U.S. DOT announced this week the award of a Transportation Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan for $275 million to Georgia DOT to build 29.7-miles of new reversible lanes along I-75 and I-575. The loan will go toward the $833.7 million total cost of the project. This is the fourth TIFIA loan to be approved by DOT under the new funding provided to this program since enactment of MAP-21.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) announced his intention to sponsor legislation to raise the federal gasoline tax by 15 cents per gallon. The increases would be phased in over three years and would be indexed for inflation. The increase would be in place until 2024, at which time it would revert back to current levels. During this ten-year period, the intent would be to transition to a mileage-based user fee.
As the conference committee on the budget continues to debate a path forward for fiscal year 2014 and possibly 2015, 鶹Ƶand other transportation stakeholders continue advocate for addressing the pending insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund in our outreach to the members of the House and Senate serving on the budget conference committee. This week, an AGC-led multi-industry letter was sent to the budget conferees asking them to take into consideration the pending trust fund insolvency as they work to craft a fiscal path for the next year or two.
The Pennsylvania Legislature this week approved a $2.3 billion transportation bill that includes funding for transit, highways and other infrastructure projects. The legislation was a major victory for Gov. Tom Corbett (R), who is running for reelection in 2014. The five-year spending bill targets $1.65 billion for bridge and highway repairs and $500 million for transit. The bill also allocates funds for airports, railways, ports and bike paths.
This week, 鶹Ƶsubmitted a statement to the House Small Business Subcommittee asking for construction industry drivers to be exempted from new hours of service restrictions that require a 30-minute break during an eight-hour on-duty period and a requirement that those who do not meet the construction driver definition can only restart the weekly on-duty clock following a 34-hour off duty period that includes at least two periods between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. The new regulations went into effect on July 1, 2013, and have caused problems for certain segments of the industry. New Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules continue the construction exemption which allows a reset of the on-duty clock after a 24-hour off duty period for drivers delivering construction materials within a 50 air mile radius of their work reporting office. However, in circumstances where drivers travel greater distances or are required to work 12-hour shifts, more stringent rules apply.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has rescheduled a Listening Session on the proposed changes to DOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program rules to Dec. 5, 2013, and has extended the deadline for written comments on the proposed rule changes until Dec. 26. The Listening Session was originally scheduled for Oct. 9, but had to be postponed due to the government shutdown. The Listening Session will now be held at U.S. DOT headquarters in Washington D.C. and is intended to gather information on the potential costs associated with the proposed rules.
鶹Ƶsent a letter to budget conferees outlining industry priorities, including fixing the revenue shortfall facing the Highway Trust Fund at the end the current fiscal year. 鶹Ƶpointed out that the latest Congressional Budget Office projections estimate that without new revenue the HTF will not be able to support any new federal highway and transit funding obligations starting on October 1, 2014. 鶹Ƶalso weighed in on taxes, entitlement spending, sequestration and investment in the nation’s infrastructure. The budget conference was part of the agreement reached to reopen the Federal government and is charged with coming to an agreement on revenue and spending by Dec. 13.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee's Special Panel on 21st Century Freight Transportation wrapped up six months of work this week with the release of a report that examines the status of the nation's freight transportation system and made recommendations for improving the system to strengthen the economy. The panel, created by T&I Committee, Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and Ranking Member Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) was led by Chairman John Duncan (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Members Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.).
One of the technologies the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative is promoting is the use of 3D engineered models for transportation construction. 3D models have been successfully deployed in the design and construction of industrial, office and residential buildings for years. More recently, this technology has been used in planning, designing, and constructing highway projects. 鶹Ƶis working with FHWA to promote a series of eight webinars developed to assist contractors in adopting this proven technology.
A “Listening Session” scheduled by U.S.DOT seeking comments on proposed changes to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) regulations that apply to the Federal-aid highway, transit and Federal Aviation Administration programs will be rescheduled and the deadline for written comments will be extended DOT has informed AGC. The “Listening Session,” originally set for Oct. 9, but cancelled due to the government shutdown, was initiated because comments submitted by AGC, 鶹Ƶchapters and members, ARTBA and others on the 75-page proposal called into question the real impact of the proposed changes.