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

Register Now! ARTBA’s May 23-24 Federal Issues Program

ARTBA Washington Newsline

A P R I L 1 8 , 2 0 1 1

NewslineWashington

President Signs Final FY 2011 Funding Bill

House CutsTransportation 30 Percent

Jumpstart Highway & Transit Bill During Congressional Recess

Ending months of short-term

appropriations bills, President

Obama signed legislation

that funds the

government

through the end

of the fiscal year

in September.

Like the interim

spending

The U.S. House of

Representatives April 15 voted

235 to 193 to approve its

version of a FY 2012 budget

resolution that, among other

things, assumes a more than

30 percent reduction in total

federal transportation spending

from current year levels. The

budget does not provide

details on individual program

funding levels, but clearly states

future highway and public

transportation investment

should be based on existing

Highway Trust Fund revenues.

During the debate on the

With members of the House and

Senate returning home April

16-May 1 for a congressional

work period, you have a golden

opportunity to contact them

directly about the multi-year

highway and transit bill.

ARTBA continues to work

hard in the Nation’s Capital to

press for action, but grassroots

efforts by industry leaders like

you are critical to jumpstarting

the reauthorization process

and helping move a bill—in

either the House or Senate

transportation committees.

While we obviously care

about the investment levels

and policy provisions in these

bills, we should not expect to

agree with every aspect of them

at the outset. Nor should we

let those concerns become an

insurmountable stumbling

block to legislative progress.

The priority is to get the

legislative process started. We

will then know who our friends

are and the real world impacts

of the proposals.

Here’s what you can do.

Call the district offices of

your members of Congress

today and set up a personal

meeting—either at their office

or at your company or job site.

ARTBA’s Grassroots Action

center has the phone numbers.

If they visit you, introduce them

to your employees. Explain to

your congressman and senators

how uncertainty over passage of

a multi-year bill impacts your

business decisions—like hiring

and equipment purchasing.

ARTBA’s Mobilize! Grassroots

Action Guide has all the tools

you need to have a successful

meeting.

The “ask” is simple. You want

your congressman and senators

Continued on page 4

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One of America’s Most Successful Public-Private Partnerships. Use It - Save Lives!

MOBILIZE!Grassroots Action Guide For The Federal Highway & Transit Bill

2 ARTBA Washington Newsline

Upcoming Events

ARTBA Federal Issues Program & TCC Fly-InMay 23–25 Washington, D.C.[Add to Calendar]

ARTBA Young Executive Development ProgramMay 23–26Washington, D.C.[Add to Calendar]

International Bridge ConferenceJune 5–8 Pittsburgh, Pa.[Add to Calendar]

TransOvation 2011 WorkshopSeptember 7–9 Near Dulles Airport, Va.[Add to Calendar]

Transportation Development Hall of Fame Gala Dinner at TransOvation 2011September 7Near Dulles Airport, Va.[Add to Calendar]

ARTBA National ConventionOctober 2–5 Monterey, Calif. [Add to Calendar]

ARTBA Public-Private Partnerships ConferenceNovember 15–16 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]

ARTBA REGIONAL MEETINGSNortheastern November 28–29 New York, N.Y.[Add to Calendar]

SouthernNovember 30–December 1 Tampa, Fla.[Add to Calendar]

WesternDecember 5–6 Los Angeles, Calif.[Add to Calendar]

CentralDecember 7–8Chicago, Ill.[Add to Calendar]

Visit our Events Page for more information.

Continued from page 1

Get The Ball Rolling!

commitment to you that they will:

• Tell their party leadership in the

House and Senate REPEATEDLY

to make passage of the long overdue,

surface transportation bill a

PRIORITY THIS YEAR!

• Keep an open mind on supporting

any funding mechanism that is

necessary to pass a strong bill that

meets national and state/local

economic and competitiveness

needs.

Too many elected officials are under the

impression that delaying action brings little

political or economic consequences. We

must show them why they are wrong!

Let’s get the reauthorization ball rolling

and make our presence felt in every

congressional district! Remember, you

vote… so they will listen!

www.transportationcreatesjobs.org

3ARTBA Washington Newsline

30% Transportation Cut In House BudgetContinued from page 1

Products & ServicesAdvertising Opportunities for May-June “Transportation Builder” Magazine Available!

The May-June 2011 issue of “Transportation Builder” magazine focuses on the bridge design and construction industry. Topics include green construction techniques, project spotlights, and public-private partnerships in the bridge industry .

The materials deadline for this issue is Wednesday, May 18.

Contact Liz Cavallaro or view the 2011 ARTBA Media Kit for more information.

To learn more about other products and services available, visit the ARTBA Store today!

proposal, authored by Budget Committee

Chairman

Paul Ryan

(R-Wis.), House

Transportation

& Infrastructure

Committee

Ranking

Democrat Nick

Rahall (D-W.

Va.) told his

colleagues:

“According to a Congressional Budget Office

(CBO) analysis of the Republican budget

assumptions, this budget would slash

current year highway funding from $41.1

billion to approximately $27 billion in fiscal

year 2012. A 34 percent cut in year one of

the reauthorization bill will destroy more

than 490,000 jobs over the coming years.”

The ARTBA co-chaired

Transportation Construction Coalition

wrote April 13 to all House members to

express opposition to the budget proposal

2011 ARTBA FEDERAL ISSUES PROGRAM & Transportation Construction Coalition Fly-In

May 23 - 24: ARTBA Federal Issues Program May 24 - 25: TCC Fly-InMandarin Oriental, Washington D.C.

Be an industry leader & lobby Congress on the highway/transit reauthorization bill.

Meet face-to-face with top federal agency officials to discuss the real-world impacts ofexisting and proposed regulations.

Get in-depth legislative, economic & market reports from ARTBA staff & industry experts.

For more information, or to register, visit: www.artbafederalissues.org.

due to its significant cuts in transportation

investment. It is important to remember

the budget resolution is non-binding and

does not establish specific programmatic

investment levels. Those decisions will be

made in the long-term reauthorization of

the surface transportation program and the

annual appropriations process.

4 ARTBA Washington Newsline

“I cannot imagine a worse beginning to a U.S. high-speed rail effort. Billions of dollars in rejected grants have been returned by recipient states, and it is critical that there be transparency for why these projects were selected in the first place and why any future projects will be selected.”

Reaction from Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, to reports by the Government Accountability Office the Obama Administration’s grant selection process.

The purchasing power of highway funds in Alabama has brought us to the point of almost becoming nothing more than a maintenance department...With current funding levels, very little is available for increasing the capacity of our existing roads or constructing new roads, which we still need in Alabama.

Alabama DOT Director John R. Cooper at the April 14 Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works hearing.

TRB Newsletter: April 12, 2011ARTBA is pleased to make available another service for members that highlights new research, technologies, industry best practices and information resources available to the transportation design and construction industry. This material comes from the Transportation Research Board. Read the most recent newsletter.

Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Master Innovator?Do your innovation skills pass muster with the industry’s best-of-the-best? You can put them to the test at ARTBA’s

“TransOvation” workshop to be held September 7-9 at the Landsdowne conference center near Dulles, Va. This workshop will be led by ENR Award of Excellence Winner John Hillman, MacArthur Foundation “genius” award winner Ted Zoli, and 3M executive Jerry Karel. Learn from the best what it takes to innovate for to improve your bottom line and invigorate your business! Visit www.transovation.org for more information.

Overheard

Fostering Innovation

“ ”Legislative & Regulatory News

President Signs Final FY 2011 Funding

measures over the past six

months, funding for highways

remains at the FY 2010 levels

of $41.1 billion and does not

include $293 million in surface

transportation earmarks or

$650 million in supplemental

highway investments provided

from the federal general fund.

Airport Improvement Program

investments also continue at

$3.52 billion—the same amount

as FY 2010.

High speed rail is “zeroed

out” in FY 2011. The bill cuts

the New Starts Program, which

funds fixed rail transit projects,

in FY 2011 by $400 million to

$1.6 billion and rescinds $280

million of the funds provided to

the program in FY 2010. Other

cuts to transportation include

rescinding about $630 million in

unused earmarks from legislation

enacted in the 1970’s through

1998’s TEA-21 and lowering the

Department of Transportation

discretionary grants program

(the TIGER II program) from

$600 million in FY 2010 to $528

million this year.

Also included is a rescission

of $2.5 billion in unobligated

highway contract authority—

rescissions do not lower

highway investment, but can

constrain how states use federal

funds.

FedEx Endorses Fuels Tax Increase

FedEx President and CEO

Fred Smith and officials from

several state departments of

transportation told members

of the Senate Environment and

Public Works Committee April

14 a multi-year reauthorization

of the federal surface

transportation program is

critical to future U.S. economic

growth. During the question and

answer session of the hearing

Smith told senators FedEx

has long supported a fuels tax

increase to support needed

infrastructure improvements

and added that in the long-term

a transition to a vehicle miles

traveled fee would be appropriate

to accommodate for increased

fuel efficiency and alternative

energy use. Transportation and

Infrastructure Subcommittee

Chairman Max Baucus

(D-Mont.) suggested a two-year

reauthorization bill might be

necessary if Congress is unwilling

to raise the revenues necessary

to grow highway and transit

investment under a six-year

measure. Baucus also chairs

the Senate Finance Committee,

which has jurisdiction over

Highway Trust Fund revenue

sources.

GAO Recommends Improvements For Future Grant Programs

The Government Accountability

Office (GAO) released a

March 30 report calling for

improvements in how the U.S.

DOT implemented both the

Transportation Investment

Generating Economic Recovery

(TIGER) and High Speed Rail

competitive grant programs.

Specifically, GAO recommends

documenting key decisions for

all major steps in the award

process, including reasons

for acceptance or rejection

of grant applications. GAO

also recommends limiting

Continued from page 1

5ARTBA Washington Newsline

the influence of geographic

considerations in project

selection. Republican leaders

of the House T&I Committee

used the reports to criticize

the Obama Administration’s

transparency during the

implementation of the grant

programs.

DOT Provides Emergency Highway Relief Funds

U.S. Secretary of Transportation

Ray LaHood announced

April 11 the Federal Highway

Administration will provide

$319 million from its emergency

relief program to 28 states and

two territories to reimburse

them for damages to roads

and bridges caused by natural

events. Recipients include:

Alabama, Alaska, American

Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas,

Colorado, Connecticut, Florida,

Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky,

Massachusetts, Minnesota,

Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,

Nebraska, New Hampshire,

New Jersey, North Carolina,

North Dakota, Puerto Rico,

Rhode Island, South Dakota,

Tennessee, Texas, Utah,

Washington, West Virginia,

and Wyoming. View additional

information.

ARTBA-Supported 1099 Repeal Becomes Law

President Obama April 14

signed H.R. 4 into law, which

repeals a controversial provision

of 2009’s healthcare reform

law. The provision would have,

beginning in 2012, required

businesses to file IRS Form

1099s with the government

for every vendor with which

it transacted business of

$600 or more in a calendar

year. ARTBA, individually

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

and through coalitions, urged

Congress to repeal the provision

citing the enormous paperwork

burden it would impose during

an economic recovery. The

enactment of H.R. 4 is a

legislative victory for all ARTBA

members.

House Panel Hears Testimony on 3% Withholding

The House Small Business

Committee April 13 heard

testimony on various tax issues

that affect the ability of firms to

grow and create jobs. A roofing

contractor from Stratford,

Wis., told the committee an

impending change in the tax

code could prevent many small

businesses from competing

for government contracts.

The provision, set to go into

effect in 2012, would require

a three percent withholding

for government contracts—

including transportation

projects—at all levels—city,

state, and federal. ARTBA

and its colleagues in the

Government Withholding Relief

Coalition continue to urge a

delay and full repeal of this

provision.

ARTBA Urges Small Business Panel to Study Impacts of Regulations

ARTBA submitted written

comments April 13 urging

the U.S. Small Business

Administration to assess the

effects on small businesses

of regulations promulgated

by the U.S. Department of

Transportation (DOT) and

the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA). With regards

to DOT regulations, ARTBA

focused on the Disadvantaged

Business Enterprise program,

hours of service for construction

drivers and the use of

proprietary products. As for

the EPA, ARTBA stressed

reforms to air, water and

hazardous substance proposals

and the need to streamline

the environmental review

and approval process for

transportation projects.

Don’t Classify Coal Ash “Hazardous,” ARTBA Says

ARTBA April 14 urged the

House Subcommittee on

Energy and the Economy to

pass H.R. 1391, the “Recycling

Coal Combustion Residuals

Act of 2011.” The legislation,

introduced by Rep. David

McKinley (R-W.Va.), would

prohibit the U.S. EPA from

classifying recycled coal ash as

a “hazardous substance.” In its

statement, ARTBA explained

that without coal ash, concrete

would become more expensive

and less durable and detailed its

role in reducing greenhouse gas

emissions and oil consumption.

TECHNICAL SESSIONS, WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS: Featuring a new National Bridge Industry Workshop with key public and private sector speakers focusing on bridge preser-vation, asset management, contract management and procurement, P3s and FHWA’s “High-ways for Life” and “Every Day Counts” programs.

PREMIER EXHIBITOR OPPORTUNITIES: Service providers and manufacturers: Market your firm’s products and services to industry executives in the growing national and inter-national bridge market. Exhibitor discounts available.

For more information or exhibitor opportunities, contact ARTBA’s Jim Colleton at 202.289.4434.

JUNE 5-8, 2011 • DAVID LAWRENCE CONVENTION CENTER • PITTSBURGH, PA.

28TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE CONFERENCE®

6 ARTBA Washington Newsline

Foundation News

April 22 Deadlines for ARTBA Foundation Programs

1. Roadway Work Zone

Safety Award: Recognizes

outstanding efforts to help

reduce roadway work zone

accidents, injuries and

fatalities.

2. “Lanford Family Highway

Worker Memorial

Scholarship Program”:

Provides financial

assistance to the children

of highway construction

workers killed or

permanently disabled in

the line of duty to pursue

post-secondary education.

Visit www.artbatdf.org to

download application forms.

Contact Holly Bolton with any

questions.

Nominations Sought for 2011 Hall of Fame Class

Nominate an individual or

a family from the public or

private sectors who has made

extraordinary contributions

to U.S. transportation

development or demonstrated

exceptional leadership

over their lifetime to the

ARTBA Foundation Hall of

Fame. A new website—www.

artbahalloffame.org—contains

the 2011 nomination form and

details about the inaugural

class announced last November.

Nominations are due by

June 1. Contact Holly Bolton.

Meetings & Events

National Bridge Workshop Scheduled June 7 in Pittsburgh

ARTBA is hosting a “National

Bridge Industry Workshop”

June 7 from 8:00 a.m.-12:00

p.m., at the International

Bridge Conference. It will bring

together leaders from FHWA,

states and industry to discuss

the future of the bridge program

in these key areas: preservation,

asset management, contract

administration, P3s and

innovation.

Top FHWA officials are

confirmed speakers: King

Gee, associate administrator,

Office of Infrastructure; Butch

Wlaschin, director of the Office

of Asset Management; Gerald

Yakowenko, group leader,

Contracts Administration;

and Anwar Ahmad, bridge

preservation engineer. Chris

Kane, P3 Collaborative; Mike

Stenko, Transpo Industries;

Siva Venugopalan, Siva

Corrosion; and Barry Raeburn,

Advanced Infrastructure

Technologies, will also speak.

Register now. For more

details, contact Allison

Wenograd.

ARTBA News

Intelligent Transportation Systems Group Forming

ARTBA member firms with

an interest in Intelligent

Transportation Systems (ITS)

are encouraged to sign up

representatives to help lead,

organize and participate in

a new ARTBA ITS Policy &

Promotion Council. For details,

contact Rob Regier.

Transportation Design & Construction Careers

www.transportationconstructionjobs.org

What kind of jobs are there in the transportation design and construction industry?

Here are just a few examples of the hundreds of jobs and opportunities waiting for you—and the average annual salaries in 2010…

Construction Executive Management: President & CEOs: $170,000General & Operations Managers: $119,100Financial Managers: $104,500

Designing the Infrastructure: Civil Engineers: $74,900Architects: $55,300Surveyors: $53,300

Building the Infrastructure: Project Managers: $119,000Foreman/Supervisors & Superintendents: $61,800Estimators: $67,300Equipment Mechanics: $44,600Carpenters: $47,800Concrete Finishers: $41,100Excavating Machine Operators: $36,400Pile-Driver Operators: $50,200Paving/Surfacing Equipment Operators: $39,200Truck Drivers: $37,400Laborers or Helpers: $37,300Highway Maintenance Workers: $34,600

Other Occupations: Computer Specialists: $49,200Chief Engineers: $99,500Construction Managers: $93,300Financial Managers: $99,700Purchasing Managers: $58,500Human Relations Specialists: $57,500Clerk & Office Workers: $35,100Recordkeepers: $30,710Sales Representatives: $55,660Network Administrators: $66,330

Source: ARTBA analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Data; 2010 ARTBA U.S. Highway, Street & Bridge Construction Salary & Hourly Wage Guide

∙ High Tech

∙ Competitive Wages

∙ Leadership Skills

Transportation Design & Construction Careers Brochure

This new ARTBA brochure highlights the many benefits and leadership opportunities with a career in transportation design and construction. It also features a comprehensive list of annual salaries for a variety of industry jobs. It’s an excellent guide to distribute during “Construction Career Days,” job fairs, or other recruiting events.

Brochure is $25 for 100 copies. Contact Liz Cavallaro for more details.

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