The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s $8 billion for high-speed rail (HSR) has begun to flow to states. The U.S. Dept. of Transportation said on May 27 it had disbursed the first $79.6 million of the ARRA aid. With $7.9 billion still to go, further installments will be released in coming weeks. DOT announced on Jan. 28 which states won shares of the $8 billion but had to reach grant agreements before disbursing the money. Florida receives $66.6 million for program management and preliminary engineering for a Tampa-Orlando line. California gets $6.2 million to relocate tracks between San Francisco and
A $112-billion tax package that the House approved on May 28 is a mixed bag for the design and construction industry. Construction groups like some of the provisions, including an extension for the popular Build America Bonds program. But some of the bill’s revenue-raising tax hikes drew strong criticism from architects, engineers, contractors and real estate interests. The Senate has the next move. If that chamber amends the measure, it would return to the House, says Karen Lapsevic, Associated General Contractors’ director for tax, fiscal affairs and infrastructure finance. “So there might be a couple of more votes on this
The U.S. Dept. of Energy has proposed a rule that would require new and renovated federal buildings to incorporate sustainable design, siting and construction methods. The proposal, published in the Federal Register on May 28, would implement provisions of 2005 and 2007 energy laws and President Obama’s Oct. 5, 2009, executive order requiring agencies to develop plans to improve federal buildings’ energy efficiency. Comments on the DOE proposal are due on July 27. Emma Cheuse, an Earthjustice attorney, calls the proposal a “positive step” but hopes DOE goes further. She says additional moves could include aligning efficiency targets with current
The Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority on May 25 filed a countersuit at the Hillsborough County Circuit Court in Tampa, Fla., against locally based PCL Civil Contractors Inc. PCL, which built and rebuilt reversible lanes on the Selmon Crosstown Expressway, filed suit April 1 againist the agency. It seeks $21 million that it claims it is owed and alleges breach of contract. In the countersuit, the authority contends that PCL owes a refund of $6 million. According to Authority General Counsel Patrick Maguire, five items were paid either as a result of fraud, misrepresentation or deliberate overbilling.
Upset with a perceived lack of opportunities for Richmond, Va.’s minority contractors, the executive director of the NAACP’s Virginia state conference has threatened “direct action” against current and planned city construction projects. King Salim Khalfani alleges that only 6% of city contracts have minority involvement in planning or construction, reported the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Unless that figure is improved, Khalfani said, the NAACP will disrupt various projects. One tactic would be parking unmarked dump trucks at construction sites to block access. The organization is focusing on projects that are publicly funded or receive government-backed financing. Potential targets include the Richmond Redevelopment
President Obama has directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to create a first-ever national policy to increase fuel economy and likewise decrease greenhouse-gas emissions for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Photo: Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental Inc. Fuel-economy regulations are coming for heavy construction trucks. This new directive, signed on May 21 and impacting model years 2014-2018, comes about a month after EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had finalized similar rules for passenger cars and light trucks that will be manufactured in 2012-2016. Large trucks consume more than 2 million barrels
As the fallout from the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues, the Obama administration is making policy and organizational changes, and lawmakers in Congress are trying to move legislation to address the spill and prevent future accidents from occurring. But some question how effective the administrative actions will be, and legislative proposals have been stalled by congressional opponents. The administration’s actions so far include ordering inspections on all deepwater operations in the Gulf of Mexico, placing a moratorium on new permits for drilling wells until a 30-day safety and environmental review is conducted and restructuring the Interior
Democrats in both chambers of Congress are hoping to pass a bill the week of May 21 they say would create jobs and extend expiring tax benefits. The bill would extend unemployment insurance and Consolidation Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) benefits through Dec. 31 and would attempt to provide tax relief to businesses and state and local governments to help spur investment and create jobs. It includes a one-year extension of the Research and Development tax credit for businesses and would extend the Build American Bond program to spur infrastructure development through 2012. The price tag would be $141 billion,
Arizona officials have enacted new “prompt pay” rules to keep cash flowing to struggling contractors, caught by banks and developers that have been withholding project payments in tough times. Gov. Janice K. Brewer (R) on May 11 signed into law a bill establishing retainage and final-payment timetables for properly completed construction work. Failure to comply results in penalties of 1.5% monthly interest charges. “Retention issues should be dealt with immediately and not be dragged out for cash-flow purposes, ” says Michael F. Markham Sr., president of Markham Contracting Co. Inc., Phoenix. “The banks have been a problem with this. They
Stephen T. Ayers, acting Architect of the Capitol since 2007, was confirmed on May 12 by the Senate for a 10-year term as head of the Capitol architect’s office. AOC oversees maintenance and operations of the Capitol building, Library of Congress and other facilities. Ayers, a licensed architect, joined the AOC office in 1997. He rose to chief operating officer in 2005 and became acting AOC chief in 2007, when Alan M. Hantman retired.
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