ACEC/CT Update

Joan McDonald Named NYS DOT Commissioner

Joan McDonald who served in the Rell administration as Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, has been appointed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as his Transportation Commissioner.

Gubernatorial Debate Online

The recent Gubernatorial Debate that was sponsored by the Stamford Chamber of Commerce, Greenwich Chamber of Commerce and KEEP CT MOVING is available for viewing and download. Click here.

 

 Select: “Stamford Chamber of Commerce, Greenwich Chamber of Commerce and KEEP CT MOVING debate with 2010 Candidates for Governor”

 

You can toggle (under the screen) to 1:08 into the program to view the candidate’s responses to the transportation question.

 

Again, we would like to thank Jack Condlin of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce for organizing the very successful event. Thanks to Don Shubert of CCIA for the link.

Gubernatorial Debate in Stamford

Five candidates, both Democrats and Republicans, particiapted in a debate sponsored by the Stamford Chamber of Commerce and Keep CT Moving of which ACEC/CT is a member. Transportation was the highlighted topic of discussion. Click here for CT Post article on the debate.

Infrastructure Investments

Article by Steve Loranger, Chairman, President and CEO of ITT Corp.

Transportation Infrastructure Backlog

The $3 billion backlog in transportation infrastructure improvements needed to keep Connecticut moving was the subject of a Hartford Business Journal article today. Click here.

Pelosi Refuses to Call New Spending Another Stimulus Package - Roll Call

Pelosi said among the items discussed were a host of extensions to expiring provisions in the earlier stimulus bill including a housing tax credit and unemployment insurance, “an array” of programs offered by House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.), a push for more infrastructure spending by House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.), and new tax breaks for businesses.

via www.rollcall.com

It appears that Speaker Pelosi may push House Transportation Committee Chair Oberstar's reauthorization bill this session as a stimulus measure.

CT Receives Transit Stimulus Funds

Connecticut will receive $7 million in ARRA funds to purchase hybrid buses and fuel cells. ConnDOT will use the funds to purchase diesel-electric hybrid transit buses and stationary fuel cells for use in Connecticut’s statewide bus system. The grant will fund the additional cost of a purchasing hybrid buses compared with the cost of purchasing a conventional bus. It would also fund the installation of stationary fuel cells to provide primary and emergency back-up power for the bus maintenance and storage facilities. A leader in the fuel cell industry, the state of Connecticut is home to several companies that manufacture fuel cells that could benefit from this funding.

Solar Road

Popsci.com reports on a grant to develop a prototype solar panel roadway. Sounds kind of cool but what happens when the road is shaded by all those cars?

NTSB Calls for Better QA for Bridges

The National Transportation Safety Board has released its recommendations as a result of their investigation of the collapse of the interstate bridge in Minneapolis, MN last summer. Check out the ENR story.  Their recommendations include better inspections and better quality assurance of bridge designs.

Mass Governor Proposes Breakup of Turnpike Authority

The Boston Globe reports that Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has proposed breaking up the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and giving their assets within Rt 128 to the Massachusetts Port Authority and the remainder to the Highway Department. Details on who will assume the debt and other budget issues would have to be worked out. Leaders in the legislature seem skeptical. The real question is, "What would this mean for maintaining and building the transportation system in the state?" As we've seen in Connecticut, Governors are prone to recommend organizational changes when faced with larger systemic problems within the state's transportation system.