Utility Contractor Magazine’s Post

#InfrastructureInvestments help drive #economicdevelopment, #competitivestanding, and #qualityoflife.

I attended this conference today. Interesting perspective on the cybersecurity challenges of the maritime industry, with several experts from the Irish Navy, research and cybersecurity world. We are on an island, so we are very reliant on the maritime transport operations. Digitalization and automation will help to exploit new opportunities but resilience to allow business continuity will be a fundamental aspect. As a panel speaker argued, being compliant is ok, but being resilient is the goal.

Such dynamic duo to present on this topic! Transit services play a key role on impacting people’s quality of life, economic opportunity and allocation of public resource so I know this will be an informative and impactful session. If you are attending The Transportation Research Board’s Conference on Advancing Transportation Equity - make plans to attend Victoria (Vic) Blackwell, PE, ENV SP and Claire Still, MPH, ENV SP session. 🌱🌎🚈 #TransportationJustice #ESG #EnvironmentalJustice #TransitEquity

Of course it's political of me to say this but it is not an inherently political point: the Biden Harris administration got this done. Got it through Congress. Got the funds out into the states. Got the projects started. Got the jobs created and the bridges too. It is a once in a century scale accomplishment and needed to be done in the Obama years (wasn't) and the Trump years (wasn't). And this matters. It is real. So much of the rest of the talk is not real. Leaders deliver results. Look for the results when you decide whether or not you are looking at a leader.

Investing in #Infrastructure is NEVER a bad idea! In fact, a recent World Bank analysis found that every public dollar invested in infrastructure translated to $1.50 of economic activity. #Bridges #BeingHNTB #InfrastructureInvestment

Love that Jerusalem Demsas asked Secretary Buttigieg about high domestic transit construction costs and high-speed rail. Jerusalem has been covering these topics for years, and really knows her stuff and has a distinct point of view. I'm not sure that this link will work, but in this snippet of their discussion, the Secretary begins to unpack why it's hard to build in the US. I agree with much of this, the Secretary is well informed and well spoken on these issues and most other ones; however, there is absolutely too much emphasis on process without evidence of its value. For every transit project I have ever dug into (I don't want to pretend that it's hundreds of projects, but certainly dozens) and California high-speed rail, engagement didn't begin in the 11th hour. Additionally, NEPA, by law, requires ****one**** public meeting. That meeting happens after the draft EIS, which may be late in the process. Additionally, international projects tend to open up the process to the public even later than we are mandated to by law. The projects I have examined closely have had dozens or hundreds of meetings and done unfathomable amounts of fruitless outreach. Meetings that start well before the draft EIS, feasibility studies, or notice of intent to the FTA is submitted. Whether or not our engagement elicits the right kinds of input or improves projects is a separate question. It's great that we are having these discussions. NOW, let's go get some projects completed. https://lnkd.in/eF-NSP66

Maryland currently has nearly $10B in state funds allocated for transportation priorities over the next six years. Given that almost 75% of these resources are generated by roadway users, is this allocation truly balanced? To meet all of Maryland’s transportation needs, including the expansion of rail transit, we need additional, self-sustaining revenue sources. Diversifying our funding approach is essential to ensure sustainable growth across all transportation sectors. That requires leadership actions and less curated messaging by Gov. Wes Moore and the The Maryland General Assembly. #LetFactsGovern #LEAVENOmOdEBEHIND

How can we fix America's crumbling roads and bridges? This question is vital because safe and efficient transportation affects everyone's daily life and the nation's economy. Michael Sakata, President and CEO of the Maryland Transportation Builders and Materials Association (MTBMA), is working to solve these problems. He knows the challenges of funding and building better infrastructure. Tune in as we discuss how to raise public awareness, get more funding, and improve leadership in the construction and materials industries to make our roads and bridges safer. https://bit.ly/46RnAGb

King Charles III’s speech at the State Opening of Parliament this week set out the plans and policies to be brought forward by the new Labour government. Richard Risdon, our managing director for UK and Europe at Mott MacDonald, has responded to the proposals on investment in infrastructure in the King’s Speech: “Since the election it has been encouraging to see the pace at which the new government is starting to put its manifesto commitments into action. The King’s Speech adds to the momentum by setting out the legislative agenda for the next few months, which is critical for both us and our clients." Commenting on the proposals on Great British Railways, Mott MacDonald rail principal account leader Suzanne Mathieson added: “I welcome the commitments made to reform the planning system to accelerate investment in high quality infrastructure and look forward to the opportunities this will bring in combination with the formal transition of Network Rail into Great British Railways (GBR). The plans for GBR promise to lead to the delivery of a more efficient, safer, more sustainable railway for all.” https://mottm.ac/3y4O9uM #MottMac #Sustainable #Rail #Infrastructure #NetworkRail #GBR #KingsSpeech #FutureRail

Transit Briefs: A new study finds that the VPRA’s Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative could provide the commonwealth with a nearly $7B economic boost. Also, Santa Clara VTA lands federal funding for a transit-oriented development project in Gilroy: https://lnkd.in/ewQxPEE8