What’s ahead for TIGER grants? With its latest round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant awards, announced on Oct. 20, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation brought good news to state and local agencies that won funds for 75 projects. But DOT disappointed dozens of other agencies whose proposals failed to make the cut. Photo: Courtesey Ned Ahrens, King County Department of Transportation Replacement for Seattle’s 81-year-old South Park Bridge won a $34-million TIGER grant. There is support in Congress to continue the discretionary TIGER grants, which are aimed at projects that will have major national or regional benefits. But
Construction seems to have been safer in 2009, but federal officials are still concerned about getting the truth from employers about injuries. Related Links: The Prize Predicament: Incentives and Jobsite Safety Fatalities Down, But Rate Stays Flat An indicator of construction jobsite safety showed improvement last year, as the number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses—and the rate per 100 workers—declined in 2009, the Labor Dept. has reported. In its latest annual workplace safety report, released on Oct. 21, the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said that construction injuries and illnesses on the job were down 22% last year, to 251,000.
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has announced the winners of $600 million in in the second round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants for projects that supporters say will have significant national or regional benefits. Photo: King County, Wash. Replacement for Seattle's South Park Bridge gets $34-million TIGER Grant Related Links: TIGER II capital-grant awards and project descriptions The largest grant among the 42 awards was $47.7 million to the city of Atlanta to help finance a $72.2-million, 2.7-mile downtown streetcar line. Other big winners were a plan to unsnarl a freight rail bottleneck in Fort Worth, Texas,
When results are in from the Nov. 2 elections, they are widely predicted to show Republican gains in the House and Senate. Election analysts project that the GOP will win a majority in the House and also pick up Senate seats but not enough to wrest the majority from Democrats. What already was shaping up as a difficult year for the struggling construction industry promises to be even more difficult, as the likelihood of passing strong infrastructure spending measures would be even more remote. Those bills include the delayed reauthorization of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a
The U.S. Trade Representative is launching a investigation of whether China engaged in unfair practices regarding solar and wind power and other "green" technologies. KIRK The action, announced by USTR Ron Kirk on Oct. 15, comes in response to a petition filed by the United Steelworkers (USW) union on Sept. 9. The USW contends that China has carried out a range of actions that run counter to World Trade Organization policies. The U.S. is taking the action under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act. Kirk said that green technologies are "a vitally important sector for the United States." He
President Obama continues to stump for transportation infrastructure. In remarks on Oct. 11, he repeated his call for higher federal spending to rebuild highways, rails and airport runways. Construction officials welcome Obama’s attention to public works, though they still seek more details, including how much total spending he wants. But the White House is not likely to provide many specifics before 2011, when a new Congress convenes. Photo: AP/WideWorld Obama, with current and former Cabinet officials, governors and a mayor, calls for increased transportation infrastructure spending. Obama said, “Our infrastructure is woefully inefficient, and it is outdated.” Noting that the
The House has approved the “Cash for Caulkers” bill, which seeks to stimulate construction and manufacturing jobs and boost energy efficiency in homes. The two-year, $5.6-billion Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, which the House passed on May 6, would provide up to $3,000 in rebates to homeowners who install insulation or energy-efficient windows, doors and other products. The Senate has not acted yet on the measure. The bill’s supporters include the National Association of Home Builders, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, labor unions and environmental groups. But 154 Republicans voted against the legislation. The Associated Builders and Contractors also opposes
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has proposed changes to its requirements for disadvantaged-business enterprises (DBEs), which include firms owned by women and minorities. DOT’s longstanding goal is to have at least 10% of highway and other construction funds go to DBEs. DOT says its plan, published in the Federal Register on May 10, would make it easier for a firm to be certified a DBE in more than one state. The proposal aims to make state agencies more accountable by requiring those that do not meet DBE targets to examine why that happened and come up with ways to achieve
As they start work on a new Water Resources Development Act, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee leaders have asked colleagues to submit by May 18 Corps of Engineers projects to be included in the bill. House Republicans have taken a no-earmark pledge, which includes WRDA. But the Senate panel’s top GOP member, James Inhofe (Okla.), supports including projects in authorization bills, such as WRDA.
As a flurry of new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act updates makes clear, opportunities for construction firms seeking to win ARRA-funded work are waning. Some agencies, such as the General Services Administration, still have substantial stimulus work to award, but in sectors such as highways, the funding window is nearly closed. Source:House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, DOE, National Park Service.. ARRA Progress Reports Ken Simonson, the Associated General Contractors’ chief economist, says, “It appears that there is now more stimulus-funded construction activity in more sectors of the industry than at any point since last February. … The bad news is