Stakeholders Weighing on Final Water Resources Package
November 03, 2016
As the last remaining standalone infrastructure bill with a chance of becoming law this year, stakeholders for the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016 are beginning to double down on their priorities by weighing in with the leaders charged with reconciling difference in the House passed and Senate passed versions. The House and Senate......
Infrastructure in the News: Transit needs in the spotlight
October 28, 2016
There’s probably no better example in the U.S. of the negative impact that inadequate funding has on our infrastructure than public transit, especially for those who rely on it. The DOT recently announced that 16 transit agencies around the country will receive a share of $14.7 million in grants to support comprehensive planning to improve......
October 20, 2016
Earlier this week, the Center for American Progress(CAP) released a report on U.S. dams, Aging Dams and Clogged Rivers: An Infrastructure Plan for U.S. Waterways. The report makes the economic case for the need to increase investment in our infrastructure, citing ASCE’s Failure to Act economic study that found we’re currently paying about half our......
September 29, 2016
The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5303 the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 late yesterday afternoon by a vote of 399-25. The $11.5 billion bill authorizes over three dozen Army Corps of Engineers flood control, navigation and ecosystem restoration projects and studies across the country. In addition to the base text reported out......
Alabama Looks to Protect Park Revenue through Amendment 2
September 28, 2016
Amendment 2 is a statewide ballot measure that will provide a dedicated source of funding to Alabama’s State Park System. Preventing critical dollars received by the State Parks Fund and the State Parks Revolving Fund, from being diverted to other public accounts will ensure Alabamians have ample resources for the preservation and enhancement of park......
September 20, 2016
Today we added 15 new #GameChangers and two new trends to the repertoire. These projects showcase the power that innovation and investment can have to solve problems and improve our infrastructure. “Rebuilding Stronger” and “Sustainable Solutions” are the new trends we’ve identified that are shaping the way infrastructure is designed, built, and maintained. The projects......
Updates to the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard
August 31, 2016
The Federal Emergency Managed Agency (FEMA) recently released a proposed rule the could transform how the federal government funds infrastructure built in flood prone areas. The draft rule, formally known as Updates to Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands Regulations To Implement Executive Order 13690 and the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard was published for......
Innovations in Infrastructure: Reinventing Travel Convenience
August 19, 2016
According to the Chicago Tribune, Americans spent about $15 billion in fares on public transit in 2014. Public transit use has been steadily growing over the past few decades, with ridership increasing by nearly 39 percent since 1995. Yet, according to a recent article in Forbes, more and more people are losing confidence in public......
New Report Highlights Limitations of National Levee Safety Initiative
August 17, 2016
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a new report surveying the progress the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have made carrying out the National Levee Safety Program. The conclusion: the Agencies “have made little progress in implementing key national levee-safety-related activities required in the Water Resources Reform and Development......
National Conference of State Legislatures Legislative Summit Talks Infrastructure
August 11, 2016
This week the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) held its annual Legislative Summit in Chicago. Approximately 5,000 state legislators, legislative staffers, federal officials and others gathered to gain invaluable knowledge from experts and fellow legislators to take back to their respective states. Attendees participated in an array of policy-producing committee meetings, issue forums and deep-dive sessions, including on......