News for Transportation
Initiative 976 cuts transportation dollars across the state
AGC is opposing Initiative 976, popularly known as Tim Eyman’s $30 car tabs initiative. Among AGC’s many concerns about the measure is its elimination of Transportation Benefit Districts, mechanisms that local governments use to fund road projects.
Posted on: 09/20/2019
AGC Board votes to oppose Initiative 976
AGC’s Board of Trustees voted Monday to oppose Initiative 976, which would eliminate billions in transportation spending. AGC’s’ Government Affairs Committee had previously met to discuss the initiative and to make an “oppose” recommendation to the Board.
Posted on: 09/10/2019
WSDOT: State transportation system “on a glidepath to failure”
At a Sept. 19 meeting of the Joint Transportation Committee, WSDOT Deputy Secretary Keith Metcalf told legislators, “Our state transportation system is on a glidepath to failure."
Posted on: 09/20/2019
Max Kuney calls for highway trust-fund fix
Senate hearing begins FAST Act reauthorization effort
Posted on: 07/12/2019
Pierce Transit to hold open house for GC/CM project
Pierce Transit is holding an open house on August 13, requesting industry comments on its upcoming Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in the 14.4-mile Pacific Avenue/State Route 7 Corridor from Downtown to Tacoma Dome Station to Spanaway.
Posted on: 07/11/2019
Transportation budget: $10 billion for two years, no new major package
Lawmakers adopted a $9.8 billion transportation budget for the 2019-20 biennium. The two year budget provides additional investments for a new 144-car hybrid electric ferry, conversion of an existing ferry, and terminal improvements.
Posted on: 04/30/2019
Congrats to the 2019 Excellence in Contract Administration award winners
Last week, winners of the annual Partnership for Excellence in Contract Administration Awards, co-sponsored by AGCW and WSDOT, were announced at the WSDOT/AGC annual meeting.
Posted on: 01/15/2019
2019 infrastructure report-card rollout, Jan. 16
The new Washington State Infrastructure Report Card will be coming out in January.
Posted on: 12/21/2018
City of Tukwila issues bridge-restriction advisory
The City of Tukwila Department of Public Works is advising the motoring public that the weight restriction for the 42nd Avenue South bridge over the Duwamish River will be reduced for Single Hauling Vehicles (SHVs) with 6 and 7 axles.
Posted on: 11/14/2018
"Hours-of-service" rules don’t work for construction
AGC of America organized a meeting with the administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the agency’s top management team to discuss the need for a construction-industry exemption from hours-of-service (HOS) restrictions.
Posted on: 11/06/2018
AGC opposes PSCAA fuel proposal
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is considering a regional low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS), and AGC is opposed. AGC is joining a coalition of business, agriculture and labor groups in requesting that PSCAA drop its proposal.
Posted on: 11/06/2018
PSRC announces $6.4-billion transportation plan
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) recently unveiled a $6.4-billion draft regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), with 377 projects underway in the region through 2022.
Posted on: 09/20/2018
Bullet train between Vancouver and Portland?
The prospect of the Pacific Northwest’s largest cities being connected by a train capable of traveling 250 mph or faster received a nudge from the State Legislature as the recently enacted supplemental transportation budget included up to $1.2 million toward a business-case analysis for a high-speed rail line between Vancouver, BC, Seattle and Portland.
Posted on: 03/28/2018
President unveils $200 billion infrastructure plan
On Monday, President Trump unveiled his $200 billion “Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America.”
Posted on: 02/12/2018
MidMountain, Scarsella, KLB, KRCI, West win WSDOT/AGC awards
WSDOT and AGC announced the 2017 Partnership for Excellence in Contract Administration Award winners during the AGC/WSDOT 2018 annual meeting.
Posted on: 01/16/2018
New in 2018: Pay-per-mile pilot study
After several years of study, the Washington State Transportation Commission will test a pay-per-mile tax system called a road usage charge beginning in early 2018. A road usage charge asks drivers to pay for the miles they drive in Washington, rather than by the gallons of gas they use.
Posted on: 12/14/2017
WSDOT proposes 19% DBE goal on FHA-funded projects
WSDOT is proposing a 19 percent overall DBE participation goal on Federal Highway Administration-funded projects for federal fiscal years 2018 through 2020. WSDOT will submit the proposal to FHWA early next year following a public comment period.
Posted on: 11/01/2017
Apply now for AGC/WSDOT Excellence in Contract Administration awards
The awards, presented annually at the AGC/WSDOT annual meeting, recognize and encourage extraordinary achievements by the contractor/WSDOT partnership responsible for delivering transportation projects in a timely, professional and responsive manner while also considering the needs of others who are affected by the project.
Posted on: 07/31/2017
WSDOT using Maximum Funds Available specifications for a few projects
WSDOT has announced that a few projects to be advertised by the end of this year will carry Maximum Funds Available specifications. For these projects bids will be rejected if the bid amounts exceed the specified maximum funds available.
Posted on: 06/05/2017
Transportation budget passes but no agreement yet on operating and capital budgets
While deals on the state’s operating and capital budgets remain elusive, the Legislature has passed the 2017-2019 transportation budget, and on May 16 Gov. Inslee signed it.
Posted on: 05/23/2017
Put down the cell phone when distracted driver law takes effect July 23
Gov. Inslee signed a new distracted-driving law and accelerated its implementation to July 23. The bill as passed by the Legislature had an effective date of Jan. 1, 2019 as sponsors wanted to give police and drivers time to prepare.
Posted on: 05/23/2017
President Trump’s infrastructure plan requires a viable statutory framework
Although we live in a politically-divided nation, there is one issue on which there seems widespread agreement: our country requires a massive upgrade to its infrastructure.
Posted on: 04/24/2017
WSDOT Design-Build report notes progress, recommends improvements
WSDOT is doing many things well when implementing design/build projects but could take steps to improve, according to a recently-completed report prepared for the State’s Joint Transportation Committee (JTC).
Posted on: 11/29/2016
WSDOT proposes mandatory small-business and vet-owned subcontracting goals
WSDOT recently aired a proposal to have fixed small business and Veteran business enforceable contract goals on all solely state funded projects.
Posted on: 09/19/2016
Eyman’s new tack to cut transportation funding
Tim Eyman has filed a whopping 126 initiatives this year, many of which would gut transportation funding.