Infrastructure in the News: June 6, 2012

NATIONAL NEWS

Washington Post: Sens. Boxer, Inhofe deliver transportation proposal to House
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/sens-boxer-inhof...
In a rare conciliatory gesture, two U.S. senators — one a conservative Republican, the other a liberal Democrat — hand-delivered a critical transportation funding plan to their colleagues in the House on Tuesday. Their symbolic mission was intended as a show of good faith in a Congress where trust has been in short supply.

DC Streetsblog: Stakeholders Beg Conferees to Stop Acting Like Children
http://dc.streetsblog.org/2012/06/05/stakeholders-beg-conferees-to-stop-...
The pavement lobby letter urges any bill, the business letter urges any bill that leverages public and private dollars, and the SEEC letter urges a bill that does no harm. With just two days left before Boxer’s deadline and only 11 more legislative days (for the House) before the drop-dead June 30 deadline, it makes sense that some would urge the passage of a bill, any bill. But at least one of the environmental provisions opposed by the SEEC would kill the bill anyway — President Obama has promised to veto the transportation bill if it includes the Keystone provision.

League of American Bicyclists: Small Decrease in Driving = Huge Decrease in Congestion
http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2012/06/small-decrease-in-driving-huge-d...
Has anyone ever tried to tell you that there are too few bicyclists to reduce traffic congestion in any noticeable way? Well, new data shows that it doesn’t take large reductions in driving to see major improvements in traffic flow. In 2011, total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the United States declined 1.2%. That means, due to the economy and other factors, Americans drove slightly less in 2011 than they did in 2010. But what makes that remarkable is the striking result: Congestion decreased 30%.

STATE NEWS

The Record: Bill seeks to fund most of NJ transportation program with $1.25B in loans
http://www.northjersey.com/news/060412_Bill_seeks_to_fund_most_of_NJ_tra...
Nearly 80 percent of the state’s transportation program will be paid for with borrowed money next year — with nothing coming from cash revenues on hand — under proposed legislation that will help the Christie administration plug a revenue gap in the state budget.

New York Times: An Ohio River City Comes Back to Its Shoreline
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/realestate/commercial/cincinnati-comes...
The construction of the Banks and the 45-acre shoreline park comes after more than a decade of significant infrastructure investment along Cincinnati’s riverfront, much of it financed by a half-cent sales tax approved by the city and Hamilton County voters in 1997. Revenue from the tax supported a $322 million highway modernization that narrowed the Fort Washington Way expressway between the river and the central business district.

Brattleboro Reformer (VT): Gravel pit proceeding, but bridge bids too high
http://www.reformer.com/ci_20782494/gravel-pit-proceeding-but-bridge-bid...
Even as officials move forward on creation of a much-needed new gravel pit, they've been forced to re-evaluate another, long-awaited project. Selectboard members have voted to move forward with permit applications for the pit, which is to be located behind Hidden Acres Campground on Route 5. But they also received some bad news last week regarding the landmark Dummerston Covered Bridge, as all three renovation bids submitted were higher than expected.