Infrastructure in the News: April 13, 2012

BAF IN THE NEWS

Transportation Issues Daily: What are the Two Scariest Numbers for Transportation Stakeholders?
http://www.transportationissuesdaily.com/what-are-the-two-scariest-numbe...
Our economic competitors (and partners) such as Canada, Brazil, India and China continue to pour money into their infrastructure to sustain and increase their competitiveness in world trade. “Canada spends 4 percent of its GDP on transportation investment and maintenance and China spends 9 percent (compared to the U.S.’s 1.7 percent).”  Learn more from the 2011 report “Falling Apart and Behind” from Building America’s Future.

 NATIONAL NEWS

The Economist: The infrastructure of opportunity
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2012/04/political-mess...
Infrastructure is not a polarising concept, and neither is opportunity. You could argue that large-scale physical infrastructure projects are likely to come from the left rather than the right, as the left is more open to government intervention and spending, but at the same time, it was Eisenhower who signed the Federal Aid Highway Act. And even if we were to say—as a rough rule of thumb—that Republicans emphasise equality of opportunity and Democrats are more open to the idea of equality of outcome, it doesn't follow that Democrats are opposed to opportunity.

OP-ED/COMMENTARY

Pittsburgh Business Journal: Surma: Transportation infrastructure must be a national priority
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2012/04/11/surma-transportati...
Transportation infrastructure, energy, tax reform and trade issues are on the federal policy agenda for the American Iron and Steel Institute, said institute Chairman John Surma. Surma, who is also chairman and CEO of Pittsburgh-based United States Steel Corp., outlined the key issues the trade organization will be lobbying on Capitol Hill on behalf of its industry members. It’s an industry, Surma said, that is the backbone of manufacturing and supported more than 1 million jobs and $101 billion in the national economy in 2011.

Maryland Sun: Put transportation in voters' hands
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-transportation-20120...
For almost a decade, the Maryland business community has urged the legislature to raise revenue to invest in our state's clogged transportation infrastructure. And for good reason. The Baltimore area is the fifth most traffic-congested in America — and the Washington area is No. 1. As nations like China build high-speed rail and cities from Portland to Dallas expand light rail, Maryland continues to fall behind even in repairing potholes and bridges.

STATE NEWS

CNBC: Infrastructure could limit Bakken drilling
http://www.cnbc.com/id/47040676
Infrastructure challenges in western North Dakota could limit the number of oil and gas drilling rigs in the Bakken system's rich Williston Basin, industry executives said at a conference Thursday. As companies have flocked to tap resources there, heavy equipment has overwhelmed roads while workers have filled up available housing. The problem is more acute in North Dakota than Montana, said Mark Williams, senior vice president of exploration and development at Whiting Petroleum Corp.

Philadelphia Inquirer: Phila. embarks on green stormwater management
http://articles.philly.com/2012-04-11/news/31325352_1_storm-water-untrea...
Philadelphia's $2 billion plan to manage its storm water with green methods - porous pavement, green roofs, and a plethora of trees - got the official nod Tuesday from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson joined Mayor Nutter and other officials at the Fairmount Water Works to sign the agreement for a 25-year plan that has been described as one of the most innovative and ambitious in the nation.

Dredging Today: USA: Officials Support Savannah Harbor Dredging
http://www.dredgingtoday.com/2012/04/12/usa-officials-support-savannah-h...
After 15 years of study, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced that it had released the final documents for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) for review by state and federal agencies and the general public … “The Savannah Port is critical infrastructure as we work to attract new business investment and jobs to the LowCountry of South Carolina. Being prepared to accommodate post panamax ships in Savannah is a job creation game changer for this region.”

Trucker News Service: Tenneessee announces 3-year infrastructure program
http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2012/4/13/Tenneesseeannounces3-ye...
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Commissioner John Schroer Thursday released a three-year transportation program featuring approximately $1.5 billion in infrastructure investments for 96 individual project phases in 55 counties, as well as 10 statewide programs. TDOT is one of only five state DOT’s that does not borrow money to fund projects, and the program continues TDOT’s “pay as you go” philosophy, carrying no debt for any transportation initiatives, Schroer said.