380,000 Jobs Now in Jeopardy Because Congress Fails To Rescue America’s Transportation Account
Geologic Hazards
Congress Passes FY 2018 Omnibus With Record Funding of Geoscience Agencies
The American Geosciences Institute has an interesting article on the recently passed Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 which provides record funding for geoscience agencies. This includes a $63M or 6% increase for the USGS compared […]
Standards and Codes
AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications – 2008 Interims Released
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) just released the 2008 interims for the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, Customary U.S. Units, 4th Edition. These specifications govern the design of foundations for federal and state highway projects. As soon as we find out if there are any significant changes with respect to bridge foundations or retaining walls, we’ll let you know.
Press Releases
States Forced to Delay Millions of Dollars in Highway Contracts
[UPDATE 9/11/08] Yesterday the senate broke through their deadlock and approved $8 Billion to restore the solvency of the highway trust fund. Very good news indeed. [/UPDATE]
[Editor] From American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials, released September 9, 2008. Contact: Tony Dorsey 202-624-3690 [/Editor]
States have put the brakes on millions of dollars of highway construction projects and are scrambling to substitute scarce state funds for the federal funds that have been cut off due to the crisis in the Highway Trust Fund.
“States are suspending new contract awards, halting right-of-way acquisition and looking for ways to stop on-going construction while maintaining public safety,” said AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley. “It is truly a crisis that Congress must resolve immediately. Every day the federal IOUs are piling up and the states’ financial hole gets deeper.”
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters announced on Friday that the federal government would slow down reimbursements to the states, and would likely be able to make only partial payments beginning next week, due to insufficient funds in the Highway Trust Fund. She has urged Congress to enact by the end of the week an $8 billion transfer from the General Fund to preserve the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. Action is pending in the Senate.
More than a dozen states have detailed the impacts of the federal default on state programs, either in news releases or via media reports. Those impacts are available on the AASHTO website www.transportation.org or at the following links: [Editor] Read on for the rest of the press release. [/Editor]