John LattaRoadbuildingWyoming Circles the WagonsThe trend is now firmly established. It’s real. State DOTs are not simply considering ways to get by with insufficient funds but making practical decisions that change the way they do their jobs. This today from the Laramie, Wyo., Boomerang: “Essentially, we don’t have the ability to keep the pavements from deteriorating, so we are […]June 22, 2011RoadbuildingFederal legislation for state road repair standards?U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today has introduced legislation he hopes will become the Preservation and Renewal of Federal-Aid Highways Act. It would, he says: Require the Secretary of Transportation to establish “state of good repair standards” for the various classes of federal-aid highways to serve […]June 20, 2011RoadbuildingChina builds up and builds fastIn the transportation infrastructure industry we know that China is outspending and outbuilding us, making future trade competitiveness a scary nothing to consider. But how about this simple single sentence to help us put just how far we are falling into perspective: A new skyscraper is built every five days in China and by 2016 […]June 8, 2011RoadbuildingN.J. and privatizing state road maintenanceIt’s the sort of thing that has to happen in this economic age. As state DOTs find their funding cupboards increasingly bare they will have no choice but to try revenue-raising strategies that have mostly just been the subject of talk or studies. The New Jersey DOT is reportedly ready to use private companies to […]June 6, 2011RoadbuildingFinancial DistrictRecent survey suggests ‘hunkering down’ may be the best planning strategy for a while.June 4, 2011Roadbuilding50 ways to run and fund a transportation programPick one. There must be 50 ways to do it. There are. And a new report lays them out in detail, describing how states govern and finance their transportation programs. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Center for Excellence in Project Finance at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials […]June 1, 2011RoadbuildingTCC Day Two: Heating up moreReal pressure cooker in Washington at the ARTBA Federal Issues Program and the TCC Fly-In. One of those cases where a series of factors collide. The numbers are bad, the Congress is sitting on its assumptions and apparently making precious little progress on a new surface transportation bill, transportation infrastructure work is about the same […]May 24, 2011RoadbuildingContractors want infrastructure changes in D.C.Nothing fancy here folks. Coinciding with the TCC Fly-In’s increasing the pressure on Congress to get to Reauthorizatioin, Associated General Contractors call for some serious changes in the way the Feds handle infrastructure. I’m rushing and in and our of meetings so no editing here, I’m just pasting in the AGC press release from this […]May 23, 2011RoadbuildingTCC Fly-In: Increase the Pressure!TCC-Fly-In and ARTBA Federal issues program just getting underway. Should be a dandy. I’ll be Tweeting and updating this blog. There used to be a star on television who asked his audience to “keep those cards and letters rolling in folks.” These next three days, Monday-Wednesday May 23-25, I would ask you to do just […]May 23, 2011RoadbuildingTCC Fly-In UpcomingTime to make some noise. The Transportation Construction Coalition Fly-In and ARTBA Federal Issues Program start Monday 23rd. I’ll be there and I’ll be Tweeting. This is one of those events that could give this industry a major boost (Oh, and don’t forget the Rally for Roads on the 25th. See my previous posting). A […]May 20, 2011Previous PagePage 29 of 43Next PageTop StoriesTelehandlersBobcat Unveils Electric Telehandler PrototypeThe new zero-emissions machine is powered by liquid-cooled batteries and has a rated operating capacity of 5,511 pounds.Safety & ComplianceContractor Faces $394K in Fines After Worker Dies in TrenchWheel LoadersLiebherr Debuts World's First Large Wheel Loader with a Hydrogen EngineDozersHyundai Breaks into the Dozer Market with HD100The DirtTest Run & Review: The Market's First Electric Mini Excavator, JCB’s 19C-1E