°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â responded to a new report from the Treasury Department detailing underinvestment in transportation, noting that failure to repair aging roads and bridges and expand transportation capacity is costing tens of thousands of jobs.
 The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently released new reporting requirements for recipients of federal financial assistance, including grants and loans, in compliance with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act.Included in the rules is a requirement that recipients report the total compensation of its five most highly compensated individuals. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â contacted the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to clarify that this requirement does not apply to contractors working on contracts funded through the federal-aid highway program. FHWA’s General Counsel has verified that these requirements do not apply.
Don't miss the excellent array of speakers and sessions planned for the 2010 Highway and Utility Contractors Issues Meeting scheduled for November 11-13, 2010 at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. This popular resort facility is tightly booked in November and °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â's room block may not be available after the October 19, 2010 deadline. Make your hotel reservations today by calling 1-800-950-0086 or 602-955-6600 and request the Associated General Contractors of America room rate of $189/night, plus taxes (NO RESORT FEE). Register for the meeting by following this link.The meeting schedule is:Thursday November 11, 201012:30- 5:00 PM Ritchie Brothers Golf Tournament5:30- 7:00 PM Golf Tournament ReceptionFriday November 12, 20107:00 AM - 4:30 PM Highway and Utilities Contractor Issues Meeting Session I6:00- 7:00 PM Issues Meeting ReceptionSaturday November 13, 20107:00 AM - Noon Highway and Utilities Contractor Issues Meeting Session IISpeakers will address the following:• Election 2010: How Will the Midterm Election Results Impact Your Market, Taxes And Business Operations• Using Social Media to Sell Your Company or Your Project• CM at Risk- Panel Discussion on Owner and Contractor Perspectives• Outreach and Mentoring with DBE Subcontractors• Overcoming Impediments to Sharing Electronic Data for Automated Machine Guidance• Implementing FHWA's Every Day Counts Initiative• Update on CARB Rule• State of the Water/Wastewater Industry• Federal Regulation of State Damage Prevention Programs - Proposed Rule from PHMSA• Increasing Efficiency in Joint Highway and Utilities Projects• Case studies Using BIM on Transportation and Utility Projects• New OSHA Regulations on Cranes and DerricksDon't delay. Make the call today.
EPA has drafted a model rule on anti-idling for non-road diesel equipment.  Several Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states are reported to be actively considering adopting it once it becomes final, and it could eventually be adopted in other locations. As drafted, the model rule would limit idling of construction equipment to no more than three (3) consecutive minutes, with limited exceptions.°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â will submit comments on this draft rule in advance of the SEPTEMBER 30 DEADLINE. Please email Leah Pilconis at pilconisl@agc.org this week with your thoughts and concerns regarding the Model Rule.The draft model rule was written by the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) Mobile Source Committee, which includes representatives for the OTC states, EPA Regional Offices and EPA headquarters. The OTC is a multi-state organization created under the Clean Air Act that is responsible for advising EPA on transport issues and for developing and implementing regional solutions to the ground-level ozone problem in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Approximately 15 states and dozens of local counties already have laws that restrict the amount of time that vehicles/equipment can idle their main engines (see current list of state and local laws).
Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez has released his "Every Day Counts" initiative that identifies steps that can be undertaken to shorten the amount of time it typically takes to deliver highway construction projects from conception to completion. The steps include improvements in the planning, permitting and construction phases as well as technology deployment to decrease project delivery time. FHWA has scheduled a series of 10 summits around the country for October to garner the support of the DOTs and construction industry for this initiative.
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â wrote to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) this week expressing opposition to the use of government mandated Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). The letter was instigated by guidance sent by FHWA to state DOTs pointing out that PLAs would be approved on federal-aid highway projects if states meet certain conditions which were spelled out in the document. FHWA took this action in response to President Obama's Executive Order directing Federal agencies to look at using PLAs on federally funded construction projects. FHWA reported that it has approved PLAs on six projects thus far, 5 in Illinois and 1 in New York.
Since President Obama's surprise announcement on Labor Day calling for $50 billion in transportation investment °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â has been attempting to get further details. In meetings this week with top DOT officials and discussions with key Congressional staff there remains a great deal of uncertainty. Congress will be returning from its summer recess next week and will presumably meet with Administration officials to decide if the time to move forward is now or later. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â will continue to meet with key senators and representatives to discuss this proposal and to press the need to move forward now with a six year bill.
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â, as part of the Transportation Construction Coalition and Americans for Transportation Mobility, pushed for passage of the long-delayed highway and transportation bill Wednesday in Des Moines.
In response to the Obama Administration's proposal for new transportation investment, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â today noted that countless thousands of construction workers will have a better chance of retaining their jobs, but that the most effective sequel to the stimulus is passage of a fully funded six-year surface transportation bill.