Category Archives: Articles

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Feds OK transportation funds, bureau to study procurement options

New highway bill addresses Border issues, opens route to P3 procurement options

To the disbelief of some, Congress finally passed a long-term transportation funding bill for the first time in a decade. That’s good news because some critical needs related to roads and bridges will now get attention.  However, the funding was far from adequate to address other critical transportation infrastructure needs. The five-year appropriation of $305 […]

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Billions being spent on ports – but ROI will be even higher

In October 2006, an historic decision was made – the 50-mile-long Panama Canal would be deepened and expanded to allow for the largest ships to pass through its channels. The estimated price tag of more than $4 billion was not a deal-killer and work was started on one of the largest, far-reaching projects in recent […]

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Handful of Texas cities could capture $50M transportation prize

Call it a mid-sized cities “throwdown.” The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) this week announced its $40 million Smart City Challenge, a competition targeting mid-size American cities. The objective is to increase the use of technology to improve the way transportation systems move people and products. Rather than have federal transportation experts try to determine […]

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Designated lanes latest solution for mitigating traffic congestion

Traffic congestion is frustrating and complicated, but even more so as the number of motorists, buses, trolleys and bikers all increase on roadways. Designated lanes are the common solution but are rarely popular. Motorists don’t want to share roadway space, but buses, bikers and safety issues can’t be ignored. The trend to more bus and […]

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Infrastructure funding – it’s not just about roads, bridges

When making a list of frightening possibilities, one could easily overlook aging bridges, dams, pipelines and roads that are no longer safe. People rarely worry about a bridge collapsing or a dam breaking, but events such as these are becoming all too common. In fact, October’s heavy rains and flooding in South Carolina caused the […]

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Global warming believer or not – no argument that classrooms hotter than ever

If you heard students and teachers complaining about the heat earlier this year…they’ve had good reason. Although winter has arrived in most of the country, providing a respite from the heat, the nation endured the hottest year on record. In October alone, the hottest temperatures in 136 years were recorded. Students and teachers in hot, […]