Infrastructure in the News: October 3, 2011
NATIONAL NEWS
Reuters: Red tape slows dozens of US infrastructure projects
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/30/usa-obama-infrastructure-idUSS1E78T0SI20110930
Dozens of infrastructure projects could qualify for expedited treatment under a White House plan to create jobs by cutting through regulatory red tape that critics say is holding up important initiatives. President Barack Obama last month ordered Interior, Agriculture, Housing, Transportation and Commerce Department officials to identify by Friday up to three big projects each that could merit faster environmental approvals and other permits. Funding must already be arranged or identified.
USA Today: U.S. ports racing to get ready for bigger ships
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/story/2011-09-30/ports-bigger-ships/50637090/1
As a result, other ports along the Atlantic Ocean are scrambling to dredge deeper channels so they can handle the bigger ships. "Other countries throughout the world are looking at what is necessary in terms of their own (shipping) infrastructure to be competitive in world trade," says Kurt Nagle, president and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities. "It's something the U.S. really needs to be doing. The general concern is the U.S. is behind the curve and really at the stage of needing to play catch-up."
Land Line Magazine: Transportation’s long-term versus short-term dilemma
http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2011/Sep11/092611/093011-01.shtml
On Friday, Sept. 30, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-CA, promoted the plan during a conference call with reporters. President Obama unveiled his $447 billion proposal during a joint session of Congress on Sept. 8. The proposal includes $50 billion in transportation spending and another $10 billion to create a national infrastructure bank that would loan money for projects of national significance.
The Hill: Transportation advocates press for multiyear highway bill
"The ATM Coalition strongly urges Congress to focus efforts on the passage of a multi-year reauthorization of highway, public transportation and safety programs that reforms the federal programs and maintains, at minimum, existing levels of investment before the expiration of the six-month extension," the organization wrote in a letter to lawmakers.
STATE NEWS
Press Herald: Our View: Maine's bad roads need attention now
http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/maines-bad-roads-need-attention-now_2011-10-02.html
We endorsed that decision, in part because it seemed clear that Maine voters had little taste for approving additional debt at any level of government. But we also urged the governor and the Legislature to revisit the no-bond policy in 2012 because, sooner or later, the state's infrastructure needs must be addressed. A state that depends on roads to get paper and forest products to market, and one that invites tourists to visit remote areas in their cars, cannot afford to be stingy about the condition of its roads.
The Hill: DOT reaches agreement with NJ Gov. Christie to return tunnel funds
The Department of Transportation and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) have reached a settlement on the return of funds that would have gone to increasing rail capacity between New Jersey and New York, officials said Friday. Christie, who is again being mentioned as a possible 2012 presidential candidate, canceled the project, a proposed 9-mile tunnel, in 2010.
Ithaca Journal: New York's crumbling infrastructure: Where did the money for roads go?
Fill up the gas tank in New York, register your car or rent a vehicle, and a portion of the taxes you pay are supposed to fund repairs of the state's roads and bridges. There's one major problem: Most of the money doesn't. Since it was established in 1991, the state's Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund has been anything but.
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U.S Energy Information Administration, 2000 Get The Facts
Commercial and industrial buildings account for as much as 50% of US energy use.
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Washington
Steve Stuart
County Commissioner, Clark County
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