ARTBA Washington Newsline

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NewslineWashington

House Leaders Plan Extension Strategy to Get Final Bill

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Highway & Transit Bill Focus of ARTBA FIP & TCC Fly-In

OIG Reviews ARRA, Makes Recomendations

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

TransOvation 2012: Register by May 25 for chance to win the new iPad.

House Republicans will reportedly attempt to pass a 90-day extension of the surface transportation program that would also include a provision authorizing the Keystone XL oil pipeline project. While the House and Senate approved a 90-day extension of the programs before their two-week break for the Easter/

Passover holiday, it appears this is a strategy to try to allow the House to pass something that could be used as a vehicle to begin negotiations with the Senate on a final reauthorization bill. If House leaders can find the votes for this approach—something they have not been able to do for various multi-year

proposals—the foundation for House-Senate negotiations would be current law (plus the Keystone project) against the reforms in the bipartisan Senate bill. House GOP leaders have long sought to link the surface transportation bill with proposals to enhance U.S. energy production.

The latest extension of the highway/transit program gives Congress until June 30 to settle on a final reauthorization bill. The Senate has already passed its bill with a strong bipartisan vote (74-22). With Congress back from recess this week, the focus shifts to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other House leaders working to build support for action in their chamber.

You can help keep the

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released April 5 a report on transportation investments made in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Among the report’s findings, 19 percent of the 8,365 ARRA contracts awarded by state and local governments through March 31, 2010, received minimal competition—defined as one or two bids. The audit found that bid prices trended significantly lower as the

2012 National Work Zone Awareness Week: April 23 - 27

2 ARTBA Washington Newsline

Upcoming EventsVisit our Events Page for more information.

CUTC National Transportation Workforce SummitApril 24-26Washington, DC[Add to Calendar]

Federal Issues Program & TCC Fly-InMay 29 - 31 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]

TransOvation WorkshopJuly 25-27Leesburg, Va. [Add to Calendar]

National ConventionSeptember 11–14 Memphis, Tenn. [Add to Calendar]

LōTrans Virtual Conference & Innovation ShowcaseSeptember 18 - 20[Add to Calendar]

P3s in Transportation ConferenceOctober 11–12 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]

4th Annual Construction Law & Regulatory ForumOctober 24-25Washington, D.C.

Western Regional MeetingNovember 27-28San Francisco, Calif.[Add to Calendar]

Central Regional MeetingNovember 29-30Chicago, Ill.[Add to Calendar]

Southern Regional MeetingDecember 3-4Atlanta, Ga. [Add to Calendar]

Northeastern Regional MeetingDecember 5-6Boston, Mass. [Add to Calendar]

2012

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OIG Reviews ARRA

number of bids on a project. OIG made several recommendations to

increase competition, including:• Complete a nationwide assessment to

determine current levels of competition for federal-aid contracts and ways to improve bidding practices;

• Mandate the confidentiality of potential and actual bidders’ names and engineers’ estimates, as currently recommended in the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) competitive bidding and contract award guidance;

• Establish FHWA-approved plans for evaluating competition at the state- level;

• Develop and implement effective performance measures and metrics and share best practices with other states; and

• Establish standard FHWA Division Office requirements for performing and documenting oversight of state contracting activity.

3ARTBA Washington Newsline

Current ARTBA Federal Issues Program Sponsors

Products & Services

Charlie Cook Headlines TCC Fly-In Continued from page 1

Flagging Fundamentals: A New ARTBA Training VideoWith this new video refresher produced by ARTBA’s expert safety team, you will: • Master the correct signaling

procedures; • Know what to wear; • Learn why traffic signs and control

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• Become a better and more commanding flagger.

Available in Spanish and English. $150 members. $180 non-members.

Order at www.artbastore.com or contact ARTBA’s Peter Embrey at 202.289.4434.

pressure on them to get the job done by coming to Washington for the May 29-31 ARTBA Federal Issues Program (FIP) and Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) Fly-In.

The FIP features legislative and regulatory briefings, a transportation construction market report, and ARTBA committee meetings so you can speak face-to-face with top federal agency officials.

The TCC event begins the afternoon of May 30, and runs all day May 31. One of the nation’s most respected political

analysts, Charlie Cook, will be on hand to handicap the upcoming elections. Transportation lawmakers from the House will also address attendees. And there will be plenty of time to meet personally with your representatives and urge their support for completing action on a multi-year surface transportation bill.

The growing list of FIP sponsors can be seen in the chart below. To add your name to the list, contact ARTBA’s Ed Tarrant at etarrant@artba.org or 202.289.4434.

Register: www.artbafederalissues.org.

Charlie Cook, editor and publisher of “The Cook Political Report” and columnist for the “National Journal.”

PLATINUM

AECOM

Association of Equipment Manufacturers

Caterpillar Inc.

Parsons Brinckerhoff

GOLD

Skanska USA Civil, Inc.

Volvo Construction Equipment

HNTB

SILVER

Corman Construction, Inc.

Granite Construction Company

Heritage Construction & Materials

National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse

BRONZE

American Bridge Company

Ammann & Whitney

Associated Pennsylvania Constructors

Herzog Contracting Corp.

Lanford Brothers Company, Inc.

Michael Baker, Jr., Inc.

Trinity Highway Products

Wright Brothers Construction Co., Inc.

Zachry Construction Corp.

As of April 13

4 ARTBA Washington Newsline

Overheard

“ ”

TRB Newsletter: April 10 Highlighting new research, technologies, industry best practices and information resources available to the transportation design and construction industry.

A service of ARTBA’s multi-modal councils, it features current transportation developments making news across all modes and regions. Contact: Caitrin Reed to become a subscriber.

Fostering Innovation

MultimodalNews

Legislative & Regulatory News

Economic News

ARTBA News

“Nevertheless, I’m confident that we will, one way or another, muddle through. Because when it comes to the deficit, Congress really has two choices: Do something to solve it, or do nothing and let that solve it. The same can’t be said for issues such as infrastructure and loose nukes and climate change and preparing for pandemic flu. On those questions, congressional inaction isn’t enough to make the problem disappear. So those are the issues I worry about.”

“Washington Post’s” Ezra Klein in an April 6 column “The budget deficit is the least of my worries”

“Among the economy’s better-paying sectors, construction still has an unemployment rate of 17 percent. Given the persistence of mass foreclosures, the continuing decline of housing values and Republican officeholders’ reluctance to allot public funds even for paving roads, construction isn’t coming back anytime soon.”

“Washington Post’s” Harold Meyerson in an April 10 column “An economic recovery that leaves workers further behind”

Help ARTBA Share Your Project’s Innovation StoriesAs part of an upcoming special issue of “Transportation Builder” (TB) magazine, ARTBA will be putting the spotlight on our industry’s use of innovation in building all modes of

Highway/Bridge Sector Unemployment UpEmployment in highway and bridge construction rose by 1.3 percent in February 2012 compared to the same month a year ago, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall construction employment changed little in March 2012; the sector’s unemployment rate was 17.2 percent last month. U.S. employers added 120,000 jobs in March, down from over 200,000 in each of the previous three months. The unemployment rate fell to 8.2 percent, according to the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report.

House Panel to Investigate California High Speed Rail. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) April 10 initiated an inquiry into the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s use of rail funds provided under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Specifically, Issa is questioning whether the $3.9 billion in federal rail funds requested by the authority has prevented work on other transportation projects. Issa, a former businessman in the consumer electronics markets, also delved into the details of the project, questioning the project engineers’ choice of route and the Authority’s ridership projections.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority received a major boost in 2010 when then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) successfully requested unused rail funds from fellow Republican governors who opposed high-speed rail in their states. Schwarzenegger wrote at the time that the project would “generate hundreds of thousands of jobs and provide a clean, fast and low-cost way to travel.” Issa, who endorsed Schwarzenegger in his runs for governor, opposed the ARRA and the transportation investments it has brought to California.

transportation improvement projects.

We are asking you to share with us examples of your company’s use of innovative design and construction techniques, materials, new equipment, state-of-the-art technology or improved safety features. In your explanation, which should be 300 words or less, be sure to include the project’s official name, a short description, its location, cost, completion date, a list of any appropriate partners and your contact information. We’d also request you send a relevant photo (minimum 300 dpi).

Selected projects will not only be included in TB, but also featured during ARTBA’s July 25-27 “TransOvation Workshop,” held at the Lansdowne Resort & Conference Center in Leesburg, Va.

The submission deadline is May 4. Contact ARTBA’s Jenny Ragone for more information.

5ARTBA Washington Newsline

Download a PDF copy of the digital “Washington Newsline.”

THE HAZARDCOMMUNICATION ANSWER BOOK

OSHA is aligning HCS with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), a global hazard communication system developed by the United Nations (UN) that standardizes the classification of chemicals and the commu-nication of hazards via labels and MSDSs. With GHS alignment, the classification of chemicals will include the categorization of hazards based upon severity. Other changes will significantly alter labels and safety data sheets.

The Hazard Communication Answer Book will help you:• learn about the new labels and MSDS sheets; • What GHS is, and why your understanding of it is crucial;• How the new standard will affect your workplace;• What changes are required in classification, labeling, and

employee training; and• practical tips for compliance

$129.95 ARTBA members. $154.95 non-members.

Order: www.artbastore.com or contact ARTBA Director of Sales peter Embrey at 202.289.4434.

THE OSHA ANSWER BOOKYour one-stop resource, the “OSHA Answer Book,” is designed to provide you with quick answers to complicated issues.

The new 10th edition includes: • A complete listing of all OSHA’s Record-

keeping Regulations;• Sample forms to use;• Tips on what to do when an OSHA in-

spector shows up;• Coverage of all OSHA General industry Regulations (1910) in

easy-to-understand language;• Explanations of the injury and illness prevention program and

how it applies to companies; and• Details on how the Obama Administration decides which

workplaces to inspect.

$59.95 ARTBA members. $84.95 non-members.

Order: www.artbastore.com or contact ARTBA Director of Sales peter Embrey at 202.289.4434.

ARTBA FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP & AWARD DEADLINES

Submit your nominations soon for:

Hall of Fame: Honoring individuals or families from the public and private sectors who have made extraordinary contributions to U.S. transportation development over their lifetime and demonstrated exceptional leadership. Deadline: April 27.

TransOvation Awards: Honoring innovative transportation infrastructure-related products, services, technologies and techniques introduced over the past five years that can be documented to provide a high return-on-investment by: improving transportation safety; saving transportation users and taxpayers time and/or money; or making our transportation infrastructure more environmentally sustainable. Deadline: June 1.

Women leaders in Transportation Design and Construction Awards: Honoring extraordinary efforts of individuals, companies and public agencies that have demonstrated leadership and dedication to innovation in the transportation construction field as well as the promotion of women leaders within the industry. Three categories: lifetime Achievement, Company Awards, and Student Awards. Deadline: June 12.

Contact ARTBA’s Holly Bolton with any questions.

Representatives of ARTBA’s Transportation Officials Division (TOD) attended the April 1 - 5 National Association of County Engineers (NACE) annual conference in lexington, Ky.

pictured (left ro right): Carl Schoedel, Kane Co., ill.; 2012 TOD vice president, Eric Seibring, piatt Co., ill.; ARTBA TOD Deputy Managing Director, Mike Sakata; 2012 TOD president, Tim Zahrn, Sangamon Co., ill.; Bruce Bird, Macon Co.,ill.; and Rick Johnson, Coles Co., ill.

6 ARTBA Washington Newsline

Media relations outreach and video production are two important tactical components of ARTBA’s “Transportation Makes America Work (TMAW) Campaign.”

On page seven, you will see the text of an op-ed from ARTBA President Pete Ruane on the highway and transit reauthorization bill. Customized with local data, it appeared in newspapers of select members of the House during the recent two-week congressional recess, and urged them to play a constructive role in helping move the bill forward.

Below you will find TV news appearances on the bill featuring ARTBA President Pete Ruane, ARTBA Chief Economist Alison Premo Black, and ARTBA Executive Committee Member Ron DeFeo of Terex Corporation.

You will also find a new, short video aimed at showing what our industry can do in times of national emergency or natural disaster.

7ARTBA Washington Newsline

ARTBA President Pete Ruane: Transportation bill isn’t a political football

The transportation bill that’s tangled up these days in Congress is being treated by some as a political football, but the average American’s commute to work should not be tossed around frivolously by politicians. Playing politics with crucial infrastructure might be business as usual in today’s Washington, but it’s bad for business on Main Street.

Here in the Gainesville area, we can’t afford to wait any longer for Washington to take action on legislation that will build and improve key roads, bridges and transit systems. According to American Road & Transportation Builders Association data, firms in Alachua and surrounding counties that are involved in transportation design and construction work directly employ over 10,500 people, which in turn, help further support an additional 10,600 jobs in retail, fast food and other services industries. Collectively, these jobs contribute $852 million to the regional economy each year. These are good jobs at good wages.

Yet the federal legislation authorizing these construction programs, and all the public-private partnerships that go with it, is now 30 months overdue. These local jobs and hundreds of thousands more across America could be at risk if Congress doesn’t act soon. At a time when the construction industry, already hard hit by the economic downturn of the last few years, is reeling from a 17 percent unemployment rate that is more than double the national average, there’s no time to lose. Moreover, if the transportation bill is stalled for much longer, the economic activity that depends on a robust transportation network, which is to say, just about everything, would be put into jeopardy.

The U.S. Senate, in fact, has already acted. In a remarkable moment of constructive bipartisanship, on March 14, the Senate voted 74-22 to approve a two-year highway, transit and safety bill. When’s the last time anything has passed in Congress with that many votes? Interestingly, the Senate bill was spearheaded by two leaders who are normally polar opposites on most issues. A strong progressive from California, Barbara Boxer, and an equally conservative Oklahoman, Jim Inhofe, came together on a bill that maintains current investment levels, contains critical reforms to speed the completion of projects, improves accountability, and provide greater flexibility to states in addressing their unique infrastructure needs.

So the Senate transportation bill is a good example of the “vital center” of American politics; the place where reasonable people of good will can come together for the common good. This bill underscores the bipartisan idea that growing the nation’s infrastructure grows the economy and jobs. No wonder, then, the

bill had the support of both the business community and organized labor.

Unfortunately, the House has not acted and its version of the bill has not moved forward. Representative Cliff Stearns, who has the ability to play an enormously constructive role, needs to support this bill. Some members of the House, along with Washington, D.C. based ideologues, seem to think that a campaign to shrink government should include shrinking essential transportation. Perhaps they don’t realize that shrinking transportation also shrinks the jobs and economic growth that rely on an efficient transportation network.

What’s needed is a broader, more responsible vision that allows for progress, even amidst partisan divisions. The first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, had that broader vision.

Even in the midst of the Civil War, in 1862, Lincoln pushed for construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, connecting the Midwest to California. Some might have called this effort a “railroad to nowhere,” since there was so little development in the West at that time. Yet as the railroad was completed in 1869, East and West became knitted together, and commerce and prosperity radiated out from that continent-connecting rail link. As is always the case, economic growth followed infrastructure growth.

Indeed, throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the major parties shared an overall consensus that infrastructure, from canals to railroads to highways to mass transit, was vital for growth and development. And so, for example, the Interstate Highway Act of 1956 was championed by both Republican President Eisenhower and the Democratic leaders who, back then, controlled both chambers of Congress.

We need that same problem-solving spirit now. It’s time for Congress to do its job. When it returns from its current recess, the House, including Rep. Stearns, should pass its bill, and join the Senate in helping rebuild the infrastructure foundation that is key to supporting jobs and getting the U.S. economy rolling again.

T. Peter RuanePresident and chief executive officerAmerican Road & Transportation Builders Association

This ARTBA op-ed also appeared in the following newspapers: “Times of Trenton,” “Rockford Register Star”and the “Muskegon Chronicle.”