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ARTBA Continues Push for Transportation in Party Platforms

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Senate Introduces Bipartisan Coal Ash Legislation

Both the House and Senate adjourned last week for a recess that will carry through both parties’ political conventions (August 27-30 in Tampa, Fla., for the GOP and September 3-6 in Charlotte, N.C., for Democrats) and last until September 10. As such, both parties are developing their political message for the last few months of campaigning before November and are

August 10 Deadline: Contractor Safety & Roadway Work Zone Safety Awards

The deadline for receiving the discounted $192 hotel room rate at the 2012 ARTBA National Convention in Memphis, Tenn. ends Aug. 10.

The Peabody Memphis Hotel is a magnificent Forbes Four-Star, AAA Four-Diamond, historic property, which has been described as “legendary, charming, elegant and grand.”

In addition to top-notch speakers and networking opportunities, this year’s convention features a spectacular program of

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

events for spouses of ARTBA members. Spouses will have the opportunity to tour “Blues City,” learn about its past, and visit important cultural landmarks, such as the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, and Sun Studio and Stax Museum, where legends such as Elvis Presley, B.B. King and Tom Petty made music history. The program also includes a historical tour along the Mississippi River aboard the newly-refurbished Island Queen.

Attendees and their spouses will also have the opportunity to visit Graceland, the home of Elvis.

The full program is available at www.artbanationalconvention.org.

Contact ARTBA’s Ed Tarrant for information, or call the Peabody Memphis Hotel at 901.529.4000 to book your room. Reservations made after August 10 will be on a space-available basis.

Room Discount for ARTBA National Convention Ends This Week

A bipartisan group of 12 Republican and 12 Democratic senators introduced August 2 the “Coal Ash Recycling and Oversight Act” to prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating coal ash—used extensively in transportation construction projects—as a “hazardous substance.” The legislation, introduced by Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.) builds upon a

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Upcoming EventsVisit our Events Page for more information.

National ConventionSeptember 11–14 Memphis, Tenn. [Add to Calendar]

LōTrans Virtual Conference & Innovation ShowcaseSeptember 18 - 20[Add to Calendar]

P3s in Transportation ConferenceOctober 10–12 Washington, D.C. [Add to Calendar]

4th Annual Construction Law & Regulatory ForumOctober 24-25Washington, D.C.

Western Regional MeetingNovember 27-28San Francisco, Calif.[Add to Calendar]

Central Regional MeetingNovember 29-30Chicago, Ill.[Add to Calendar]

Southern Regional MeetingDecember 3-4Atlanta, Ga. [Add to Calendar]

Northeastern Regional MeetingDecember 5-6Boston, Mass. [Add to Calendar]

2012

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Bipartisan Coal Ash Bill

Check out this brief video celebrating innovation in transportation design and construction. Please join us in congratulating the winners of ARTBA’s 2012 “TransOvation Awards.”

2011 ARTBA-supported effort in both the House and Senate which resulted in House passage of similar language. A comparable proposal was approved by amendment to the chamber’s surface transportation bill, but the measure was dropped during final MAP-21 negotiations.

A 2011 ARTBA study found that a “hazardous material” designation of coal ash by the EPA would add $104.6 billion in increased costs to the transportation construction industry over the next 20 years. Testifying before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform July 19 ARTBA Chairman Paul Yarossi warned Congress that such increases in material costs could threaten jobs and negate any potential cost savings that would develop as a result of policy reforms passed in MAP-21. Copies of all of ARTBA’s material on the issue of coal ash regulation can be found in the “regulatory advocacy” section of www.artba.org.

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Products & Services

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ARTBA Continues Push for Transportation in Party Platforms

Connect with Industry Leaders: Advertise in ARTBA’s Digital Buyers Guide

Promote your firm’s products and services before a wide audience of material suppliers, manufacturers, design firms and contractors.

Contact ARTBA’s Peter Embrey for more information.

creating a vision of how each would govern if given the responsibility at the ballot box. ARTBA is urging both the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to focus on the link between America’s transportation infrastructure and its economic competitiveness, and to reinforce the importance of a strong federal role in improving the nation’s transportation network. To that end, ARTBA President & CEO Pete Ruane July 30 went before

leaders of the RNC’s Policy Platform Committee to advocate on behalf of policies that will enhance investment in all modes of transportation and build upon important policy reforms achieved in the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” (MAP-21), enacted July 6.

ARTBA is working with the DNC to initiate a similar meeting and will continue to work with both parties. ARTBA will keep you apprised of any developments.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST

JULY/AUGUST ISSUE OF

“TRANSPORTATION BUILDER” MAGAZINE

July-August 2012 TransportationBuilder 1

builder® July-August 2012

Special Report: ARTBA Analysis

MAP-21

2012 ARTBA National Convention Sponsors

Special thanks are due to all current sponsors of the 2012 ARTBA National Convention. If you would like to join the impressive roster of sponsors below, contact ARTBA’s Ed Tarrant at 202.289.4434.

MEMPHIS BLUES

• Tennessee Road Builders Association

PLATINUM

• AECOM • Association of Equipment

Manufacturers • Caterpillar• HCSS • HNTB Corporation• Lockton• Parsons Brinckerhoff• Scott Insurance • Skanska

GOLD

• DGLF CPA’s and Business Advisors• J.D. Abrams, L.P.• Liberty Mutual Surety• Marsh USA Inc. • Oldcastle Materials, Inc.• Stowers Machinery Corporation• Wright Brothers Construction Co., Inc.

SILVER

• Corman Construction, Inc.• Heritage Construction & Materials

BRONZE

• Ammann & Whitney• Astec Industries, Inc.• Gannett Fleming, Inc.• Granite Construction Company• HDR Engineering Inc.• H.W. Lochner, Inc.• Kleinfelder, Inc.• Lanford Brothers Co., Inc.• Michael Baker, Jr., Inc.• Trinity Highway Products• Wirtgen America

*Sponsors current as of August 3, 2012.

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Overheard

“ ”

TRB Newsletter: Aug. 1 Highlighting new research, technologies, industry best practices and information resources available to the transportation design and construction industry.

A service of ARTBA’s multi-modal councils, it features current transportation developments making news across all modes and regions. Contact: Sara Jones to become a subscriber.

Fostering Innovation

MultimodalNews

Industry NewsLegislative & Regulatory News

“As governor, I aim to make Georgia the No. 1 place in the nation to do business and improving our transportation infrastructure is a major part of that effort. Yesterday’s vote wasn’t an end of the discussion; it’s a transition point. We have much to do, and I’ll work with state and local officials to direct our limited resources to the most important projects.”

Governor of Georgia Nathan Deal (R) reacting to the defeat of his state’s transportation sales tax referendum on July 31.

“I’m here to stick out my chin and take the loss, to accept the loss…but to ask in a respectful way that we really do sit down and not wait six or eight or 10 years but work on it right away. Because the future belongs to those who figure it out…We’re going to have to have politics of cooperation if we’re going to meet these big challenges.”

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed (D) on the defeat of Georgia’s transportation sales tax referendum July 31.

Highway/Bridge Construction Fell in June

Data released August 3 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics finds employment in highway and bridge-specific construction fell 2.8 percent in June 2012 compared to the same month a year ago. Overall employment in the broader construction industry showed little change in July as the sector’s unemployment rate was 12.3 percent. U.S. employers added 163,000 jobs to the economy in July, the best in five months, but the national unemployment rate ticked up to 8.3 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s monthly jobs report. While documented infrastructure needs continue to tick up nationwide, the latest analysis from ARTBA Chief Economist Alison Black finds that the construction market will remain essentially flat, based on status quo federal investment levels.

Most Georgia Counties Reject Transportation Sales Tax

Voters in nine of Georgia’s 12 special transportation districts voted July 31 to reject a proposed one-cent sales tax increase that would have raised approximately $18 billion over 10 years if passed statewide. Each district controlled their own fate and the three districts that approved the sales tax will be able to collect revenues and reap the benefits with improvements to local roads. Revenues will not be shared across regions.

The referendum was backed by an $8 million dollar “Untie

Atlanta” public relations campaign and was supported publicly by both Governor Nathan Deal (R), Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed (D), as well as the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and several corporations. Acknowledging the continued need to address transportation challenges, Governor Deal issued a statement explaining the outcome’s impact on the state’s ability to add infrastructure in a timely fashion and vowed to move forward with the resources available.

Opponents of the referendum, including the Georgia Tea Party, Sierra Club, and Georgia NAACP, claimed the planned transportation improvements would have cost too much, done little to relieve the region’s notorious traffic congestion, invested too little in public transit, and sought too little input from stakeholders. Some backers of the referendum are vowing to make another push in the remaining nine districts, perhaps with a new set of proposed projects.

White House Recognizes “Transportation Innovators”

Fourteen individuals and organizations were named “Transportation Innovators” during a July 30 White House event as part of the Obama Administration’s ongoing “Champion’s for Change” program, which seeks to recognize “ordinary Americans” in various industries who are making innovative contributions to their profession and community.

Those selected as transportation honorees provided “exemplary leadership in the growth and expansion of the transportation industry at the local, state or regional level” and were invited to the White House to share their personal stories. The group included state and local transportation officials, private-sector executives, community service volunteers and non-profit organizations. View the full list.

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ARTBA News

Contractor Safety & Roadway Work Zone Safety Awards Deadline August 10

CONTRACTOR SAFETY AWARDS:The “Contractor Safety Award” is open to all ARTBA members in the Contractors Division and recognizes industry firms that have implemented outstanding employee health and safety programs. Successful applicants will demonstrate a low “OSHA Recordable Rate” as measured against benchmark statistics established by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in three categories based on number of employee hours worked during the previous year: 1,000,001 or more employee hours; 500,001 – 1,000,000 employee hours; and 500,000 or less employee hours.

ROADWAY WORK ZONE SAFETY AWARENESS AWARDS:The “Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness Award” is open to all individuals and organizations and recognizes employee and public outreach campaigns, training programs and innovations in technology that demonstrate excellence in promoting safety in roadway construction zones.

Awards will be presented September 12 at a lunch during the ARTBA National Convention in Memphis, Tenn.

Questions? Contact ARTBA’s Holly DiGangi at (202) 289-4434 or visit www.artbatdf.org.

Connaughton Confirmed for ARTBA P3 Conference

Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton will be among the leading public officials and industry executives taking part in the 24th annual ARTBA Public-Private Partnerships (P3) in Transportation Conference. The conference annually brings together hundreds of project owners and bidders from around the world. Whether you’re a contractor, investor, consultant, engineer, or entrepreneur, you won’t want to miss this valuable opportunity to hear the latest

updates and network with key decision-makers.

Register for the October 10-12 event at www.artbap3.org. A special hotel room rate of $289 is available at the conference venue, the Renaissance Downtown Washington, D.C., Hotel, through September 19. Reserve your room today!

9th Annual “Through the Lens”: Transportation Design & Construction in Pictures

Share your company’s best photos!

The editorial staff of ARTBA’s “Transportation Builder” (TB) magazine is planning its annual special section in the September-October issue

featuring outstanding photos of transportation infrastructure projects from across the nation.

Send photographs of your company’s best bridge projects via email to ARTBA’s Jenny Ragone. Submissions must be received by Thursday, September 12. Here are the entry guidelines: • Maximum of two photos

per member company. • Electronic images should

be at least 300 DPI and saved in either tif or jpeg format. Do not send ZIP files or images over 10MB.

• Be sure to include captions detailing the name of the project and its location, photographer’s name,

and submitting company in entries.

TB editorial staff will make final decisions on photos to be included.

Photo credit: Parsons Brinckerhoff

October 10 -12, 2012Renaissance Downtown Washington, D.C. Hotel

The ARTBA P3 Conference is the private infrastructure investment community’s premier opportunity to connect with hundreds of key decision makers, project sponsors, private sector finance execu-tives, consortium leaders and officials from all levels of government.

For more information, contact ARTBA P3 Division Manager Hank Webster at hwebster@artba.org or 202.289.4434.

24th Annual P3s in Transportation Conference

Re g i s te r : w w w. a r t b a p 3 . o rg