July 29, 2005]—The following statement can be attributed to ARTBA President & CEO Pete Ruane: “We commend the bipartisan leadership of the Senate Environment & Public Works and Senate Finance Committees, and House Transportation & Infrastructure and Ways & Means Committees, for their perseverance and commitment to America’s transportation infrastructure network. “The bill embraces a number of significant new policy actions that help lay the foundation for addressing the nation’s highway and transit needs. For example, the funding increases for state transportation programs made possible are largely the result of the forward looking ethanol tax policy reforms initiated by the Congress and signed by the President last year. “This bill also opens the door to the use of federal tax-exempt bonds to help finance some highway and bridge projects. And it includes provisions that unquestionably will increase safety in highway construction work zones and help get transportation projects completed sooner. “Perhaps most significantly, Congress has recognized the current revenue stream to the Highway Trust Fund is not sufficient to meet the federal government’s responsibilities in transportation. The bill mandates the creation of a bipartisan, ‘blue ribbon’ commission to identify the best ways to finance federal transportation investments post 2009. “The importance of the commission effort cannot be overstated if America is to meet its highway and transit challenges.” Click here for full press release An important letter from Ray Barnhart, former Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration: Adequate funding for the Federal-Aid Highway program is critical to the nation’s economy and its well being. Most transportation experts agree, however, that the dollars available for highways today are plainly inadequate. Since increasing the taxes on motor fuels is politically unrealistic at this time, that leaves but one practical alternative: enact laws and regulations to ensure that all of the motor fuels that by law should be taxed actually are taxed, and with severe penalties in the event 100% of those taxes fail to be remitted to the U. S. Treasury. The record shows that billions of dollars of taxes on motor fuels have been stolen during the past decade, and thus fuel tax theft continues to be a multi-billion dollar industry!
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to read the full document APA ANNOUNCES 2005 PERPETUAL PAVEMENT AWARD PROGRAM The Asphalt Pavement Alliance is accepting applications for the 2005 Perpetual Pavement Awards. The award honors owners of hot-mix asphalt pavements which are at least 35 years old, have never had a structural failure, have been overlaid no more often than an average of 13 years, and demonstrate the economy and ease of Perpetual Pavement design. Eligible pavements include highways, streets, roads, airfields, and industrial applications. The application and details can be found on the organization’s Web site at www.AsphaltAlliance.com or by calling 877-272-0077. Past winners include County of Santa Clara (California), Eareckson AFB in Alaska, Illinois Department of Transportation, Iowa DOT, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Oklahoma DOT, Maryland’s BWI Airport, Minnesota DOT, Missouri DOT, Nebraska Department of Roads, New Jersey Turnpike Authority, Ohio DOT, South Carolina DOT, Tennessee DOT, Texas DOT, Washington State DOT, and the City of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. Winners receive an engraved crystal obelisk and a commemorative plaque and have their names engraved on the permanent plaque at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University. Engineers at NCAT will evaluate the applications, and the winners will be certified by a panel of industry experts. The awards will be presented during a special ceremony at the Asphalt Pavement Conference, held in conjunction with the World of Asphalt Show and Conference, being held March 13-16, 2006 in Orlando, Florida. The deadline for entries is Dec. 1, 2005. Winners will be announced on Jan. 1, 2006. Rough Ride Ahead: Metro Areas with the Roughest Rides and Strategies to Make our Roads Smoother Urban pavement conditions worsen; Kansas City, San Jose, St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Francisco-Oakland, San Diego, New Orleans, Boston, Sacramento and Oklahoma City metro areas have roughest roads in United States. TRIP releases detailed report. Click here for further information. ARTBA Foundation Provides College Financial Assistance to Children of Fallen Highway Workers The children of highway workers killed or permanently disabled on the job will receive financial assistance in their pursuit of higher education thanks to scholarships announced by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF). Students from Iowa, Tennessee, Oregon, Mississippi, Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana and Montana have been named 2005 recipients of the ARTBA-TDF’s Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship. The program was established in 1999 with a gift to the Foundation from two Roanoke, Virginia, highway contractors and their companies—Stan Lanford, president of Lanford Brothers, and Jack Lanford, president of the Adams Construction Company. Both men are past chairmen of the national association. More than 1,000 people—including more than 100 highway workers—died in 2003 in roadway construction work zone accidents. An additional 40,000 people—enough to fill most major league baseball stadiums in the U.S.—were injured in these sites. This year’s scholarship winners are: Kristin Cooper, Hanlontown, Iowa Kristin’s father, Ron Cooper, Sr., an employee of the Iowa Department of Transportation, was killed in April 1998 while working on a highway project. Kristin is a student at Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa, and is pursuing a degree in criminal justice. Sarah Beth Farley, Sweetwater, Tenn. Sarah Farley’s father, Michael Farley, was an employee of the Tennessee Department of Transportation when he was killed in a 1991 accident on I-40 near Mt. Juliet. Farley attends Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, and is studying business. Vanessa Hayes, West Plains, Mo. Vanessa’s father, Dennis Ray Hayes, an employee of the Missouri Department of Transportation, drowned in 1995 after stopping to help rescue a 69-year old woman who had lost control of her car and drove it into a pond near St. James on Interstate 44. The woman survived. Vanessa, a May 2005 graduate of West Plains High School, has been accepted at Southwest Missouri State in Springfield for the fall semester and will study computer graphics. Peter Howland, Gresham, Ore. Peter Howland’s father, Lawrence Howland, was an employee of the Oregon Department of Transportation when he was killed in February 1997. Howland attends The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, Calif., and is majoring in biblical studies/youth ministry. Timothy Hulitt, Bolton, Miss. Hulitt’s father, Charles Hulitt, was disabled in a 1996 accident while working for the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Hulitt attends Jackson State (Miss.) University and is pursuing a degree in computer engineering. Sarah O’Bryan, Louisville, Ky. Sarah’s father, James O’Bryan, Jr., a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet inspector, was hit by a car and killed in 1994 while taking measurements for a pavement marking project on Interstate 65 near Fern Valley Road. Sarah will be attending Jefferson Community College in Louisville this fall. Emily Parsons & Lily Beth Parsons, Sandyville, W. Va. Emily and Lily Beth’s father, Douglas Parsons, was killed in a 1988 accident while working for the West Virginia Department of Highways. Emily attends the University of West Virginia at Parkersburg and is majoring in elementary education. Lily Beth attends the University of West Virginia in Morgantown and is pursuing a nursing degree. Jessie and Brad Patterson, East Helena, Mont. Jessie and Brad’s father, Eldon Patterson, was killed in an accident while working as an employee of the Montana Department of Transportation in April 1996. Jessie attends Western Washington University in Bellingham and majors in marine biology. Brad will be attending the University of Montana-Helena College of Technology in the fall and pursuing an associate’s degree in carpentry. William “Brandon” Rice, Centerville, Ind. Brandon’s father, Willie Rice, Jr., was disabled in a 2002 accident while working for Atlas Excavating, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Brandon is attending Purdue University in West Lafayette and is studying to become a veterinarian. Lacey Weatherall, Grenada, Miss. Lacey’s father, Jimmy Weatherall, an employee of the Mississippi Highway Department, was killed in 1988 while painting a stripe at a construction area on Interstate 55 near Grenada. Lacey, a May 2005 graduate of Kirk Academy in Grenada, will attend the University of Mississippi in the fall and plans to major in psychology. The ARTBA-TDF is interested in receiving contact leads on students who could benefit from the scholarship program. Please share them with ARTBA Scholarship and Awards Manager Rhonda Britton at 202-289-4434. Individuals and firms interested in supporting the scholarship program can do so by sending a fully tax-deductible contribution, payable to the ARTBA-TDF, at 1010 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. The ARTBA-TDF) was established in 1985 as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt entity to promote research, education and public awareness. It supports an array of initiatives, including educational scholarships, awards, roadway work zone safety and training programs, special economic reports and a national exhibition on transportation. ARTBA, founded in 1902, is the only national association that exclusively represents the collective interests of all sectors of the U.S. transportation construction industry. Tunnel Management System Used in DC Washington, DC put the first tunnel management system designed for nationwide use into real-world testing. The software and manuals help agencies monitor the condition and performance of its highway tunnels. The pilot project was used to collect data and help manage 17 tunnels in the District of Columbia. For more information, contact raj.ailaney@fhwa.dot.gov. Smart Parking Wins ITS Award California’s PATH/BART Smart Parking Project recently won the Best of ITS award. The high-tech parking management program lets freeway drivers know exactly how much parking is available at Oakland’s Rockridge BART District station. Commuters can reserve a parking space by mobile phone or the Internet as well. The demonstration project is a partnership between the California Department of Transportation, the Bay Area Rapid Transit Authority, the California Center for Innovative Transportation, California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways, Parking Carma, the Quixote Corporation, and the University of California, Berkeley. The project uses wireless vehicle detectors, changeable message signs, and delineators. Roads in Good and Bad Condition Only three cities have 75% or more of their roads in good condition according to a study from The Road Information Program — Atlanta, Orlando, and Phoenix. Only 11 major urban areas had at least 50% of their major roads in good condition. What does it cost to make the top three? According to the study, Atlantans pay only $51 in annual additional vehicle operating costs as a result of well-maintained roads; Orlando motorists spend $66 a year and Phoenix drivers pony up $77 annually. Pavement condition data was based on Federal Highway Administration surveys of state transportation officials on the condition of major state and locally maintained roads. On the other side of the coin, areas with unacceptable road conditions included Kansas City (71% unacceptable), San Jose (67%), St. Louis (66%), Los Angeles (64%), San Francisco-Oakland (60%), San Diego (58%), New Orleans (55%), Boston (49%), Sacramento (49%), and Oklahoma City (47%), TRIP reports. Congestion Solutions With road and street congestion growing every year, some U.S. and European agencies are taking steps to find solutions to the sticky problem. In California, Interstate 15 uses variable tolls to control the problem. Tolls can vary from $2 to $8 for a sample commute using the two-lane road-within-the road reserved for those paying tolls. The amount depends on the volume of traffic in the HOT lanes (High Occupancy Tolls lanes). Free lanes still operate, but are usually very congested. Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver, and Washington are some of the other cities in the process of implementing HOT lanes as a congestion solution. In London, vehicles traveling into the city center on weekdays began paying a $9 fee per day. The move reduced congestion by 30%, cut traffic by 18%, and added funding for public transport. A network of 700 cameras records license plate numbers and checks them against the database of those who have already paid. Transportation officials would like to extend the program in a different form to congested roads outside of the city center. The system would use satellite data collected from black boxes installed in cars to deduct funds from prepaid toll accounts when vehicles used certain crowded roads. Eleventh extension of TEA-21 reauthorization ahead; Congress edges toward passage of reauthorization Congress appears to be nearing passage of TEA 21 reauthorization. Negotiators on the highway bill reached agreement on the outline of a formula for distributing highway funding to the states; the deal splits the difference between the House proposal and the Senate bill as follows: FY 2005 — 90.5 percent; fiscal year 2006 — 91.5 percent; fiscal year 2007 — 91.5 percent; fiscal year 2008 — 92 percent; fiscal year 2009 — 92 percent. Although the bill is still expected to be passed this week, one major but non-highway issue remains problematic: how to divide up an estimated $45.3 billion in transit spending (during five fiscal years) between the Federal Transit Administration programs and accounts. Also, the Senate bill proposes significant changes in the labor protections for transit workers that are not included in the House bill and which are opposed by the transit unions. Conferees and staff are remaining silent about the details of the bill until the conference report is filed. Final approval is not likely until after the vote on the Central America Free Trade Agreement, which is not expected to occur until late on July 27 — at the earliest. Since the vote on the trade agreement is still very close, it is thought that House leadership will hold the highway reauthorization until after the CAFTA vote. Therefore, an eleventh extension still is anticipated in order for the bill to be enrolled and a clean copy prepared for the president’s signature, and to avoid furloughing of FHWA employees. (Source: National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association Washington Watch, July 26, 2005 edition) State law requires trucks to cover loads with tarps No one knows where a 5-pound rock came from that hit an Apex, North Carolina, woman while she drove in Wake County last Wednesday, but investigators say most of the time large rocks usually fall off trucks. Ann Larson died July 22 after a large rock crashed through her windshield and hit her in the head as she drove on Highway 55 last on July 29. Truck drivers are supposed to secure their loads – it is the law. Wanda Capps works for a company that replaces windshields and sees the damage truck debris can cause. Her own windshield was recently hit. “I avoid following construction vehicles for that very reason,” Capps said. “It's kind of like you want to duck in your car, but you have nowhere to go.” Oren Leblang narrowly missed hitting a piece of concrete that fell off a dump truck he was following on the Beltline. “It was about the size of a grapefruit. It came up in the air eight or 10 feet, it took three or four bounces high enough to get into a windshield,” Leblang said. “Driving is scary enough without things dropping off trucks like that.” The state passed a law in 2001 that says any truck carrying sand, gravel or rock must put a tarp over its load. It must also make sure that its tailgate is secure. If not, truckers can be fined. Since the law was enacted, members of the trucking industry say the numbers of accidents caused by falling debris has decreased. Fred Allen works with companies that transport sand, rock and gravel. He said that he would like to believe the rock that hit Larson was a freak accident that does not occur very often. “At least the trucks I see are pretty responsible in covering their loads,” Allen said. “Is this a wake-up call? Certainly, it's a signal that we need to do better.” And doing better hopefully translates into safer roads for all drivers. Larson, who was buried July 25, leaves behind a husband and two daughters. (Source: WRAL.com) West Virginia develops six-Year highway plan The West Virginia Department of Transportation Division of Highways knows exactly how its money is going to be spent for the next six years, and so will the public as soon as Gov. Joe Manchin signs off on the plan. Rather than starting several projects at once without a long- range funding scheme in place, the DOH has published its 2006-11 Six- Year Highway Improvement Program which details specific expenditures against estimate project costs. “In the new federal highway bill, we expect $75 million per year (in federal funds) ... and we have some discretion as to how we spend the money,” said DOH Commissioner Paul Mattox. “The cost of the average four-lane highway is $15 million to $20 million per mile, so with $75 million, you can’t build a whole new highway with that. We decided to invest in projects that will make a big impact, so at the end of six years, you have something to show people. We are saying, ‘These roads are important for the development of West Virginia.’” According to the plan, the following work will be completed or placed under construction from 2006-11:
The six-year program also will replace more than 70 bridges annually and concentrate on continuing specific projects as targeted federal funds become available. Danny Ellis, secretary of the Department of Transportation, said the U.S. 35 and West Virginia 9 construction most likely will have the greatest economic impact, and he expects the Mon-Fayette Expressway will be the first project completed because just four miles remain. Some projects already have targeted funding, such as Corridor H, he said, which is getting about $190 million in Appalachian Corridor funding. “We’re still probably 10 years from completing it, but now the public knows it’s a priority,” Ellis said. Mattox said Manchin wants the six-year prioritized road construction plan to go hand in hand with infrastructure improvements so surrounding lands will be ready for development. In all, Ellis said he hopes that publicizing the six-year plan will show West Virginia residents exactly where construction will be taking place. The plan does have some flexibility to it, he said, but by and large, the major projects are set. “This is something the Federal Highways Administration has promoted, and this is the first time it’s been this visible here,” Ellis said. “We want to change the image of DOT. We have a lot of good employees. One of our goals is to be more highly visible. We need see our people working. “This is the first thing you see when you enter the state - our roads," he continued. "It leaves an impression." (Source: The State Journal via Red Nova News) Senate Appropriations Committee approves fiscal year 2006 transportation-treasury bill The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a fiscal year 2006 Transportation-Treasury Appropriations bill on July 21. The $141 billion fiscal year 2006 measure assumes an additional $5.2 billion in highway spending from taxes paid into the Highway Trust Fund, for a total of $40.2 billion in fiscal year 2006. The panel also would take back unspent balances from prior years in federal highway and airport programs, to the tune of nearly $3.5 billion, and put the money into fiscal year 2006spending on programs ranging from Amtrak to low-income housing. Of that total, $2.3 billion would be rescinded from highway contract authority balances – nearly $1 billion more than the fiscal year measure, which was used to clear out a backlog of disaster-related highway repairs dating back several years. The Senate Appropriations Committee has now approved 11 of 12 fiscal year 2006spending bills, with only the Defense measure remaining. The full Senate has approved five bills. The House has passed all the fiscal year 2006appropriations bills. Two fiscal year 2006 bills are expected to clear House-Senate conferences next week – the fiscal year 2006 Interior and Legislative Branch measures. NSSGA will continue to keep you informed as these bills move through Congress. (Source: National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association Washington Watch Special Legislative Update, July 22, 2005) Senate panel approves transportation funding increase The Senate Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee has approved legislation that would increase federal highway investment by $5.8 billion to $40.1 billion in FY 2006. The measure would also provide $8.21 billion for transit, a $560 million increase, and $3.5 billion for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), the same as the FY 2005 funding level. The House version of the FY 2006 transportation spending bill would provide $36.3 billion for highways, $8.5 billion for transit, and $3.6 billion for the AIP. The full Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider the transportation-treasury bill July 21. In a July 15 letter to all Senate Appropriations Committee members, ARTBA urged the committee to provide at least the highway and transit funding levels in the House-passed reauthorization bill and preferably the levels in the Senate reauthorization measure. The bill approved by the Transportation-Treasury Subcommittee today, provides a highway investment level that exceeds the amount called for in the Senate-passed reauthorization bill by over $1 billion. The bill’s transit investment level is roughly $700 million less than the amount contained in the Senate reauthorization bill. ARTBA also urged the committee to meet the $3.6 billion AIP investment level guaranteed by the Vision-100 aviation reauthorization bill enacted in 2003. The annual appropriations process is separate, but complementary to the development of reauthorization legislation for the federal highway and transit programs. While TEA-21 and its successor set highway and transit investment levels for multiple years, the annual transportation appropriations bills make those funds available to the states. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association Washington Update) Cement shortages still a concern Cement shortages continue to be a concern. The U.S. Geological Survey reported on July 15 that imports increased 28 percent in the January-April 2005 period, compared to the same months of 2004, while U.S. production slipped 1 percent. Consumption rose 5 percent. In the 10 days, Governors Rick Perry (R-Texas) and Jeb Bush (R-Florida) have written to Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez, seeking his help in getting the Southern Tier Cement Committee (STCC) to agree to allow more Mexican cement into the U.S. without anti-dumping duties. The Associated General Contractors of America CEO Stephen Sandherr followed up on an earlier letter to Gutierrez by writing directly to the STCC. U.S. reliance on imports is increasing. The Portland Cement Association and AGC have separately received reports of shortages in part or all of 28 states plus the District of Columbia, up from 23 states in May. (Source: Associated General Contractors of America’s, The Data DIGest, July 11-18, 2005 edition.) House to extend federal highway and transit programs until July 19 According to a June 30 report in the Congress Daily, the House will extend federal highway and transit programs until July 19 as conferees continue to hash out differences in competing surface transportation reauthorization plans. This extension is the eighth once since the programs initially expired Oct. 1, 2003. According to the report, the extension will extend federal worker salaries and state transportation aid. The House plans to take up the extension under suspension of the rules, and the Senate is expected to quickly approve it as well, the report says. An important letter from Ray Barnhart, former Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration: Adequate funding for the Federal-Aid Highway program is critical to the nation’s economy and its well being. Most transportation experts agree, however, that the dollars available for highways today are plainly inadequate. Since increasing the taxes on motor fuels is politically unrealistic at this time, that leaves but one practical alternative: enact laws and regulations to ensure that all of the motor fuels that by law should be taxed actually are taxed, and with severe penalties in the event 100% of those taxes fail to be remitted to the U. S. Treasury. The record shows that billions of dollars of taxes on motor fuels have been stolen during the past decade, and thus fuel tax theft continues to be a multi-billion dollar industry! Click here to read the full document Animal Underpasses Do Work If you want to know how the deer crossed the road, ask Virginia Transportation Research Center Scientist Bridget Donaldson. She should know because she spent nearly a year researching animal passageways and how they are used. About 247,000 car crashes per year involve animals. Donaldson evaluated seven underpass structures in Virginia to determine the extent of use by deer and other wildlife and the structural and environmental features that might influence their use. Preliminary results show nearly 1,000 deer crossings at three of the sites and more than 1,000 crossings of smaller mammals. The most popular deer crossings are a large box culvert in Fairfax County, which was designed specifically as an animal crossing, and another box culvert near Charlottesville, beneath I-64. Crossing structures cost less than $200,000 each, while the cost of a single human traffic fatality costs more than $3 million in lost income, medical costs, and property damage, Donaldson says.Bridge Restoration in Action The Virginia Department of Transportation produced a DVD, Spanning the Centuries: Restoring a Boomtown Bridge, which shows the history of the Coshen Bridge in Rockbridge County and the unique methods used in its recent restoration. The steel bridge is one of the oldest still in use in the United States. For more information or a free copy, contact sande.snead@VDT.Virginia.gov . CMRA News The Construction Materials Recycling Association presented its first-ever awards to honor the best in C&D recycling. Recycler of the Year went to Louis Sanzaro, president, Ocean County Remanufacturing, Toms River, New Jersey for getting recycled concrete accepted by various agencies in his state. Darlene Chapdelaine of Patriot Hauling, Johnston, Rhode Island, won honorable mention for working with her state environmental agency. Corell Recycling, Des Moines, Iowa, won the concrete recycling category. Winner of the mixed C&D recycling was Zanker Road Landfill, located in northern California. Honorable mentions in this category went to Western Recycling, Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and Downtown Diversions in Los Angeles. CMRA also started work on a survey to determine how much C&D is needed. Bendable Concrete University of Michigan researchers have developed a new type of fiber-reinforced bendable concrete. It will be used for the first time in Michigan this summer. The material has the appearance of regular concrete, but is 500 times more resistant to cracking and 40% lighter in weight. The fibers that make up about 2% of the mixture’s volume partly account for the performance. Materials in the mix are designed for maximum flexibility. Called Engineered Cement Composites, the technology has already been used on projects in Japan, Korea, Switzerland, and Australia. State suppliers are being trained to make ECC concrete now, according to Engineering Professor Victor Li, whose team developed the concrete. Michigan will use ECC to retrofit a section of a bridge deck in Ypsilanti this summer. An ECC slab will replace the expansion joint and link the adjacent concrete slabs to form a continuous deck. For more information, go to www.ns.umich.edu. Tunnel Management in DC A tunnel management system designed for national use received its first tryout in Washington, D.C., providing the District Department of Transportation with a valuable tool for future monitoring of the condition and performance of its highway tunnels, the Federal Highway Administration reports. The program was released two years ago and is made up of two manuals and an accompanying software program. The software lets tunnel owners collect and manage data on tunnel components and can help assess the physical condition of tunnels. Gannett Fleming Incorporated developed the system for the FHWA and worked with the DDOT to implement the system in the District of Columbia. Tunnel drawings were put into the computer, creating tablet PC forms for tunnel inspectors to use. Each tunnel was divided into 50-foot sections to document deficiencies on ceilings and walls. Deficiencies were mapped and recorded, using a rating system that lets the agency prioritize work. For more information, contact Mesfin Lakew at mesfin.lakew@dc.gov. Vaughn to engineer destiny of state road construction From road projects to interstate extensions to the next big pothole on a state highway, Don Vaughn assumes responsibility for them all today as the state’s new chief highway engineer. Vaughn replaces Ray Bass, who retired Tuesday after 10 years in the post and 35 years with the Alabama Department of Transportation, said Director Joe McInnes. Deputy director for operations since February 2003, Vaughn will continue in that role as well. Vaughn, 56, began work with DOT surveying for Interstate 459 around Birmingham the summer after he finished high school. He worked as a co-op student with DOT while he earned his degree in civil engineering at Auburn University. Vaughn said he learned one valuable lesson that first summer: “The worst yellow jacket stings happen when you are clearing for a road project.” Now his work centers on road-design logistics, problem solving, and even congressional lobbying. Vaughn defines one area project, widening Decatur’s Beltline Road, as a “high-priority project” that moves slowly. “It is a high priority because of need, but we never begin a project as a deficit,” Vaughn said. “We wait and let the money accumulate until we have enough to complete a stage of a project before we begin it.” Alabama’s congressional delegation secured funds for the feasibility study under way now on the project, but completion will take years, he said. Another project is a search for ways to improve a section of U.S. 72 West near Athens known for deadly traffic accidents. Engineering work began in February as the first step of a long-term widening project on the road. But Vaughn said the DOT schedule on the project calls for environmental studies and surveying before the state begins buying rights of way in October 2009. Like Beltline Road, the U.S. 72 process is slow and one that the public often does not understand, Vaughn said. “We must have Federal Highway Administration approval for a project, and we must have money to pay for it, Vaughn said. “That is the time when we believe we will have $3.5 million we need to buy right of way.” Vaughn travels to Washington often to encourage federal officials to re-authorize the federal transportation budget. Congress and the Bush administration disagree on how to spend that money. The last federal highway budget expired 20 months ago, and federal officials periodically extend the expired budget for another 30-day to six-month period. “We just got another 30-day extension, so we know we can operate through June, but it is hard to make long-term obligations like major road projects,” Vaughn said. McInnes, who became DOT director when Bob Riley became governor, praised Vaughn’s ability. “Don is one of the most capable people I have ever worked with, including my career in the private sector,” said McInnes. (Source: Decatur (Alabama) Daily News) AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson says construction maintains momentum in April, expresses concern about cement shortages The Associated General Contractors of America’s (AGC’s) Chief Economist Ken Simonson said construction spending set a record for the 15th straight month in April, led by factories, communications, stores, multi-family housing, warehouses, and hotels. Simonson was commenting on the Census Bureau’s June 1 report that the value of construction put in place rose in April to $1.067 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, up 0.5 percent from the upwardly revised March total and up eight percent from the level of April 2004. “More noteworthy than the single-month gain was the strong performance of so many project types through the first four months of 2005 compared to the same period of 2004,” Simonson says. “Overall, construction increased a hefty nine percent year-to-date, with several categories far exceeding that rate. The standouts were manufacturing construction, up 32 percent, communication, 23 percent, multi-retail (“big box” and other general merchandise stores, shopping centers, and shopping malls), 20 percent, multi-family, 17 percent, single-family, 13 percent, warehouses, 12 percent, and lodging (hotels and resorts), 11 percent. “I expect both residential and private nonresidential construction to keep performing well for the rest of 2005,” Simonson continues. “With the 10-year Treasury note still hovering near four percent, I’m not worried that mortgages will become unaffordable anytime soon. And the large number of fast-growing categories gives me hope that nonresidential will end the year well above last year’s totals. “My major concerns are about availability and cost of certain materials, especially cement,” Simonson adds. “Reports reaching AGC in the last few days indicate that cement shortages will be even more severe than last year, when they eventually touched 35 states. Already, deliveries are being curtailed in Texas, Oklahoma, the Northwest and Florida. AGC hopes the Commerce Department will step up efforts to allow more imports of Mexican cement, instead of our having to bring cement half way around the world through clogged ports and rail lines. “Costs remain a problem,” Simonson he continues. “Concrete and gypsum products have risen at double-digit rates in the past year. Steel and petroleum prices have begun to ease but remain far above year-ago levels. Another priority is for Congress to adequately fund infrastructure spending,” Simonson concluded. “Congress should promptly finish the long-stalled highway bill and enact higher spending for drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities.” (Source: Associated General Contractors of America)
U.S. Senate adopts resolution honoring The U.S. Senate has adopted a resolution honoring
the National Asphalt
Pavement Association on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. The
resolution recognizes the contributions of members of the association to
the United States and its economy. The measure was sponsored by Senators Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) and Jim Jeffords (I-Vermont), the chairman and ranking minority member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and Kit Bond (R- Missouri) and Max Baucus (D-Montana), the chairman and ranking minority member of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “The first ambitious program announced by the
association was the Quality Improvement Program. Ever since then,
dedication to helping its members deliver the best quality asphalt
pavement has been a top priority,” said Sen. Inhofe in the remarks he
made on the floor of the Senate just prior to passage of the resolution. (Source: Aggregate Research Industries) 2005 Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness Awards entries being accepted The American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation is seeking entries for its Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness Awards Program, a competition designed by ARTBA-TDF and the National Safety Council to honor outstanding efforts to reduce roadway work zone construction accidents, injuries and fatalities. The competition is open to individuals and organizations, based upon submissions concerning a specific program, campaign, research, and/or news article, story, or series; or innovation. There is no limit to the number of entries an organization may submit, provided that the applications are for different programs, or for entries of a single program in multiple categories. The awards are divided into the following categories:
The application deadline is August 1, 2005. Award recipients will be honored at a special awards luncheon, on Wednesday, September 28, 2005, during the 2005 Work Zone Safety Conference at Intertraffic North America in Baltimore, Maryland. Visit www.artba.org to download the application or contact American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation’s Rhonda Britton at 202-289-4434 via phone, 202-289-4435 via fax, or via e-mail at rbritton@artba.org.
America Celebrates 2005 Few people fully grasp the size and scope of America’s transportation infrastructure network or the economic impacts of the U.S. transportation construction industry. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is setting out to change that during the 2005 National Transportation Week (NTW), held May 15-21. ARTBA, which was founded in 1902, released the following “fast facts” about the nation’s transportation network. Did you know… Economic Impacts
Impact on Other Industries Our transportation infrastructure has not only made it possible to get from one place to another. It has, in the process, given birth to other industries.
Scope of America’s Transportation Infrastructure Network ARTBA members have built, designed and continue to manage an intermodal infrastructure network that includes:
Public Health Impacts
America’s Roads & Interstate Highway System From “The Roads That Built America: The Incredible Story of the U.S. Interstate Highway System,” by Dan McNichol, we know:
The first National Transportation Week was observed in March 1953 to draw public attention to the importance and benefits of transportation. Additional information can be found online at www.ntweek.org. Senate Defies Bush, Approves Highway Bill The Republican-controlled Senate brushed aside a presidential veto threat Tuesday and passed a $295 billion highway bill, arguing that massive spending on bigger and better roads was necessary to fight congestion and unsafe roadways. The administration – while pressing Congress to pass a new highway bill – said the Senate version was too expensive in a time of war and debt and could result in the first veto of the Bush presidency. The vote was 89-11 with a majority of Republicans joining Democrats in approving the six-year package that the administration said was $11 billion above what it would accept. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, described himself as one of the most conservative members of Congress but said he was at odds with the administration because “there are two areas where we need to spend money. One is national defense and the other is infrastructure.” In addition to granting money to states to repair and build roads and bridges, the bill provides more than $50 billion for public transit, funds recreational road programs and promotes highway safety. “This bill will have an impact on every city and every town and every state,” said Sen. James Jeffords, I-Vermont., the minority leader on the Environment Committee. “I urge President Bush to reconsider his veto threat against this legislation.” The Senate vote was in some ways a repeat of last year, when the senators approved a bill well above what the White House deemed affordable. In the end no compromise was reached with Congress, and lawmakers have had to pass six temporary extensions of the old six-year act, which expired on Sept. 30, 2003. The House in March passed a $284 billion bill, the maximum amount the White House says it will accept without a veto. The Senate, in adding $11 billion, said it had come up with new revenues for the highway trust fund — the principal source of money for federal highway grants to the states — without adding to the deficit. White House press secretary Scott McClellan repeated the veto threat Tuesday, saying the president was “very serious” about following a fiscally responsible budget. Before the final vote, the Senate rejected, by 84-16, a proposed amendment by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama), that would have shrunk the bill back to $284 billion. With 20 months gone since the last highway bill, there is growing pressure to come up with a compromise. The latest extension runs out on May 31. “We've already lost one spring construction season in Michigan and we certainly don't want to lose another one,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan). “We are going to get a bill,” House Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young, R-Alaska, said. Senate leaders sought to pass the highway bill before entering debate over the use of the filibuster to block judicial nominations, an issue that could seriously disrupt the legislative agenda. There was no dispute over the need for a new highway program: Poor road conditions are a factor in one-third of the 42,000 traffic fatalities every year, and road congestion costs the nation billions in productivity and wasted fuel, studies indicate. The legislation funds many relatively small programs — bike routes to schools, covered bridges, ferry terminals — as well as programs to promote fuel-efficient vehicles and authorize tolls to finance new interstate lanes. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), won approval of an amendment that would require the Environmental Protection Agency to update fuel economy testing to reflect real-life driving conditions. Gas mileage stickers on new cars now inflate true fuel economy performance by 10 percent to 30 percent. The Senate also confirmed, in a vote Tuesday, a provision that would increase grants for safety programs to states that allow police to stop motorists who don't wear seat belts even when there is no other traffic violation. The House bill, unlike the Senate version, includes some 4,000 specific projects, worth some $12 billion, that were requested by lawmakers for their districts. These projects, cited by fiscal conservatives as “pork,” will be one sticking point as House and Senate negotiators try to work out a compromise. Another difference that must be resolved is the formula by which the federal government divides up money from the highway trust fund for the states. The trust fund comes from the 18.4 cents a gallon federal gas tax, and about half the states, mainly from fast-growing or heavily traveled areas, complain that they pay more into the fund than they get back from Washington, D.C. (Source: Associated Press) American Road & Transportation Builders Association announce PRIDE Award winners The American Road & Transportation Builders Association has announced its Transportation Development Foundation’s Sixth Annual PRIDE Award winners, of which Better Roads, the sister magazine to Aggregates Manager, was a primary sponsor. The awards, established in 1999 by the ARTBA board of directors, honor “excellence in community relations and public education that enhance the image of the U.S. transportation construction industry. “Honoring excellence in community relations and public education is something that is very important to the industry,” says Mike Porcaro, publisher of Better Roads and Aggregates Manager magazines. “We’re pleased to assist ARTBA in bringing forth this outstanding recognition of the companies, agencies, and associations who have taken the initiative toward advancing community relations and education.” State transportation departments and private sector firms were recognized in the following categories: Public-Media Relations/Education: This category recognizes programs and activities that educate the public and opinion leaders about the significant contributions the transportation construction industry (or a specific sector of it) makes to the economy and/or quality of life. Community Relations: This category recognizes programs and activities that demonstrate positive civic involvement with the community in which a public agency, firm or association is located. Public-Media Relations/Education First place (tie): North Carolina Department of
Transportation (NCDOT), Raleigh NCDOT partnered with ARTBA contractor affiliate, Carolinas Associated General Contractors, to promote the “Work Zone Safety Program” throughout the state’s schools. Hundreds of students, ages 5 to 18, participated in a poster contest and created artwork depicting their ideas for safer work zones. A dozen winning entries were included in a calendar that was distributed to schools, NCDOT employees and to the general public to remind motorists to: “Drive Smart. Do Your Part.” First place: New Mexico Department of
Transportation (NMDOT), Santa Fe The NMDOT launched an integrated communications campaign in the summer 2003 aimed at building public support for GRIP, a $1.6 billion statewide highway, commuter rail and airport infrastructure expansion and improvement program. It included attending city, county and tribal council meetings to share specific details of the plan, publishing informational packets showing the project costs and economic impacts and waging a major print and radio ad blitz. It was supported by nearly 100 cities, counties, business groups and chambers of commerce statewide. GRIP was approved by the legislature and signed into law in November 2003. Second place: Mississippi Department of
Transportation, Jackson Students in Mississippi have a greater understanding and appreciation of the transportation industry as a result of the TRAC educational program developed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and implemented by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Mississippi became the first state to incorporate the TRAC program into the career discovery curriculum on a statewide basis. The TRAC modules provide complete lesson plans for teachers and offer students exciting hands-on activities for solving real-world transportation challenges while addressing state and national standards of learning. Activities such as designing bridges and selecting roadway alignments bring math and science to life. The program, currently in 187 Mississippi schools, also helps students enhance their understanding of the importance of transportation to their communities and learn more about transportation career opportunities. Third place: North Carolina Department of
Transportation (NCDOT), Raleigh NCDOT, in partnership with Carolinas Associated General Contractors and the American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina, promoted the transportation, construction and engineering industries by developing an annual model bridge building competition. The program successfully reached middle and high school students from across the state who used their critical thinking skills and submitted a model bridge drawing, the balsa wood model bridge and a written report explaining their design. More than 35 schools participated in regional competitions. At the finals, students delivered oral presentations on their proposals, and the winners received prize money that was used to support their classroom activities. Honorable Mention Honorable mention was awarded to the New Jersey Department of Transportation for “New Jersey Future in Transportation” (NJFIT), a comprehensive education campaign to promote the intelligent land use and transportation decisions that have helped improve quality of life in communities throughout the state. Private Sector First place: Southeast Corridor Constructors,
Centennial, Colorado It’s not too often the general public gets an “up close and behind-the-scenes” look into operations on a $1.7 billion, multi-modal transportation project, but that’s exactly what Southeast Corridor Constructors accomplished when it invited the media to the “Transportation Expansion (T-REX)” project along I-25 and I-225 in metropolitan Denver. The company invited journalists and photographers from the Rocky Mountain News, one of Denver’s daily newspapers, to spend an entire day on site reporting on every aspect of the project. It resulted in a 16-page special section in the paper in September 2003 entitled “24 Hours in the Life of T-REX,” and reached more than 275,000 stakeholders. The media relations outreach program successfully helped shine the public spotlight on the mega-project and highlighted the ongoing economic benefits of the project as well as the safety benefits that will result once construction is completed. Second place: Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA),
Portland To build and maintain support for the five-year, $135 million rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion of 30 miles and 18 bridges on the Maine turnpike, the MTA launched the “Thinking Ahead” communications program. While communicating up-to-date project information, the program also established a new, positive and lasting brand identity for the nearly 60-year old agency. It included implementation of a multi-media campaign targeting the public with regular paid television, radio and print ads, website, e-mail alerts, a toll-free hotline, variable message boards and the distribution of newsletters and brochures with project updates. An independent survey of the state’s residents taken after construction was completed found that 97 percent agreed the project was conducted in a safe manner, nearly 90 percent believed MTA has done an “excellent” or “good job” of keeping the public informed, and more than 75 percent felt the agency managed the project “very well” or “well.” Third place: The Utah Department of
Transportation, Salt Lake City, Utah Utah Department of Transportation—along with HDR Engineering, Wilkinson Ferrari & Company, Penna Powers Brian Haynes, and Fehr & Peers—joined forces to present the general public and news media with all of the facts relating to this high profile project near Salt Lake City. The parkway is a 14-mile transportation corridor bordered by a multi-use trail system and a 2,100-acre nature preserve. It has received national attention from the media because of lawsuits filed by professional environmental groups aimed at halting construction. The open house included a model of the project, thre-dimensional real time animations, PowerPoint and video presentations, information about the environmental impacts and experts to answer any questions. Officials from the Department, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Highway Administration, as well as representatives of the construction and design teams, participated in the hearing and received input from concerned citizens. The events resulted in increased newspaper editorial support for the project, and public opinion surveys found that more than 80 percent of residents in the affected county agreed it should go forward. Honorable Mention Honorable mention was awarded to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Parsons Brinckerhoff for their joint public affairs outreach aimed at building support for the $4 billion statewide Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development (TIMED) program. Community Relations First place: South Carolina Department of
Transportation (SCDOT), Charleston By enhancing area employment, education, housing, and health/environmental opportunities, the SCDOT’s Cooper River Bridge project has “built a bridge” with a solid community foundation. Recognizing the value of public feedback, the agency opened a “community bridge office” adjacent to the project’s right-of-way tofield questions from citizens and track community concerns. Agency officials conducted face-to-face interviews with impacted residents to understand their needs, delivered more than 500 project presentations, and distributed project updates door-to-door. When the community asked to enhance their employment opportunities, more than 80 previously under-employed and unemployed people were hired to complete the project’s pre-employment program and given on-the-job training positions with the design/build contractor. Such efforts enabled North America’s longest cable stay span to be completed a year ahead of schedule and within the $632 million budget. Second Place: Mississippi Department of
Transportation (MDOT), Jackson MDOT’s “Transploreum” exhibit, located on the campus of Tupelo Middle School, provides an environment for students to explore the impacts of transportation on all aspects of life. It includes distance learning classrooms, murals, photos and other displays depicting the history of transportation and highlights of Mississippi’s transportation milestones. The facility, a model of collaboration between federal and state transportation officials, local leaders and educators, has reached hundreds of children and benefited the entire community. Third place: New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) District Six, Milan “District Six Tribal Partnering Team” Located in Milan, N.M., District Six has seven distinct Tribal Governments within its boundaries — each with its own values, culture, traditions, beliefs, laws , policies and transportation issues. In recognition and respect of the unique sovereign status of the tribes, District Six formalized government-to-government relationships by signing “Memorandum of Understanding” with the tribes. These agreements helped improve communication and facilitate discussion on issues such as the building of interchange projects, sharing design and construction costs on transportation improvement projects and designating “safe routes to school.” Private Sector First place: Rogers Group, Inc. , Oak Ridge,
Tennessee Rogers Group, Inc., developed a multi-pronged approach that served as a model of how to build a strong relationship with Oak Ridge residents, while simultaneously educating young people about the transportation construction industry. It included donating educational materials such as coloring books, aggregate activity books and posters to schools so that students could learn more about the stone industry. Company employees also spent time at several schools teaching students about stone and aggregates. On other fronts, Rogers Group also conducted repair work at one local high school and provided paving services for the Oak Ridge Rowing Association. These outreach initiatives helped further bolster the company’s ties with the community. Second place: Delaware Department of
Transportation (DelDOT), Wilmington DelDOT, with its public involvement team of FIGG Engineering Group and Kramer & Associates, executed an extensive program to educate and involve residents in the planning phase of the Indian River Inlet Bridge replacement project on the state’s southern coast. During 2003 and 2004, DelDOT held listening tours, public information workshops and design charettes to solicit ideas and involve the community in the design and aesthetics. A comprehensive website was also developed to communicate with the public. The program culminated in the unveiling of a scale model of the bridge that won the widespread support of the community and the participation of more than 700 people in the October 2004 groundbreaking event for this world-class bridge. Third place: HDR Engineering, Bellevue, Washington “Bellevue Direct Access” Stakeholders including city officials, business owners, residents and commuters were rightly concerned about the potential economic and traffic impacts that could result from the final phase of the Northeast 8th Street bridge replacement in Bellevue. HDR Engineering devised a unique design solution to replace the bridge without major disruptions and brought all of the parties together to implement the solution. It included building half the new bridge on temporary supports next to the existing bridge and then rolling it 64 feet into its permanent resting place, confining total closure of the street to one weekend. The project earned the city of Bellevue’s Downtown Business Association’s 2004 “Miracle of the Year” Award and helped enhance public perception of the engineering profession. Two honorable mentions were also presented in the Community Relations category. Act Engineers, Inc., the New Jersey Department of Transportation, Michael Baker, Jr., Inc., and Vollmer Associates LLP, were recognized for their joint community outreach program on the Route 29 Waterfront projects that became the centerpiece of for the revitalization of Trenton and its Delaware River shoreline. Shelly Materials, Inc., and Tri-Valley Schools were honored for their efforts to renovate and expand an Ohio elementary school outdoor classroom room that included a weather station, amphitheater, soil pits for geographic study, wetlands, and birdhouses. The Texas Transportation Institute has released its 2005 Annual Traffic Congestion Report According to the TTI report, Americans are now wasting 2.3 billion gallons of motor fuel annually sitting in stalled traffic. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association has responded to the study’s findings with the following statement: “The root cause of traffic congestion in America is the failure of government at all levels to make the transportation capital investments necessary to keep pace with the mobility demands of an ever growing U.S. population and economy,” says Pete Ruane, ARTBA president, commenting on the TTI report. “This is no mystery. “According to the U.S. Census Bureau, since 1982 U.S. population and economic growth has driven a 74 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled,” Ruane continues. “Over the same period, road lane mileage has only increased six percent. Serious public investment in new public transit, rail, airport and waterway capacity has similarly been neglected.” To put the 2.3 billion gallons of motor fuel that is used while sitting in traffic in perspective, Federal Highway Administration data show that’s more than the combined annual motor fuel consumption of six states — Alaska, Vermont, Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawaii, and North Dakota, according to ARTBA At $2.28 per gallon, the motor fuel wasted due to traffic congestion is costing American motorists and shippers $6.2 billion a year. Lost productivity, TTI reports, adds another $60 billion annually to the traffic gridlock tax. For a downloadable copy of the TTI report in PDF format, please click here: http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/mobility_report_2005.pdf or go to their 2005 Urban Mobility Study page at http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/report/. AEM pushes for Senate action on highway funding bill The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has issued a resolution calling on the U.S. Senate to begin floor consideration as soon as possible on reauthorization of TEA-21 transportation funding legislation, and for Congress to complete work on the bill by the current program’s expiration date of May 31, 2005. TEA-21 will set guaranteed funding levels for highway construction and transit capital investment for the next four years. The legislation will help assure much-needed stability and growth in the transportation construction industry and is also critical to the entire nation’s economy, states AEM. The association is the North American-based international trade group for manufacturers of construction and agricultural equipment and related industry service providers. AEM notes the importance of a safe and reliable transportation system to America’s economic growth, quality of life and security. The association also points out that indefinite delays in many transportation infrastructure projects have led to marketplace uncertainties that negatively impact the capital investment decisions of equipment customers. AEM is delivering its resolution to every U.S. senator as part of the association’s ongoing efforts to inform legislators and mobilize industry action on this issue. “America needs a multi-year bill to show federal commitment to sustaining the maintenance and repair of our nation’s highway and transit systems. We also need to provide assurance to our machinery customers that funds will be there to allow them to make timely capital investments in new equipment,” stated AEM President Dennis Slater. This is the sixth extension of TEA-21 transportation legislation, which originally expired on September 30, 2003. Its guaranteed funding levels will represent about half of the total money that will be made available for highway and transit capital investment through 2009. In early March 2005 the House approved a reauthorization bill (H.R. 3, TEA-LU), which would provide $284 billion for these programs. The Senate bill is S. 732 SAFETEA, and exact funding levels to be proposed in the final bill are not yet known. For more information, contact AEM’s Nick Yaksich (202-898-9065, nyaksich@aem.org) or visit AEM online at www.aem.org. (Source: Association of Equipment Manufacturers)
Senate highway fund plan would be vetoed, A U.S. Senate proposal that would add $10 billion to a $283.9 billion plan for spending on highways and other transit projects would lead to a veto by President George W. Bush, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said. Mineta said in an interview today he is “very skeptical” the Senate could pay for the increase without widening the federal deficit. Congress may need a seventh extension of the existing six-year funding law beyond May 31 to complete the legislation, he said in Washington. “If they add the $10 billion to the $284 billion, then that is most assuredly veto bait by the president,” Mineta said. Bush's plan “is more than sufficient to take care of our needs,” the transportation secretary said. Bush, who has never vetoed a bill as president, is trying to hold down spending other than on defense to cut the deficit in half by 2009. Some House and Senate lawmakers have said Bush's plan wouldn't spend enough to reduce congestion and improve safety on 956,480 miles of U.S. roads. The lawmakers have advocated a bigger increase or revisiting the law next year to raise the funding. Senator Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, is working on a plan to boost spending through steps such as cracking down on fuel-tax evasion “without increasing the deficit,” his spokeswoman said on May 5. Mineta said senators were being “very optimistic” in thinking they can raise $6 billion through tax-fraud crackdowns. Waste Study The Texas Transportation Institute said in a report today that urban traffic congestion caused 2.3 billion gallons of wasted fuel in 2003, a 69 million gallon increase from the previous year. The institute is part of Texas A&M University. The Senate today is scheduled to debate the bill, which dictates how gasoline and truck taxes are distributed to states for construction. Approval of the legislation, which may come as early as this week, would send it to a conference committee to be reconciled with a separate House plan. The House in March approved $283.9 billion for roads. Bush advisers have threatened to recommend a veto of the House measure because of a provision that lets lawmakers revisit the law next year to increase the spending amount. Because of the disagreement between Bush and Congress, the highway funding law has been extended six times since Sept. 30, 2003. The most recent extension expires May 31. Boosting Revenue The legislation is a priority of companies that get revenue from construction projects. Every $1 billion the U.S. government spends annually on roads increases sales $100 million at machinery makers such as Caterpillar Inc. and Komatsu Ltd., the American Road and Transportation Builders Association trade group estimated last year. Each $1 billion boosts asphalt sales for companies such as CRH Plc's Oldcastle unit by $100 million, concrete sales for companies such as Lafarge SA by $90 million and aggregate sales for companies such as Vulcan Materials Co. by $50 million, the group has estimated. Brian Burgett, chief executive of Kokosing Construction Co. in Fredericktown, Ohio, said April 26 that he has cut equipment purchases in half to $10 million a year because of uncertainty about the bill. He said in an interview that he typically buys equipment such as cranes, bulldozers and road graders from companies such as Deere & Co., Caterpillar and Komatsu. (Source: Bloomberg) Transportation Construction Market Strong in February, Latest ARTBA Report Finds The transportation construction market continued to show exceptional strength in February 2005, with the value of work performed on projects up nearly 17% from February 2004, according to the top economist for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. “The $5.4 billion of construction work performed on transportation projects was an all-time record for any February, normally one of the weaker months of the year for transportation construction,” reported William Buechner, ARTBA’s vice president for economics and research. The data are contained in the association’s “Value of Transportation Construction Put in Place” report. Year-to-date through February, more than $10.6 billion of construction work has been performed on transportation projects—14 percent more than during the first two months of 2004. The strongest growth occurred in the two largest transportation markets, highways and airports, up 18 percent and 26 percent, respectively so far this year, Buechner said. Data on the value of construction work put in place are provided to ARTBA under contract by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Details and historic data to 1993 are available by subscription from ARTBA. To learn more about the association’s Transportation Construction Market Intelligence Reports, contact the ARTBA economics team at 202-289-4434. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association press release) Rising construction costs demonstrate need for boosting federal highway/transit investment Soaring materials prices could push highway construction costs another eight to 12 percent higher this year, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s top economist said at a Road Gang lunch in Washington, D.C. In 2004, the cost of materials used in highway construction rose 8.5 percent, due largely to massive increases in prices for steel and diesel fuel, Dr. William Buechner, ARTBA vice president of economics & research said. By comparison, materials costs in the previous 12 years had only increased two percent annually. This year, steel prices appear to have stabilized, but costs of other core highway materials have taken off, with aggregates rising at a 30 percent rate so far, ready-mix concrete rising 23 percent and asphalt paving mixtures increasing 11 percent, Buechner said. The House and Senate are now considering legislation that will determine federal highway and transit investment levels for the rest of the decade as part of the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, more commonly known as TEA-21. Under the six-year, $284 billion levels in the House and Senate bills, federal investment for highway construction will grow by just over one billion dollars per year through FY 2009, or about 4 percent annually. But that will just barely cover projected increases in construction costs, Buechner said, with no new funds to address the nation’s growing transportation safety and improvement needs. The ARTBA economist said a proposed amendment to be offered next week in the Senate by Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Max Baucus (D-Montana) to increase the guaranteed highway/transit levels in the reauthorization bill by as much as $10 billion to15 billion offers the best opportunity to address rising construction costs and provide enough investment to begin tackling the nation’s growing transportation challenges. A PowerPoint presentation of Buechner’s remarks may be found online at www.artba.org. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association) To avoid major delays, the highway bill must be debated, approved in the Senate by Friday. Illinois association urging calls to Capitol Switchboard The federal highway bill has passed the U.S. House, but the Senate still needs to pass its version of this legislation – the “SAFETEA” bill. In order to move this highway reauthorization bill forward in the U.S. Senate, at least 60 Senators must vote to limit debate before the bill proceeds on the Senate floor, says John Henriksen, executive director of the Illinois Association for Aggregates Producers. A “vote for cloture” was expected Tuesday morning. To avoid major delays, the highway bill must be debated and approved in the Senate by April 29. Yet Congress has many important priorities this year and each compete for debate time on the Senate floor, Henriksen says. A variety of other activities could interrupt progress on the bill – including debate on the annual budget resolution and contentious federal judge confirmations, he says. “Our Senators need to hear from us that this bill is a high priority,” Henriksen says in an e-mail letter to IAAP members. In the letter, he strongly urges IAAP members to call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to speak with the office of Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and the office of Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Henriksen urges the association members to encourage the senators to support Senate Bill 732, the SAFETEA bill. “If the Senate cannot proceed to a debate and vote on SAFETEA, the highway bill’s near-term future is in doubt,” Henriksen says in the e-mail letter. “Please contact your colleagues, employees, and anyone who cares about highways and ask them to call Senator Durbin and Senator Obama today. “Please keep me apprised of your progress and any information you receive from our Senators or their staff,” he continues. “Any feedback you receive is helpful to us in developing our lobbying strategy.” 400+ transportation construction industry executives storm Capitol Hill; Aggregates Manager and Better Roads magazines attend The U.S. Senate should vote as soon as possible on legislation to reauthorize the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and senators should support an expected bipartisan amendment to boost highway and transit investment levels. Those were the key messages delivered April 27 on Capitol Hill as more than 400 transportation construction industry professionals met with their congressional delegations to discuss the nation's surface transportation programs. The executives were in town as part of the Transportation Construction Coalition Fly-In, held April 26-27. Aggregates Manager and Better Roads also attended the TCC Fly-In and met with Congressional representatives on Capitol Hill. The Senate began debate April 26 on its
reauthorization bill—S.732. It would authorize $284 billion in federal
highway and transit investment through 2009. Senate Finance Committee
Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Max Baucus (D-Mont.)
are expected to offer an amendment to increase those investment levels
without adding to the federal deficit. TCC members include the following:
(Source [except for second paragraph]: Aggregate Research Industries) Construction worksite Spanish-English books available Two publications that are targeted at making communication easier at your operation are now available from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association and the National Association of Women in Construction. One of the publications, a pocket-sized Spanish-English dictionary, features more than 1,400 words and terms used on construction jobsites. The book costs $13. The “Spanish-English Construction Communication” book, which sells for $28, contains thousands of words broken into lists of safety terms, related slang, and common sentences related to each phase of construction. Discounts are available for bulk orders. For more information or to order copies, contact ARTBA’s Christy Woodall at 888-821-9653 or via e-mail at cwoodall@artba.org. The publications also may be purchased online at www.artbastore.org. QuietPavement.com Website Debuts The Asphalt Pavement Alliance has launched a new website dedicated to the education of the impact of road noise and how to reduce its effects using Hot Mix Asphalt and treating the noise at its source. Complete with "Sound Town USA" - a build your own neighborhood and a learning center, this is a site to be bookmarked and passed along to colleagues. Click Here to visit this exciting website now! Perrin Among the Top 100 Transportation Names
The award was part of ARTBA’s Centennial Celebration Program to draw public attention to the enormous social, economic, and mobility contributions made by the men and women of the U.S. transportation construction industry. Better Roads’ current President and Publisher Michael Porcaro, accepted the award for the magazine and on Perrin’s behalf at a gala Washington dinner honoring the winners. A new book is being released that spotlights the winners and their achievements. Builders, engineers, equipment innovators, technology and materials innovators, safety pioneers, as well as educators, news media, and association executives were included in the top 100. To see the book online, go to www.artba.org.George Padaro and Thomas O. Linsey, P.E., recently joined McMahon Associates as project managers....Robert L. Settle, P.E., joined Klotz Associates as senior project manager in the Texas Department of Transportation Department at their Houston office....Robert H. Cartwright, P.E., Nicholas D. Catalano, P.E., Francine O’Brien, and Christopher M. Zmijewski joined Vollmer Associates. Robert J. Risser, Jr. was appointed president of the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute. Risser was previously executive director of the Michigan Concrete Paving Association. The National Asphalt Pavement Association named James H. Roberts chairman of the board. Roberts is senior vice president of Granite Construction, Watsonville, California....The American Traffic Safety Services Association named Peter A. Speer president of the association. Speer is vice president of sales of Filtronia Extrusion, Tacoma....Stephen Pellerin, M.E., P.E. has been named a vice president at URS. Robert (Larry) Davis has been named president of HNTB’s West division....Robert S. McCormack, executive vice president of Spancrete Industries, was named chairman of the Board of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute. Paul Skoutelas was named a senior vice president at Parsons Brinckerhoff....Robert F. Clair joined HDR as vice president and South Carolina program manager....William H. Plenge has been named executive director for the National Utility Contractors Association Foundation for Education and Research....Brad Flom and Alan Brick-Turin were recently named vice presidents in South and Central Florida by HNTB....Ed Ebrahimian has been named director of the Bureau of Street Lighting in Los Angeles....Dilip Patel recently joined BL Companies as a senior highway engineer. Jodie L. Evans, P.E. and Stephen Cunningham, P.E. have each been promoted to project manager by McMahon Associates, Inc....Henry Liu has accepted a position as assistant professor in transportation engineering at the University of Minnesota....Ed Coggin, P.E. has been added to the staff of Smith Engineering Consultants, Inc....Michael Wild has been promoted to St. Louis area manager at Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Inc. John P. Kim, P.E., R. Trent Ebersole, P.E., and Patricia Dahl, P.E.. were promoted to senior project managers at McMahon Associates....Derek Piper was named area manager in South Carolina for Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas Inc. Louis Silano, Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, received an Outstanding Projects and Leaders award from the American Society of Civil Engineers for Lifetime Achievement in Design....Jacques Combault, an expert in design and construction engineering of cable-stayed and long-span bridges, recently joined the Finley Engineering Group as technical director....Patrick O’Brien was elected executive director of the International Association of Concrete Drillers and Sawers. Carl Angeloff was recently named president of the board of governors for the Society for Protective Coatings...A. Ray Chamberlain, vice president of Parsons Brinckerhoff and former Secretary of the Colorado DOT, received the Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding contributions to transportation research from the Transportation Research Board....Jeffrey Fromhertz, P.E. recently joined RBF Consulting as a senior project manager in the Transportation/Public Works Department of Irvine, California....Tony Kimmey, P.E. was elected principal with Carter & Burgess....Jose Rodriguez, P.E., has joined Carter & Burgess and a senior project manager in the Austin, Texas Transportation Unit....William H. Haverland was recently named vice chairman of the Asphalt Institute....Georgia DOT Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl has been named vice president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Robyn Sinquefield joined Carter & Burgess as a transit planner with the Transportation Programs Group in Seattle....At the same company, Mike Roberts, P.E., joined the Seattle program as a senior project manager....In Carter & Burgess’ Denver Transportation Programs Unit, David Stevenson, P.E. will manage the Infrastructure Group, which provides engineering design services for highway, bridge, and aviation projects. Jeff Clevenger, P.E. will manage the Program Management/Construction Management Group, which provides project oversight, design-build, and alternative methods for transportation and transit projects....Peggy L Goettsche has been promoted to human resources director at Smith Engineering Consultants in McHenry, Illinois....At the same company, Susan M. Snow, C.P.A. became company controller....Bruce Johinke has been named president of PB Consult, a Parsons Brinckerhoff subsidiary that provides management consulting services to developers or infrastructure projects. Andrew Gemperline, P.E. recently joined Carter & Burgess as a senior program manager with the Transportation Programs Division....Alison Black was named executive director of the Metropolitan Washington Road & Transportation Builders Association....Rob Robinson was named office manager for URS Construction Services in their San Francisco office....Nick Goldstein recently joined the American Road & Transportation Builders Association as a staff attorney. Contech Construction Products has created a new major division, Contech Bridge Solutions, which will include the Con/Span Bridge system, the BEBO Arch system, Continental Bridge, Steadfast Bridges, and the Contech Structural Plate bridge product lines. The Alamo Group has acquired Gradall from JLG Industries....Transoft Solutions recently promoted Steven Cheng, Johanna Navas, Noel Dolotallas, and Jeroen Vulster to vice presidential slots....Vista Training appointed Angela Remington to a new position, on-site training coordinator, as part of its on-site operator training program expansion....Apax Partners completed its acquisition of Contech Construction Products. Quixote Transportation Technologies has named Chandler Sehgal as engineering director. The company has also named Greg Friend as international sales manager....Surface Systems, Inc., appointed Dale Bader to as Southern Region sales manager. Mississippi’s first design-build project likely to be completed is the replacement of two bridges in Scott County along State Road 21. The Mississippi Department of Transportation awarded the contract to Key, LLC, and Williford, Gearhart and Knight, engineers and surveyors. The project includes replacing the two bridges over Hontokalo Creek. The bridges carry about 3,000 vehicles daily. Completion is scheduled for the end of this year. The Washington Department of Transportation recently selected URS Corporation as general engineering consultant for design improvements for I-90, which links Puget Sound to eastern Washington and beyond. The project involves a 15-mile-long segment and includes realignment of the interstate where necessary; replacement, overlaying, or construction to upgrade the four lanes to six; mitigation measures for rock stability; avalanche studies; and a new bridge and wall structures. In Mississippi, the Department of Transportation picked URS to provide management services for reconstruction of the Saint Louis Bay Bridge on the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina destroyed the bridge. It moves U.S. 90, providing connections important to the economic recovery of the area. In Iowa, the Mars Hill Bridge built under the Federal Highway Administration’s Innovative Bridge Construction Program recently opened. The bridge is the first in North America to be made of Ductal, an ultra-high-performance concrete that offers strength, durability, ductility, and aesthetic flexibility. The FHWA, the Iowa Department of Transportation, Iowa State University’s Bridge Engineering Center, and Lafarge North America collaborated on research and development of the material. The single-span, three-beam cross section bridge contains three 110-foot Ductal girders with no rebar for shear stirrups. Compressive strengths of the material reach up to 30,000 pounds per square inch and its flexural strengths reach up to 6,000 pounds per square inch. Illinois’ largest-scale concrete highway and bridge rehabilitation project was recently commemorated with an open house. The project spanned 11 miles along I-74 in downtown Peoria and used more than a half million cubic yards of concrete, 69,789 tons of which were recycled. Of the 11 miles, 8 miles involved complete removal and replacement with new concrete pavement. The remaining 3 miles were upgraded and patched with bituminous pavement. California’s Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority opened two off ramps and a dedicated freeway connector in Mountain View. The interchange project helped fix the merging congestion at Route 85 and U.S. 101. In the same state, Caltrans awarded a contract to Parsons Brinckerhoff for on-call professional and technical construction administration services to support the construction of a major new tunnel in San Mateo County. The $230-million project calls for two 4,000-foot-wide tunnel bores adjacent to the existing Highway 1 at devil’s Slide near Pacifica. Each will support one lane of traffic with a standard 8-foot shoulder on the right, a 2-foot shoulder on the left, and two 4-foot walkways. In addition, a 1,000-foot-long bridge will be built at the north portal of the tunnel over the California Red-Legged Frog habitat. In Virginia, URS was picked by the Virginia Department of Transportation to provide operations and maintenance support for the Hampton Roads Smart Traffic center. The center covers more than 1.5 million people in 10 cities. Operations support services include providing for effective traffic congestion management, operating and controlling a 12-mile-long bus/HOV roadway, monitoring traffic conditions on more than 100 miles of freeway, disseminating information on traffic conditions to motorists via variable message signs, the Internet, and a high advisory system. The Florida Department of Transportation’s District 4 recently selected HNTB as the prime consultant for the resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation of SR25 in Broward County. Work will cover 20.5 miles of roadway as well as two intersections, drainage, environmental permitting, signing, pavement markings, signalization, lighting, utility relocation, and maintenance of traffic. Reprinted from
Better Roads Magazine |
The
roundabout opened a year ago and only two traffic accidents have been
reported, a significant decrease compared to the previous intersection
which averaged two to three accidents a month. By reducing speeds to 25
miles per hour and eliminating right-angle collisions, the modern
roundabout reduces accidents. Construction of a roundabout at the
intersection of Glick Road, Avery Road, and Manley Road and one at
Dublin and Brand are underway and should be completed by press time. The
Shamrock Boulevard and Village Parkway intersection will be built next
year. The Muirfield/Brand Road roundabout won an outstanding achievement
award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Ohio at the
Engineering Excellence Awards Competition.
Alden
F. Perrin, founder and publisher of Better Roads magazine
from its first issue in October, 1931 through August, 1964, when he
retired, was recently named by the American Road & Transportation
Builders Association’s Transportation Development Foundation to
America’s Top 100 Private Sector Transportation Design & Construction
Professionals of the 20th Century.
