House Approves Bill to Fund Corps of Engineers in FY 2014
July 15, 2013
The House approved a bill late last Wednesday that would fund the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works programs for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill, (H.R. 2609), calls for spending a total of $4.899 billion for Civil Works for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2013. It includes $1.573 billion for construction, $23 million......
July 12, 2013
It’s been a rough couple weeks in state capitols for infrastructure advocates as four states – Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington – are struggling to enact major transportation funding proposals. Particularly disappointing is that in each state seems so close to the finish line. In Texas, the high profile filibuster over abortion legislation during a......
July 11, 2013
…..On Tuesday, electrical transmission and distribution experts gathered for what they termed “Electric Transmission 101”. Emphasized in the presentations were the system limitations faced by our electrical grid, as well as issues regarding generation, transmission, and supply. Currently, our electrical grid is lacking in many areas. It is inadequate to connect rich sources of renewable......
U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Water Council Is Looking For Every Drop
July 03, 2013
We joined the US Conference of Mayors last week to promote our 2013 Report Card, and being in sunny, dry Las Vegas, water was top of mind for many of the mayors in attendance. Besides being confident that their water is the best tasting in the nation, mayors at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Water......
45 Cities Join to Launch Resilient Communities for America Initiative
July 02, 2013
Last week, the National Press Club hosted the launch of the Resilient Communities for America campaign. Forty-five mayors and county leaders have signed the agreement, pledging to invest to make towns and communities more resilient in the wake of increasingly severe weather. Mayors of many prominent cities such as Denver, San Diego, Washington, D.C., Sacramento,......
July 01, 2013
I recently caught this article from The Atlantic, The Devastating Impact of 30 Years of Sprawl, As Seen From Space. Pretty crazy stuff, huh? Sprawl is one of those things that happen so gradually it is hard to notice in your day-to-day life. This article shows the use of GIF’s just what is happening not......
Oklahoma Infrastructure Business and Policy Leaders Come Together
June 28, 2013
Today, June 28th, co-chair of Building America’s Future and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell joined Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, ASCE and the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce to praise efforts at the state and local level in addressing infrastructure challenges. At the policy forum in Oklahoma City, Rendell and Cornett noted that while leadership......
Phoenix Joins Cities Nationwide Trying Out Bike Share Programs
June 18, 2013
On June 5th, the Phoenix City Council awarded a contract to CycleHop, LLC, to manage the city’s new bike share program that is expected to be rolled out by December 2013. This announcement comes shortly after New York City implemented its own bike sharing program, known as Citi Bike. New York has spread 6,000 bikes......
The Little Program that Could — If Funded
June 11, 2013
The House Science Committee was quick to take notice of the tragedy that took place in Oklahoma and responded by calling a hearing on less than a week’s notice to review federal efforts to reduce the impacts of windstorms. In addition to the tornado outbreak, the hearing focused on a small government program, the National......
How WRDA Can Reduce Risks and Costs of Future Floods
June 06, 2013
In a Monday briefing, representatives from the Association of State Floodplain Managers, National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies, and the Nature Conservancy gathered to discuss the opportunities in the proposed WRDA bill to reduce flood risks and the potential damages from flood disasters. The nation’s dam and levee system is characterized by low......