infra us 1

OFF THE RAILSUnion Pacifi c CEO James Young on the risks

of neglecting the freight system (Page 34)

BREAKING POINTCritical infrastructure on the brink (Page 90)

www.americainfra.com • Q3 2009

RIP OFFIs Obama's stimulus plan a bold vision for the future, or just a costly retread of the New Deal? (Page 28)

us infra COVER.indd 1 15/6/09 12:00:57

SPRINT AD 108-109.indd 108 12/6/09 12:02:01

SPRINT AD 108-109.indd 109 12/6/09 12:02:09

SIEMENS AD P2.indd 2 12/6/09 12:01:35

There are certain things in life that are

hard to get excited about. Take buy-

ing a new refrigerator or washing ma-

chine. These unglamorous items are

so ubiquitous that any effort ex-

pended on them seems like a chore. But when

your milk becomes cottage cheese overnight

and your clothes start developing mildew, you

quickly sit up and take notice.

Our relationship with infrastructure is simi-

larly vexed. How often do people think about the

effort required to construct and maintain road

systems, or generate power and transmit it to

our homes? Generally the only time it registers

is when things go wrong; a power outage that

means we miss the game on TV, or a traffic jam

that makes us late for work.

It really shouldn’t be that way. The story of

infrastructure is the story of America’s growing

maturity as a nation. It is impossible to overes-

timate the impact the Los Angeles Aqueduct had

on California’s development into the economic

The new generation of sensor-packed smart

bridges not only provide early alerts to structur-

al problems, they can also de-ice themselves in

bad weather conditions and reduce the number

of accidents. Intelligent road systems can dy-

namically manage congestion to keep traffic

moving, meaning that the average person

spends less time in jams each year. Increased in-

vestment in transmission infrastructure for al-

ternative power could lower household power

costs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Just as it did in the past, infrastructure de-

velopment still has the power to reshape the na-

tion. It’s up to the industry to communicate this

in terms the general public can understand. n

Huw Thomas Editor

powerhouse we see today. The rail and highway

systems that connected coast to coast dramati-

cally shortened journey times, allowing people

and goods to move around the country with

comparative ease. Power infrastructure brought

light and energy to even the most remote

homes, giving Americans the ability to take life-

changing appliances like refrigerators for grant-

ed. Throughout US history, improvements in

infrastructure have inexorably contributed to a

rising quality of life and a greater level of eco-

nomic success.

But the subject of infrastructure still fails to

engage large swathes of the population, despite

clear reminders of why it matters. The impact of

Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans levees

and the I-35W Bridge collapse in Minneapolis

are just two examples of infrastructure getting

interesting for all the wrong reasons. But it

should be possible to make a case based on the

benefits infra can bring, rather than the harm it

might do.

Why is the value of infrastructuredevelopment so often overlooked?

Editor’s note3

“We’ll put people to workrepairing crumbling roads,bridges, and schools byeliminating the backlog of well-planned, worthy and neededinfrastructure projects.”President Obama (page 28)

“US railroads move 30 percentof the entire nation’s grainharvest – enough wheat toprovide every man, woman andchild with a fresh loaf of breadsix days a week.”James Young, CEO UnionPacific (page 34)

People want to move around alittle differently, so we’re goingto get back to some of thetransit initiatives that, in thepast, have been put on theback burner.”Kirk Steudle, Director ofMichigan DOT (page 40)

A life less ordinary

ED NOTE USI:jun09 15/06/2009 16:31 Page 3

28

40

Report cardIn light of a damning assessmentof America’s infrastructure, wespeak to the director ofMichigan’s Department ofTransportation, Kirk Steudle, tofind out what the state is nowdoing to make good

Contents4

34

Freight train bluesThe freight rail industryhas long played acrucial role insupporting the USeconomy. But in today’stight markets thatrelationship is hangingin the balance

90Situation: CriticalFrom collapsed bridges toleaking dams, Americaninfrastructure is facing realdecline. Matt Buttell investigatesreal life problems for America’sroads, bridges and transit lines,and asks, “What’s next?”

History lessonsPresident Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Actpromises a major boost for infrastructure funding. But does it go farenough and what can the response to an earlier crisis tell us aboutthe likely outcome?

CONTENTS USI:june09 15/06/2009 13:32 Page 4

INTERGRAPH AD P5.indd 5 12/6/09 15:57:37

44 On trackFostering communication to address the key

challenges of railroad infrastructure. By Dr.

Francis Mulvey

48 Red, white and greenThe federal government has a major role to

play in making America more energy efficient

and environmentally responsible

50 Mind the gapThere is widespread concern that the country’s

bridges are on their last legs. US Infrastructure

assesses the situation and looks to the future

54 Underground successHow the ARC Mass Transit Tunnel will shake

things up in New York and New Jersey. By

Stephen Dilts

58 Go with the flowAs one of America’s busiest cities, New York is

engaged in a constant struggle with traffic. US

Infrastructure examines its current plans and

how congestion charging schemes from around

the world might point the way forward

62 Time for changeScott Belcher explains why the new adminis-

tration needs to invest in technology if it is to

truly bolster our nation’s transportation infra-

structure system

66 Spend and receiveLeslie Blakey explains the need for strategic

investment in the transportation system

70 Freight liftingInvesting in rail infrastructure is vital for the

continued health of the nation

74 A new focus The road to 2009 surface transportation autho-

rization. By Dave Bauer

EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

52 Wim D’Hooghe, OTN Systems56 Ron Gant, Bentley Systems106 Tanya Lin, Sprint118 Tim Fuller, PlantCML

134

50

120

Denise Bode

Vint Cerf

Mind the gap

ASK THE EXPERT

42 Dennis Bennett, AlphaTechnologies Ltd. 72 Patrick Hofstadler, PlasserAmerican Corporation84 James Andrews, BASFCorporation130 Jim Christian, Timmons Group

Contents6

S I L V E R S P O N S O R


BIKELID AD P7.indd 7 12/6/09 11:55:06

76 The road aheadWorking toward economic recovery with speed

and watchfulness

78 The golden ticketAn increased focus on public transport can pro-

vide big wins across the board, says William

Millar

80 Paving the wayHow asphalt breakthrough technologies can

lower greenhouse gas emissions.

86 Skills matterWhy the American Institute of Contractors

Certification Program is good for business. By

David Crawford

96 Emergency careUrgent action is needed if the crisis in US infra-

structure is not to infect the entire nation, says

Wayne Klotz

102 Access all areasDisability evacuation planning is a key infrastruc-

ture component, says James Shannon, President

of the National Fire Protection Association

104 Speaking the same language A strategic plan for interoperable emergency

communications

110 State of emergencyThe Association of Public Safety

Communications Officials’ Bob Smith details

the technological and human challenges facing

emergency responders

114 Tough talkHow The Infrastructure Security Partnership is

driving the move from protection to resilience

120 Transmission propositionAmerican Wind Energy Association CEO Denise

Bode offers the case for new transmission in-

frastructure

102

136 Project Focus: At Home138 Project Focus: Away140 In review143 Crisis or opportunity?144 Final Word: Jay Stinson,Intergraph Corporation

IN THE BACK

124 “Where goods cross borders,armies don’t”By Dawn Christof Champney

126 The hit listHow water utilities are applying a top 10 of ef-

fective utility management ‘Attributes’

132 The geomatics/surveying gapBy Curt Sumner

134 Cerf’s upIn an exclusive interview, Vint Cerf explains

why information infrastructure reform is just as

important as physical gains

NEXT BIG THING

46 Michael Ostrom, Mygistics

Eastern grip

Access all areas

Contents8

70 Freight lifting

86

Skills matter

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

100 Michael Troiano, Advanced FireSystems, Inc.122 Klaus Müller, Grundfos


BENTLEY AD P9.indd 9 12/6/09 11:54:28

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Director of Projects ADAM BURNS

Editorial Director HARLAN DAVIS

Worldwide Sales Director OLIVER SMART

Editor HUW THOMASManaging Editor BEN THOMPSON

Associate Editor MATTHEW BUTTELL

Deputy Editors NATALIE BRANDWEINER, REBECCA GOOZEE, DIANA

MILNE, JULIAN ROGERS, MARIE SHIELDS

Creative Director ANDREW HOBSON

Design Directors ZÖE BRAZIL, SARAH WILMOTT

Associate Design Directors MICHAEL HALL, CRYSTAL MATHER,

CLIFF NEWMAN

Assistant Designer ÉLISE GILBERT

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A Controlled, Professional & Focused EnvironmentThe NGU Summit is an opportunity to debate, benchmark and learn from other industry leaders. It is a C-level event reserved for 100 participants that includes expert workshops, facilitated roundtables, peer-to-peer networking, and coordinated technology meetings.

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ENSCO AD P11.indd 11 12/6/09 11:56:37

FrontlineTHE BRIEF12

GROUNDEDZERO

solve the disagreement causing

delays in rebuilding at Ground

Zero. According to re-

ports, developer

Larry Silverstein

and top officials

of the Port

Authority of New

York and New

Jersey, who own the

site’s land, are barely

talking to one another. Reports

also suggest that the reason

AT THE END OF MAY, the New

York Times reported of a further

impasse between the de-

veloper and the owner

of the World Trade

Center site. The ar-

ticle stated that

New York Mayor

Michael Bloomberg

had invited the ‘big

players’ to Gracie

Mansion, where complicated

negations were to be held to re-

Theauthority’sboardhasalready

authorized

tohelpwithSilverstein’sfinancing

$800 million

Work to rebuildthe site of the

World TradeCenter has been

plagued withcontroversy for the

last eight years.

UPFRONT INFRA US (P12-19):nov08 15/6/09 12:19 Page 12

FrontlineTHE BRIEF 13

Port Authority now cannot keep

those payments. The Port

Authority is also refusing to use

‘publicmoney’ to ensure a com-

pleted rebuild.

Finally, the letter argues

that Silverstein is not asking the

Port Authority formoney, but in-

stead is asking the agency to

guarantee its financing. This will

help Silverstein Properties to

obtain construction loans that

the firmwill then be obligated to

repay, all at the risk of losing in-

vested interest in the build-

ings. Meanwhile, says the

letter, the Port Authority will

be allowed to keep the

billions it has al-

ready received

from Silverstein

and collect bil-

lions more in rent

for the coming

decades. Lieber also

notes that this strategy al-

lows the Port Authority to

honor its commitment—made

many times since 9/11— to re-

build Lower Manhattan.

Nonetheless, whichever re-

port ismore accurate, the truth

remains that almost eight years

since the 9/11 terrorist attacks,

Ground Zero is still littlemore

than a construction site. For the

large part, rebuildingwork only

began throughout 2008 and –

aside from the already complet-

ed 7World Trade Center tower

– completion for much of the

site isn’t expected until 2013,

meaning much of it is likely to

miss the 10 year anniversary of

the attacks.

It is curious to consider

then, that while in 1880 it only

took two years to build the Eiffel

Tower by hand, America’smod-

ern infrastructure seems inca-

pable of rebuilding Ground Zero

either on time or on budget.

maintain andmanage the

bridges, tunnels, ports, termi-

nals and airports in themetro-

politan area; themain argument

being that while everyone

wants the Ground Zeromemori-

al (and other structures) com-

pleted, they should not come at

the expense of the authority’s

primarymission.

However, just over aweek

after this story ran, theNew

York Times published a letter

addressed to the editor, signed

by Janno Lieber, President of the

World Trade Center Properties.

Lieber is responsible for

managing the

Silverstein organi-

zation’s efforts to

rebuild the site.

In his letter he ar-

gues that, con-

trary to the

article’s assertion,

the Port Authority’s abili-

ty to complete thememorial is

not in anyway dependent on

Silverstein Properties. “There is

zero physical connectivity be-

tween Silverstein’s towers, to be

located on the east side of

Greenwich Street, and the

memorial, which the Port

Authority is building entirely to

thewest of the street,” the let-

ter read.

Secondly, argued Lieber, it

was the Port Authority – not

Silverstein –who initiated a

renegotiation of the 2006

agreement, after admitting that

it is years behind on its commit-

ments to complete critical site

infrastructure. In fact, according

to Lieber, since 9/11, the Port

Authority has received $2.75

billion out of Silverstein’s re-

building fund, based on assur-

ances it would deliver its

rebuilding projects on time,

and, having failed to do so, the

behind the latest fall-out is due

to Silverstein’s desire to reopen

a 2006 building agreementwith

the authority, citing delays and

theweakness in the economy.

TheNew York Timeswent

on to argue that as the authori-

ty’s board has already autho-

rized over $800million to help

with Silverstein’s financing, the

Mayor and his dealmakers

should not drain anymore of the

funds the authority needs to

The Portauthority has

recieved

out of Silverstein’srebuild fund

$2.75 billion

RENDER of the rebuiltWorldTrade Center

CONSTRUCTION continues at the site

WORK IN PROGRESS

THECOMPLETED7WorldTradeCenterTower


AROUND THE BLOC

Thecountriesof the former

SovietBloc facehugechallenges

in thenext 10years if theyare to

avoid theworst ravagesof cli-

mate change, theWorldBank

warnedback inMay.According

to theWorldBank,nations from

Poland toKazakhstan, fromthe

ArcticCircle to theCaucasus,

face the likelihoodofmore fre-

quentfloods,droughts, heat

waves, stormsand forestfires.

What’smore,decrepit infrastruc-

tureand the legaciesofSoviet

mismanagementhave left them

massivelyunder-equipped for

copingwith the threat.

Responding to climate change

meansbeingable todrawona

plethoraof resources, including

economic,humanandenviron-

mental issues.But the former

EasternBloc countriesarepoor,

have lowawarenessof climate

changeandsuffer frompoor

housingandother infrastructural

issues thatwill bebadlyexposed

toextremeweather conditions.

TUNNELLING DOWN

In Canada, it hasbeen72 years

since the concept of anunder-

water tunnel connecting the

mainland to theToronto Islands

wasunceremoniously sunk, but

a newproposal from theToronto

Port Authority (TPA) could see

the tunnel finally happen.

In June, theTPAasked formil-

lionsof the federal govern-

ment’s stimulusmoney tobuild

a 120-metre pedestrian tunnel

from thebaseofBathurst Street

to theTorontoCity Centre

Airport terminal,whiskingpeo-

ple onmovingwalkways27me-

ters underground.

However, at this time, the cur-

rent proposal is nomoreor less

thanan idea. It is not currently

part of thePort Authority's capi-

talworksplan, andwasonly

addedbelatedly to awish list for

stimulusmoney.

BUILDING LESSONS

Colleges in Englandwith build-

ing projects on hold because of

a funding fiasco will have to wait

even longer than anticipated for

a decision onwhen they will be

funded. The Learning and Skills

Council (LSC) had been due to

announce which projects were

beingmade a priority this week,

but the funding body has written

to college leaders saying they

will now hear ‘later this month’

[June] if their bids for funds have

been successful.

College leaders described the

further delay as ‘unhelpful’, as

projects at 144 colleges were put

on hold after the LSC ran out of

money. Many colleges complain

they have been left ‘in limbo’,

having invested time andmoney

in getting their schemes ready,

some institutions alreadymov-

ing students to temporary build-

ings in readiness for work to

begin, but the schemewas

frozen around Christmastime.

The LSCwas criticized heavily at

the time, and its head, Mark

Haysom, resigned after it be-

came clear the body had ap-

provedmore building projects

than it hadmoney for.

FrontlineINTERNATIONAL NEWS14


EXCUSE MY FRENCH

REPORTSARESHOWINGthat

France is capitalizingoncon-

tracts to rebuild Iraq'sbattered

infrastructure.According to

Newsweekmagazine, the

French,who refused to join the

UnitedStatesandotherallies in

overthrowingSaddam

Hussein’sgovernment, arenow

about to cash inon the rebuilds.

Themagazinereportsthatthe

Frenchhavemorehistoryandex-

periencethantheAmericansin

Iraq,thankstopriorpoliticaland

business linksdatingtothe

SaddamerawhenFrancebuilt

muchoftheinfrastructurethat

nowneedsreplacing.

Thearticle says that French

PresidentNicolasSarkozy is

pushingeveryadvantagehis

countryhas.Among those

doingbigbusiness in Iraqare

Frenchconstructiongiant

Lafarge,whichNewsweek says

alreadyaccounts forone in four

tonsof the concretepoured in

thewar-torn country.

LAW AND DISORDER

In Australia, unions have called

on the federal government to

take immediate action to re-

duce the deaths in the con-

struction industry and reverse

laws that, according to the

Australian Council of Trade

Unions (ACTU), discriminate

against building workers.

According to Jeff Lawrence, sec-

retary of the ACTU, in the four

years since the Howard govern-

ment established the office of

the Australian Building and

Construction Commissioner

(ABCC), it has failed to ade-

quately deal with employers

who break the law or cut cor-

ners on safety.

Unionshavenowvowed to sup-

port aSouthAustralian construc-

tionworker, rigger ArkTribe,who

hasbeen charged for failing to

attendanABCC interviewand re-

fused to tell investigators about

aunionmeetingheldover safety

breaches at anAdelaide con-

struction site. Lawrence said it is

important that the federal gov-

ernment deliver onAustralian

Labor Party policies to abolish

what he refers to as “discrimina-

tory laws”andabandonplans to

retain a separate inspectorate for

buildingworkers.

HOME SWEET HOME

In Abu Dhabi it has been re-

ported that there are plans to

develop another offshore is-

land for housing. Hudayriat

Island, off the south west coast

of Abu Dhabi Island, has been

designated for housing for

Emiratis, according to the Plan

Abu Dhabi 2030.

In addition, Aurecon, an infra-

structure consultancy group, is

conducting a study into trans-

port possibilities for the south-

ern part of the island, the

report said. One option being

considered is a bridge and a

tunnel to connect the southern

side of Hudayriat to themain

island. According to themaster

plan the island will be “signifi-

cantly expanded to the south

and cut through by canals, with

a transition tomangroves

along its outer edges.”

The northern part of Hudayriat

Island will be developed by the

Department of Presidential

Affairs, but at the time of going

to press no details of its plans

were available.

FrontlineINTERNATIONAL NEWS 15


THENATION’SChief

TechnologyOfficerwarned

thismonththatthetechnolo-

gybackboneoftheUnited

Statesneedsamajorover-

haulandthegovernment

can’tdoitalone.

AneeshChoprarecently

deliveredakeynoteaddress

attheConsumerElectronics

Association’sDigital

Downtownevent inNewYork

City. In ithesaidthatwhile

theUSis ‘deadlast’onthe

globalstagewhenitcomesto

thetechnologyinfrastructure,

bandwidthusageisexpected

toincreasefive-foldby2013.

“We’vestoodstillwhile

therestof theworldhas

caughtuporexceededus,”

hesaid.

“Wewantequity,

growth,applicationvalue,we

havemultiplepublicpriori-

ties,andthebulkofcapital in-

vestmentwillbeaprivate

sectorendeavor.”

Asawayofholdinghim-

selfpubliclyaccountable,

Choprasaidheplanstokeep

areportcardthatpeersatthe

WhiteHousewillsignoffon.

Hesaidthattheresultswillbe

postedregularlyonablog.

“It’smyresponsibility toen-

surewedeliver,”Choprasaid.

FrontlineCOMPANY NEWS16

IN MIAMI, construction company KM/Plaza

says that teamwork is the key to success. In

a recent report, company president Brad

Meltzer likened a construction project to an

organism, saying that while it may start out

small it continues to grow and expand: “In

order to culti-

vate the pro-

ject, it takes

a full team ef-

fort and it

takes con-

sistency.

We’ve

learned to

always maintain our

focus and consistency,” he said.

This is certainly the case for one of

KM/Plaza’s most recent projects, TheMarquis,

a 1.2million-square-foot luxury condominium

and hospitality tower inMiami. The project,

which is now completed, stands a staggering

NO ‘I’ IN TEAMWORK

RECOGNITION FOR LEADING SECURITY FIRM

THEUNITEDSTATES

DEPARTMENTOFCOMMERCE

awardedStabiloc, LLCExport

AchievementCertificate for re-

centaccomplishments in the

GlobalMarket.StabilocLLC isa

Michiganbasedcompany,de-

signerandmanufacturerof

911SYS–amanholecoversecu-

ritydevice.

Whilemostpeoplewould

neverconsider thecrucial role

ofunderground infrastructure, it

isactually this infrastructure

that is vital to thesmoothoper-

ationsofmodernsocietyand it

isextremely important to recog-

nize that security in thisarea is

paramount.As recentasApril

2009,aprominentCalifornian

cityandsurroundingarea fell

victimtoacyber-attack thatdis-

abledsomeof thecity's critical

infrastructure, including local

telecommunication,emergency

andfinancial services. It isap-

parent,nowmore thanever, that

notenoughattention isgiven to

securityofUS infrastructure.

Stabiloc’s911SYS isaper-

manentsolution for criticalun-

derground infrastructure

security; it combinesstabiliza-

tionwithapowerful, unique

lockingmethod.Thesystemis

user friendly, affordable, and,

withproper tooling,allows fast

andeasyaccess toanunder-

groundnetwork. It requiresmin-

imal time for removalor

installation.Theproduct is retro-

fitandwillworkvirtuallywith

anymanholecoverand frame

configurations.Thisallowsown-

ersof the infrastructure tokeep

theirexistingcovers thusmak-

ing thesolutionvery inexpen-

sive.911SYS issizedproperly to

span theenormousdiversityof

available infrastructureconfigu-

rations–onesizefitsall.

Stabiloc,whichhas its

presenceonfivecontinents, is

proud toservegovernmentand

privateagenciesall over the

world.EveryyearSenatorCarl

Levin recognizesMichiganbusi-

nesses forexportsofdomesti-

callymanufacturedgoodsand

openingdoors tonewforeign

marketswithExport

AchievementCertificates.

Stabilocwasselectedasoneof

manycompanies inMichigan

and isveryhonored to receive

thisaward.

TECH

NOLO

GY’S

TOUC

H

708 feet –making it the second-tallest structure

in the South of Florida.

Originally the completion date for The

Marquis was set for May 2009, but, as Meltzer

notes, the company’s greatest success is its

ability to stay ahead of schedule. With project

stakeholders getting together for weekly face-

to-face meetings, ensuring all teammembers

are on the same page,

the building, which

now stands

where a

Howard

Johnson

restaurant

and hotel

once did, was actually

completed a massive three

months early.

ProjectManager Pierre Desmarais

added that the project has been a huge

success. “And I know it’s becausewe under-

stand each other –we’re all on the same page.

We’re a team –we’re TeamMarquis.”

DID YOU KNOW

With

classed as beingin a poor condition,California is theworst state todrive inSource: www.statemaster.com

10,091roads


FrontlineCOMPANY NEWS 17

THE POWER OF TWO

THENORTHTEXAS RAILGROUP (NTRG)was

selected as constructionmanager/general

contractor for a new commuter rail project

being built by the Denton County Transit

Authority (DCTA). TheNTRG is a

team that is led by the joint ven-

ture of Herzog Contracting

Corp (HCC) and Archer

Western Contractors. The

group also includes anHCC

subsidiary, HerzogTransit

Services, Inc. (HTSI). The

RailDCTA Project, to be known as the

‘A-Train’, is a passenger rail service between

Denton and Carrollton in north central Texas.

This segment is the first phase of a project

that will eventually provide a single seat ser-

vice fromDenton to downtownDallas.

Notably for the twoHerzog companies,

they areworking together onanewproject

from thebeginning. HCCwasestablished in

1969andhasbeen in the railroad construction

business since 1970. HTSIwas founded in 1993 to

operate andmaintain passenger rail systems.

While both companies havebeenvery successful

in their respective linesof business, the

Denton countyproject is reallywhat

the founders of HTSI, Bill and Stan

Herzog, envisionedwhen they

were established – the two

companiesworking together to

build, operate andmaintain

newpassenger rail systems.

During thedesignand con-

structionphasesof theproject, HTSI,

as a subcontractor toNTRG,will adviseon theop-

erability andmaintainability of

the system.HTSIwill also as-

sist in the systems integra-

tion, testing andacceptance

andwill ultimatelyman-

age the start-upof

thenewsystem. The

involvement of theoperator andmaintainer in the

early stagesof designand constructionwill en-

sure awell-designed system thatworks from the

outsetwithout costly redesigns and retrofits.

As CMGC andDBOMprojects are growing as

themost efficient deliverymethod for trans-

portation projects, so too is the Herzogs’ vision

of HCC andHTSI working together to create effi-

ciently delivered pas-

senger rail systems.

CMGC andDBOM projects are

growing as the

delivery method oftransportation

projects

mostefficient



A WAY TO GO IN FARGO

BRACE FOR IMPACT

INAHEARINGheldby the

NationalTransportationSafety

Boardabout theUSAirwaysemer-

gency landing, largeconcerns re-

gardingsafetyproceduresand

protocolhascometo light.

According to reports,moments

beforesteeringUSAirwaysFlight

1549 into theHudsonRiver,

CaptainChesleyB. “Sully”

Sullenberger IIIwarned

thecabin to ‘Brace

for impact’.

However, it ap-

pears that there

are largeeduca-

tionalgaps re-

gardingwhat

exactly ‘brace for im-

pact’means,assomepas-

sengersadmit to ‘sort-ofbracing’

andsimply trying tostaycalm.

The three-daypublichearing

on theHudson incident,held in

June, revealedsomeproblems

withsafetyequipmentandproce-

dures, including this confusion

overhowpassengersshouldpre-

pare for impact.

The jetlinerwas equipped

with flotation vests, slides next

to itswings and four life rafts,

two ofwhich becameunusable

after the plane’s fuselage frac-

tured on impact, allowingwater

to cover the rear exits.

Billy Campbell, a passenger

on the flight, testified that after

the plane landed in the Hudson,

water began pouring through the

‘seams’of his window. He even-

tually found an exit near the

cockpit. But, when he boarded

the raft – the last passenger to do

so – it was still tethered to the

sinking plane. The pouch that

held the cutting device

was never located

because the raft

was so crowded

and it wasn't

until a ferryboat

rescuer tossed

Sullenberger a

knife that the raft

lineswere cut free.

Many passengers, the testi-

mony also showed, did not take

flotation deviceswith themwhen

they left the plane, although crew

members and some passengers

gathered life vests and tossed

themout to the evacuees.

In fact, further reports show

that Flight 1549was lucky to

have rafts and life vests on

board, because federal regula-

tions require such equipment

only on scheduled extended

over-water flights –which the

route fromNewYork to Charlotte,

NC, was not.

JUNE SAW construction start on

a ninemillion dollar project on

the I-29, just north of Fargo. At

the site, crews are building four

and a half miles of road, bridges

and ramps. According to reports,

the DOT is bringing the elevation

of the area up to the 50-year

flood level. This will keep water

off this part of interstate, which

often floods because of the

Sheyenne breakout and drain

water. In addition to this news,

further changes onMain Avenue

inWest Fargo also started this

month, with crews working on a

temporary bridge and culvert

project.

RAIL SAFETY images of the joint bars and uses

advanced processing algorithms

on the images to detect cracks.

TheJBISprovidesreal timereport-

ing of detected cracks during the

inspection, allowing the mainte-

nance crews to perform the track

maintenancemoreefficiently.

ENSCO is the only company

to offer a high-speed optical

joint bar inspection system and

has seen the demand for this

technology quickly increase. Six

of the Class 1 railroads use this

technology to augment their

joint inspection processes and

the system has been used by

these railroads to repair sec-

tions of track that have had high

rates of defective joint bars for

an extended period of time. The

technology is also being used

quarterly to ensure new cracks

in bars are identified and re-

moved immediately.

IN 2006, the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA) reported

that broken joint bars are a sig-

nificant cause ofmain line derail-

ments in North America. To

decrease the number of derail-

ments due to broken joint bars,

ENSCO worked in partnership

with the FRA Office of Research

and Development to develop the

Joint Bar Inspection Systems

(JBIS), a machine vision joint bar

inspection system.

Utilized by commercial rail-

roads and the FRA, ENSCO’s sys-

tems locate and identify hairline

cracks in jointbarsatspeedsupto

65MPH. This is a significant im-

provement inefficiencyover tradi-

tional walking inspections and

more accurate than visual inspec-

tion of bars from a hi-rail vehicle.

The JBIS automated machine vi-

sion technology for inspecting rail

joint bars can be installed on a hi-

railer or a track inspection car

where it captures high-resolution

ENSCO, Inc. provides engineering, science andadvanced technology solutions for thedefense, security, transportation, environment,and aerospace industries. For moreinformation please visit www.ensco.com/rail

DID YOU KNOW

There are a total of

bridges in the state of New York,that’s compared to just one instates including Georgia, NorthDakota and Massachusetts

Source: www.statemaster.com

30 toll bridges

Furtherreports show that

was lucky to haverafts and life vests

on board

Flight 1549



THE THREEMENwhowere killed in

Austin, Texas, this month when part of

a scaffold collapsed and plunged them sev-

eral stories, have been revealed as immi-

grant construction workers with friends

and families in Latin America. The incident

has since raised safety concerns for immi-

grant workers. Constructionon thebuilding

hasnowbeenscaledback.Meanwhile, the

OccupationalSafetyandHealth

Administration,alongwith theAustinpolice

departmentare investigating thedeaths.

While theprojectdevelopersaid thecollapse

wasnothingmore thanan“unfortunateacci-

dent,” it remainsunclearwhether thecol-

lapsewasasa resultof faultyequipment.

SAFETY ISSUES

GOING DIGITAL

GOVERNMENTAGENCIESmi-

gratingtodigital technologyfor

their radiocommunicationshave

foundthatachievingasmooth

andeconomically responsible

transitioncanbechallenging.

Agenciesoftenwishtoretain

theircurrentanalogequipment

while introducingdigitalequip-

ment,oftentocertaindepart-

mentsorusergroups.Thatway,

missioncriticaluserscangainthe

additionalcoverage,audioquali-

tyandfeaturesofdigital technol-

ogywhileotherscontinueto

operateontheanalogsystem.

Thisallowsforamigrationpath

thatmeets theagency’sneedfor

newtechnologyatapacethat

alsomeets theirbudget.

Kenwooddesigned the

NEXEDGE full lineofmobiles,

portablesand infrastructureso

organizationscanchart theirown

transition todigital –at theirown

pace.NEXEDGEmakes the tran-

sitionbothaffordableandversa-

tile, soanalog technologycan

continue tobedeployedandthe

move todigital requiresonlymini-

mal changes in theagency radio

system– insome instancesonly

programming is required.The

NEXEDGEproduct line includes

theNX-300/300portables, theNX-

700/800mobilesand theNXR-

700/800baseunits, all

incorporatingadvanced technolo-

gyspecificallydesigned for the re-

quirementsof critical

infrastructure.Most crucially for

themandated transition tonarrow-

bandby2013,NEXEDGEsystems

arecapableof25and12kHzana-

logoperation,andcanalsooper-

ate in 12.5and6.25kHzNXDN

digitalmodes.

NEXEDGEoffers digital

trunking for faster andmore effi-

cient calling capabilities, another

requirement of critical infrastruc-

ture use, and enhanced capacity

allowing for user expansion plus

higher levels of security than ana-

log systems. Potential compati-

bility issues are solved because

NEXEDGEworkswith both FM

conventional and LTR trunking for

existing analog fleets andNXDN

digital for newadvanced fleets.

ITmanagementhasenthusi-

asticallyadoptedNEXEDGEbe-

causethedigitaltrunkedsystems

arecapableofmulti-siteIPnet-

workingtolinkupto16trunked

sitesforwideareacallingandauto-

roamingcapabilities.NEXEDGEin-

corporatesamulti-siteflash

option,enablingthecreationofaf-

fordablyscalablenetworksoverex-

istingITassets,privatemicrowave,

spread-spectrumlinksorcarrier

bandwidthusingoff-the-shelf

10/100Base-TEthernetswitches

androuters.

TheNEXEDGEuniqueOver-

the-AirAliasprovidesCaller ID

without subscriberpre-program-

ming.NEXEDGEoffersGroup

Call, Individualprivate call, four

prioritymonitor IDs, emergency,

encryption, status/textmessag-

ingandGPS locationwithvoice.

NEXEDGE includespremiumop-

erationssuchas choiceof trans-

mission/message trunkingper

site, group/unit/ESNvalidation,

lateentryandprioritizedcall

queuingwithpre-emption.

For more information please visitwww.kenwoodusa.com

AMERICA’SMost CongestedCities

HEAVY TRAFFIC

32

54

1

87

109

6

Los Angeles

New York

Chicago

Dallas

Washington

Houston

San Francisco

Boston

Seattle

Minneapolis

100%

87%

48%

39%

36%

34%

33%

27%

24%

22%

*COMPAREDTOWORST(LA) Source: Inrix

%CONGESTION*CITY



PAYING THE PRICE

IMPROVING STRUCTURALMEASUREMENTS

For months, railroad customers

have been arguing that big rail

companies have been unjustly

raising prices, and are pushing

for the new Congress to reinsti-

tute tighter regulations on the

industry.

The accusation is that rail-

roads have been spiking prices

for almost as long as

trains have operat-

ed; however,

the debate in-

tensified in

the past few

years as rail

companies

finally started

posting big prof-

its after decades of

declining volumes and flat or

falling rates.

It was back in 2004 when

railroad companies first gained

a measure of pricing power,

when the economy rebounded

and demand for rail services

exceeded capacity. In re-

sponse, railroads began raising

prices and in many ways were

literally shocked by their suc-

cess.

What’s more, despite the

economy lagging in the past year

or so and freight volumes declin-

ing, most railroads have been

able to keepmakingmoney and

the results have been fueled by

industry consolidation, improved

operating performance and

the greater fuel effi-

ciency of trains over

trucks.

However,

higher rates also

have played

their role. In fact,

over the first three

quarters of 2008, the

biggest rail companies

raised prices a total of six per-

cent on average, not including

fuel surcharges. That rise com-

pares with a drop in the cost of

sending goods by truck and ship,

and some rail customers have

seen their rates increase by

much steeper levels, leading to

much annoyance and continued

frustration.

Over thefirst three quarters of2008, the biggest rail

companies raised pricesa total of

on average6%

DID YOU KNOW?

Source: www.statemaster.com

Texas has the most public and privateuse airports in America, with a total of1415 The new data acquisition

module, AVW200

AC excitation, the new method

takes advantage of a built-in

spectrum analyzer that uses

spectral interpolation instead

of the traditional pulse-timing

approach. It samples the re-

turned signal, performs an FFT

(fast Fourier transform) to dis-

criminate between spectral

components, and then identi-

fies and measures the resonant

frequency of the sensor. This

means that even in noisy envi-

ronments the sensor’s resonant

frequency can be identified and

accurately measured.

Along with improved noise

immunity, the newmethod pro-

vides other important benefits. It

provides better measurement

resolution (improving from 0.01

Hz to 0.001 Hz) as well as diag-

nostic information about the

measured frequency. This diag-

nostic information includes the

signal-to-noise ratio, amplitude

of the dominant frequency, and

an optional spectrum showing all

of the frequency components.

The AVW200 was designed

for use with Campbell Scientific

dataloggers. Its low power con-

sumption and rugged design

match the durability and long-

term stability of vibrating-wire

sensors. Wireless versions are

also available, allowing for re-

mote deployment separate from

the datalogger.

CAMPBELL SCIENTIFIC has de-

veloped a new data acquisition

module, the AVW200 that is sig-

nificantly improving vibrating-

wire measurements in the field.

Vibrating-wire technology is

used in many sensors, including

strain gauges, pressure trans-

ducers, piezometers, tiltmeters,

crack meters, and load cells.

These sensors benefit a wide va-

riety of structural applications,

such as bridge monitoring and

testing because of their stability,

accuracy and durability.

While vibrating-wire sen-

sors have their benefits, they

suffer from one major problem –

external noise. Because measur-

ing these sensors involves low-

level, audio-band signals,

external electromagnetic noise

can interfere and make it diffi-

cult to determine the resonant

frequency of the sensor. If the

external noise is bad enough, it

can render data useless. The

new module applies a new

method for measuring the sen-

sor’s frequency. The traditional

method uses a time-domain ap-

proach. The natural or resonant

frequency at which the wire is

oscillating is determined by ex-

citing the wire with an AC excita-

tion, stopping the excitation,

and then measuring time be-

tween response pulses.

In addition to refining the

UPFRONT INFRA US (P20-27) :nov08 15/6/09 13:28 Page 20

CAMPBELL SCI AD P21.indd 21 12/6/09 11:55:31


REVOLUTIONARY DUTCH TECHNOLOGY TOCONTROL ALGAE WITH ULTRASOUND

CONTROLLING ALGAE and

biofilm is now possible with-

out chemicals or harming the

environment with the use of

the LG Sonic technology.

These highly reliable, effi-

cient and safe systems have

been found and developed by

the Dutch company LG Sound

after two years of cooperation

with several European univer-

sities in a $2.1 million project.

The LG Sonic technology con-

trols algae, biofilm and some

types of bacteria by sending

ultrasonic sound waves of

several specific frequencies

into the water, which control

the algae by resonance and

sound pressure.

More then 8000 LG Sonic

devices have been installed in

48 countries worldwide.

Furthermore, the LG Sonic

technology has proven its ef-

fectiveness in many different

applications and has installa-

tions in cooling towers, waste-

water treatment plants, fish

farms, water storage, drinking

water, natural lakes and

ponds, rivers, harbours, mari-

nas, koi ponds and natural

swimming pools.

The LG Sonic products are

available in different ranges,

all with a low power con-

sumption between seven and

16W and are capable to oper-

ate on solar power, 220 and

110 Volts. One unit can treat

water reservoirs up to 600 feet

(186m) in length. Multiple

units for any size you require.

The certified scientists work-

ing for LG Sound can advise on

the ideal water treatment for

every application.

Thanks to constant inno-

vation, broad scientific knowl-

edge and high quality products

LG Sound remains the number

one company in providing

quality ultrasonic products.

For more information please visit www.lgsonic.com

BY THE BOOK

Investment banker Felix Rohatyn,

known for his role in preventing

the bankruptcy of NewYork City

in the 1970s, has just published a

newbook entitledBold

Endeavors: How Our

Government Built America and

Why It Must Rebuild Now. In it,

Rohatyn details how theUSgov-

ernment once spent itsway out

of theGreat Depression, solidify-

ing the countrywithmassive in-

vestments in interstate highways

andmodernizing the land by

bringing electricity to even the

most rural of American homes.

Now, says Rohatyn, the govern-

mentmust do the same thing

again if they are to outpace the

current economic recession.

In the book’smost relevant

chapter, Rohatyn tells the story

of the Reconstruction Finance

Corp., a precursor of theNew

Deal agencies. The chapter de-

tails how, in 1931, President

Hooverwas confrontedwith

something akin towhatwe're

facing today –where he reluctant-

ly instructed Congress to create

an emergency fund tomake loans

available to private businesses

such as farms, railroads and

banks.

Sound familiar? The

Reconstruction Finance Corp.,

Rohatynwrites, “was the un-

precedented economic tool that

guidedAmerica through the rocky

economic times.” Unfortunately,

not everything in the book feels

relevant to the current crisis and

while Rohatyn’smost compelling

material comes in the epilogue

and author’s note, the book is un-

likely to sway opinion on the cur-

rent economic debate.

That said, the book does

highlight the old adage of learn-

ing from history’s mistakes, and

with the American economy

now firmly in a recession, where

Democrats are saying spend

and Republicans are saying cut

taxes, the book (and history) at

least tells us that the Democrats

might just be thinking along the

right lines.

DAY TRIPPER

Given the tighteconomyandthe

flurried interest in the ideaof the

‘staycation’–avacation,onlyat

home–anewadvertisingcam-

paign is causingastorm inNew

YorkCity.TheNYDOTarepushing

the ideaofhoppingonpublic

transportwithaMetroCard,en-

couragingNewYorkers (andvisi-

tors) thechanceescape for justa

$5 roundtrip.

Among those locationsbeing

toutedas this year’s hotspots in-

clude: City Island, aNewEngland

fishing villagehidden in the

Bronx; Sunset Park, Brooklyn’s

ownCrossroadsof theWorld;

ConferenceHousePark and

RaritanBay, a day-trip ideal for his-

tory buffs locatedat the southern-

most point of Staten Island; and

OrchardBeach, amile-long sandy

crescent on the eastern edgeof

theBronx.

What’sevenbetter is the fact

that theNewYorkMetroalsooffers

reduced-fareMetroCards for riders

over65and for thosewithaquali-

fyingdisability, andkidsunder44

inches tall ride freeonsubwaysand

localbuseswhenaccompaniedby

a fare-payingadult.


LG AD P23.indd 23 12/6/09 11:58:59


The layer of glass that covers

the building’s exterior reflects the

heat of the sun whilst allowing

for natural light.The north-south

orientation of the structure also

helps protect inhabitants from

the glare of the sun.

The personal rapid transit system,

consisting of 3000 electric cars op-

erating on a recyclable lithium-

cadmium battery, will transport

people around the car-free city.

Most of the roadways are housed

in underground tunnels.

Chicago based architects AS+GG

are behind the MASDAR

HEADQUARTERS, currently

under construction in the sands

outside Abu Dhabi, which will be

the world’s first mixed-use,

large-scale positive energy

building. And it will utilize pio-

neering, never-before-seen tech-

nology to get there.

The design takes it

cue from centuries

of indigenous ar-

chitecture, mar-

rying

historically suc-

cessful building

strategies for the

climate with the latest

technology and innovative build-

ing systems – including some

developed especially for the pro-

ject. The design includes numer-

ous systems that will generate a

surplus of the building’s energy,

eliminate carbon emissions and

reduce liquid and solid waste.

The complex will utilize sustain-

able materials and feature inte-

grated wind turbines, outdoor

air quality monitors and one of

the world’s largest building-inte-

grated solar energy arrays.

Compared with typical mixed-

use buildings of the same size,

Masdar HQ will consume 70

percent less water.

“The Masdar Headquarters

will set a new paradigm for the

way buildings are designed,

constructed and inhabited,”

says Gordon Gill, partner at the

firm. “The project repre-

sents the perfect inte-

gration of

architecture and

engineering, re-

sulting in a dy-

namic, inviting

building that out-

performs any other

structure of its type in the

world.”

“As a positive energy com-

plex, the project will have a far-

reaching influence on the

buildings of tomorrow,” adds

AS+GG’s Adrian Smith.

Masdar City will be con-

structed over seven phases and

is due to be completed by 2016.

The headquarters building is

part of phase one and will be

completed by the end of 2010.

DESERT BLOOM

The projectrepresents the

integration ofarchitecture and

engineering

perfect



Narrow, canopied streetsprovide

shadeandfunnelcoolingbreezes,

reducingthe temperature toaman-

ageable20˚C (68˚F).Meanwhile,

thenetworkofsubterraneantun-

nelsserveaspassengerwalkways

to theundergroundtransit system.

At 75,000 square feet, the one-

piece roof –made up of a steel

trellis coveredwith photovoltaic

cells – represents one of the

largest solar arrays in theworld

andwill provide enough power

to build the rest of the building.

Wind towers – one of the build-

ing’s references to traditional

Islamic architecture – exhaust

warm air, help naturally venti-

late the building, and bring

cool air up through the subter-

ranean levels of the city below.

The buildingwill use its own

wastewater to irrigate several

lush gardens situated through-

out the complex. In turn, the

plants and trees help provide

shade, keep the building cool

and absorb carbon dioxide.


FrontlineIN MY VIEW26

Major construction projects are

exciting if you like construction,

but when you see some of the

projects that we undertake – the

Vasco de Gama bridge, for ex-

ample, or the bridge we built re-

cently in Normandy – there is a

certain thrill in doing them. In

terms of the backlog, it’s the

highest it’s ever been.The rea-

son for that I suppose is that we

are a business of choice for cus-

tomers. They’ll come to us be-

cause we are a benchmark for

major project capabilities across

the world.

Some of the most recent

developments that we’ve been

selected to design and con-

struct include the world’s

longest causeway between

Qatar and Bahrain, which repre-

sents 27 miles of road over

water, the longest stretch in the

world. Elsewhere in the Middle

East, we’re also involved in the

building of dams – the Naga

Hammadi dam in Egypt and the

Wadi Dayqah dam in the

Sultanate of Oman. In Russia

we’re working on the contain-

ment structure at Chernobyl; we

have carried out some of the

original building of the sarcoph-

agus, and now we’re building

the complete shelter that will

contain the damaged reactor

over the long-term.We’re also

laying the foundations for the

RussiaTower in Moscow,

planned to be the third-tallest

building in the world.

We als0 take the whole

issue of sharing best practices,

sharing information and net-

working very seriously.We are a

diversified group that carves out

its business through a huge

range of subsidiaries. It’s obvi-

ously important that you can

pass information around and in-

novate effectively, and also that

you communicate those ideas

internally.We recently set up an

innovation program where the

best ideas are brought forward

every two years and highlighted

at a big public ceremony and

put forward for an innovation

prize, to help encourage this

kind of knowledge transfer.

The construction industry is

all about human resources and

it’s the most important compo-

nent of the business. VINCI con-

sists of 158,000 employees, and

in 2008 we recruited 17,000

new ones.We’re one of the

largest employers in the world,

so you can imagine the HR chal-

lenges that come with recruiting

17,000 new employees in a year.

Nonetheless, human resources

and developing people is the

key to our success.

We’ve always been a con-

struction firm, and ‘construc-

tion’ is a term that covers

numerous different areas – it

can mean engineering, it can

mean building, it can mean civil

engineering.We’re involved in

everything.We put up buildings,

we construct bridges, we lay out

transmission systems, we build

utilities, pipelines, and so on.

We do it all.

JOHN STANION, The Chairman andChief Executive of VINCI PLC, theworld’s largest construction firm,offers insight to the key principlesbehind the company success.

This is taken from an article in USInfrastructure’s sister publication, EUInfrastructure. To see a full version, pleasevisit the website www.euinfrastructure.com


Companies in this issue are indexed to the first page of the article in which each is mentioned.

AASHTO 50ABCC 12ACSM 132ACTU 12AFSI 100, 101Airstar 82Alpha Technologies Ltd. 42, 43American Instituteof Architects 86American Institute ofContractors 86APCO 110APTA 78ARTBA 74ASCE 28, 96Association of AmericanRailroads 34, 70Association of MetropolitanWaterAgencies 126Aurecon 12AWEA 120BASF Corporation 84, 85Bentley Systems 9, 56, 57BikeLid Systems 7Bureau of Labor Statistics 34CAGTC 66California Energy Commission 42Campbell Scientific 20, 21, 98Chesterfield County UtilitiesDepartment 126

Chicago Sun Times 90Cisco Systems 12City of Norfolk Department ofUtilities 126City of Salem PublicWorks Department 126ColumbusWaterWorks 126Contra CostaWater District 126Department of HomelandSecurity 104Emerald Insight 69ENSCO, Inc. 11, 18FairfaxWater 126Federal Highways Commission 50FHWA 76Florida Keys AqueductAuthority 126Frost & Sullivan 142General Motors 28Google 134Green BayWater Utility 126Green Building Council 86Grundfos 122, 123Harken-Reidar, Inc. 132Herzog 17House Committee onTransportationand Infrastructure 48Hubner Manufacturing 75Hyundai 87Intergraph Corporation 5, 144, IBC

IST America 62JeffWarner Land Surveying 132Kenwood 19, 112LG Sound 22, 23Los Angeles Department ofWaterand Power 126LSC 12Maccaferri 77MassachusettsWater ResourcesAuthority 126McQuay International 89Michigan DOT 40Mygistics 46, 47Nakheel 138NAPA 80NewYork Times 12NewYork Yankees 12Newport NewsWaterworks 126NFPA 102NJ TRANSIT 54Northern KentuckyWaterDistrict 126NSPS 132NYCDOT 58Office of EmergencyCommunications 104OTN Systems 52, 53PlantCML 118, 119, OBCPlasser AmericanCorporation 72, 73

Port Authority of New York andNew Jersey 12PrinceWilliam County ServiceAuthority 126Quixote TransportationTechnologies 64, 65Siemens BuildingTechnologies 2, 117Silverstein Properties 12SpartanburgWater 126Sprint IFC, 106, 108Stabiloc 16, 115Sundt Corporation 86Surface TransportationBoard 34, 44Swedish Road Administration 60The District of ColumbiaWaterand Sewer Authority 126Timmons Group 130, 131TISP 114Toronto Port Authority 12Tualatin ValleyWater District 126Turner Construction Company 12ULIWorldwide 90Union Pacific 34USACE 66UTA 136World Bank 12WWEMA 124

YankeeStadiumhasbeenhome

to themost successful franchise

in baseball history since 1923.

With 26WorldSeries victories

under their belt, theNewYork

Yankeeshave calledTheBronx

home for some86years, but in

April of this year, after three years

under construction, theYankees

began their inaugural season in

their newstadium.

According toTurner

ConstructionCompany, the con-

structionmanager on theproject,

the 1.5-million-square-foot stadi-

umwill holdmore than50,000

seats andwill retainmanyof the

same iconic features theoriginal

YankeeStadiummade famous.

The roof’s canopywill be ringedwith

the familiar copper frieze similar to

that of theoriginal, and the limestone

exterior of thebuilding alsoharks

back topre-renovationdays.

Other features that remain as

part of thenewYankeeStadiumare

thefielddimensions; soil from the

original park thatwill beusedon the

playing surfaceof thenewfield; and

Monument Park—theYankees’col-

lectionofmonuments andplaques

that honor the franchise’s best play-

ers andpersonnel—whichwill have

apermanent place in center field.

Reports also show that the $1.3

billion stadiumwill have a number of

amenities that sports fans have

come to expect fromnew stadiums.

For instance, theYankeesandCisco

Systemshavepartnered tosetupa

wiring infrastructuresystemcalled

TelePresence.This system,appar-

ently costing theYankeesmore than

$15million,will beused for instant

replaysandconcessions.Roughly

1100flat-panel, high-definition

videomonitorswill give fansaccess

to interactivevideo replaysand the

ability toorder concessions from

their seats.

Other technologically ad-

vanced amenities at Yankee

Stadium include a 16-millimeter-

thick, 59-foot-tall, 101-foot-wide

HD video screen; a full-color LED

ribbon board spanning the length

of the terrace level; and distrib-

uted sound systemoptimizing

speaker placement.

CERF’S UPVint Cerf on why information

infrastructure reform is critical

EMERGENCYCAREWayne Klotz on why urgentaction is needed

DON’T MISS...

66

96

134

COMPANY INDEX Q3 2009

THE NAME OF THE GAME


SPEND ANDRECIEVELeslie Blakey on the need fortactical investment


COVER STORY

HISTORYlessons

OBAMA INFRA PLAN:may09 15/06/2009 14:06 Page 28

29www.americainfra.com

President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment

Act promises a major boost for infrastructure funding.

But does it go far enough and what can the response to an

earlier crisis tell us about the likely outcome?

Huw Thomas investigates.


both modernize the country and reduce unemployment. Using deficit

spending, the New Deal saw the creation of institutions such as the Public

Works Administration and the Civilian Construction Corps, which tackled

the numerous building projects. The New Deal’s lifetime saw the creation

of roads, bridges, dams and other items of infrastructure that remain in use

today. Though exact figures are hard to come by, it is thought that initia-

tive’s programs accounted for about 2.5 percent of GDP for around a

decade.

21st century breakdownToday, the ARRA offers a total of $787 billion to be spent

on everything from tax relief to healthcare to education. It’s

a headline-grabbing figure, particularly in the wake of the

“When you’re in a hole, stop digging.”It’s a piece of advice as old as the hills, and one that will be familiar to any-

one who has had to manage a crisis. However, the events of recent years

have seriously devalued the currency of received wisdom, just as they have

so many other formerly precious assets. In response to the worst economic

conditions the US has witnessed in a generation, President Obama’s new

administration announced the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Providing a huge chunk of government money, a portion of which will be

going to infrastructure, the administration aims to tackle unemployment

and stimulate the economy. Faced with a huge hole in the nation’s finances,

the government is planning to spend its way out of trouble. Splashing the

cash in a period of record deficits might seem counterintuitive at first, but

there are notable precedents.

The last time America faced such grave economic chal-

lenges was during the Great Depression,

when unemployment hit a quarter of all work-

ers and the stock market dropped by 90 per-

cent. Though we have yet to plumb such

depths in the current crisis, there remain a

number of parallels between the thirties and

the noughties. Both situations were precipitat-

ed by colossal failings in the financial sector, with

banks collapsing and personal fortunes being

wiped out. Both had a catastrophic impact on in-

dustry, the administration’s bailout of the ailing

General Motors just the latest example of today’s

troubles. Though unemployment levels have yet

to hit Depression-era lows, the current rate of 9.4

percent is the worst in a quarter of a century.

Given the superficial similarities, it is unsur-

prising that comparisons are being made between

now and 70-odd years ago. It’s also no shock that

Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

is being depicted as a 21st century version of

Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, both by its

supporters and its detractors.

FDR’s New Deal contained a vast package of

programs and initiatives intended to stimulate a

failing economy, from reforms of banking and farm-

ing to massive public works projects designed to

30 www.americainfra.com

Then…Franklin Delano Roosevelt outlines the New Deal’s

National Recovery Administration on 24 July 1933

“It was a vital necessity to restore purchasing power by reducing the

debt and interest charges upon our people, but while we were helping

people to save their credit it was at the same time absolutely essential to

do

something about the physical needs of hundreds of thousands who were

in

dire straits at that very moment. Municipal and State aid were being

stretched to the limit. We appropriated half a billion dollars to supplement

their efforts and in addition, as you know, we have put 300,000 young m

en

into practical and useful work in our forests and to prevent flood and so

il

erosion. The wages they earn are going in greater part to the support of

the nearly one million people who constitute their families.

In this same classification we can properly place the great public works

program running to a total of over Three Billion Dollars – to be used for

highways and ships and flood prevention and inland navigation and

thousands of self-sustaining state and municipal improvements. Two poin

ts

should be made clear in the allotting and administration of these project

s

– first, we are using the utmost care to choose labor creating quick-actin

g,

useful projects, avoiding the smell of the pork barrel; and secondly, we a

re

hoping that at least half of the money will come back to the government

from projects which will pay for themselves over a period of years.

I cannot guarantee the success of this nationwide plan, but the people of

this country can guarantee its success. I have no faith in ‘cure-alls’ but I

believe that we can greatly influence economic forces. I have no sympathy

with the professional economists who insist that things must run their cour

se

and that human agencies can have no influence on economic ills. One reaso

n

is that I happen to know that professional economists have changed their

definition of economic laws every five or 10 years for a very long time, but

I

do have faith, and retain faith, in the strength of common purpose, and in

the strength of unified action taken by the American people.”

“If the figures areanywhere near accurate,then the ARRA is littlemore than a band-aidon a wound thatrequires surgery, at leastfrom an infrastructureperspective”


billions of dollars that have been pumped into the

shattered financial system over recent years.

Infrastructure will get something in the region of

$100 billion of this money, which will be doled out

only to projects that are ‘shovel-ready’ and able to

get moving without delay. This speed of action is

key to providing the immediate stimulus the US so

desperately requires.

There are those who argue that the amount

of money earmarked for infrastructure projects is

insufficient, given the nation’s pressing needs. In

its 2009 Report Card for American Infrastructure,

the American Society of Civil Engineers was

scathing in its assessment. The US, it contends,

is a D student when it comes to the state of its

infrastructure. According to the ASCE, $2.2 tril-

lion dollars needs to be spent over the next five

years to remedy this situation. Even allowing for

the fact that the ASCE would be one of the main

beneficiaries of all this funding, the amount of

clear air between what it says we need and

what the government is proposing to spend is

striking. Taking ARRA money and regular

spending into account, the shortfall is some-

where in the region of $1.1 trillion over the next

half decade. If this is figure is anywhere near

accurate, then the ARRA is little more than a

band-aid on a wound that requires surgery, at

least from an infrastructure perspective.

In addition, the way the money is being

made available has also come in for some

criticism. Dr. Peter Morici, Professor of

Economics at the University of Maryland, be-

lieves the program could have been far more

effective. “I would have spent less than $787

billion, but I would have spent more than

$100 billion on infrastructure,” he says. “I

would have spent something like a couple

of hundred billion a year for four years.”

Morici envisages a system of staggered

payments with strict deadlines; if the

money isn’t spent, it is lost. The pressure to

make use of funds would give local and

state legislatures all the motivation they

would need to get projects moving quickly,

Morici contends. In addition, the way the payments would be structured

would have a far greater long-term impact, both from an economic and in-

frastructure perspective. “If you sent the money down to the mayors and

told them they had until 1 January to spend it, they would spend the

money,” Morici continues. “But you don’t send them $300 billion that way.

You send them $100 billion the first year, $200 billion the second year, and

say this money is use or lose. People will get it done. They’ll learn how to

streamline processes.”

But this need for speed brings problems of its own. A key concern for

critics of the ARRA has been its focus on projects that are shovel-ready.

While getting work under way quickly is vital from the perspective of tack-

ling unemployment and stimulating the economy, for those tasked with ac-

tually carrying out these projects it can present major challenges. With the

stipulation that work be able to get under way within 120 days, there is pre-

cious little time for states to come up with truly ambitious plans. Therefore


…and nowBarack Obama announces the AmericanRecovery and Reinvestment Act on 8 January 2009

“Throughout America’s history, there have been some years thatsimply rolled into the next without much notice or fanfare. Then there arethe years that come along once in a generation – the kind that mark a cleanbreak from a troubled past, and set a new course for our nation. This isone of those years.

We start 2009 in the midst of a crisis unlike any we have seen in ourlifetime – a crisis that has only deepened over the last few weeks.Manufacturing has hit a 28 year low. Many businesses cannot borrow ormake payroll. Many families cannot pay their bills or their mortgage. Manyworkers are watching their life savings disappear. And many, manyAmericans are both anxious and uncertain of what the future will hold. That is why I have moved quickly to work with my economic team andleaders of both parties on an American Recovery and Reinvestment Planthat will immediately jumpstart job creation and long-term growth. It is not just another public works program. It’s a plan that recognizesboth the paradox and the promise of this moment – the fact that there aremillions of Americans trying to find work, even as, all around the country,there is so much work to be done. That’s why we’ll invest in priorities likeenergy and education; health care and a new infrastructure that arenecessary to keep us strong and competitive in the 21st century. That’s whythe overwhelming majority of the jobs created will be in the private sector,while our plan will save the public sector jobs of teachers, cops, firefightersand others who provide vital services.

To build an economy that can lead this future, we will begin to rebuildAmerica. Yes, we’ll put people to work repairing crumbling roads, bridges,and schools by eliminating the backlog of well-planned, worthy and neededinfrastructure projects.

If we are able to look out for one another, and listen to one another,and do our part for our nation and for posterity, then I have no doubt thatyears from now, we will look back on 2009 as one of those years thatmarked another new and hopeful beginning for the United States ofAmerica.”


it, it didn’t have much kick. Also, if you look at the Civilian Conservation

Corps, it was mostly young men from all over, living in tents, eating in cafe-

terias or open-air pavilions and doing fairly hard manual labor for a relatively

tiny amount of money,” Utt continues. “Essentially, what they did get was

room and board and some change to take back. A lot of jobs only lasted

three or four months and then they were back to where they came from.”

In the end, it isn’t so much government action that caused the econo-

my to rebound, but rather the coming of World War II. As mixed blessings

go, it’s pretty huge, but the move to a wartime footing had a dramatic effect

on levels of both employment and economic activity. When the government

began spending heavily on the military and drafting young men in anticipa-

tion of the coming conflict, millions of the previously unemployed found

themselves very much in demand. The sheer number of people required to

drive the war effort went some way towards alleviating the problems of the

much of the ARRA funding will go to projects that were previously over-

looked due to either a lack of cash or a lack of interest. While FDR’s New

Deal money went into remaking America with dams, highways and airports,

Obama’s equivalent could end up paying for works that won’t really create

a huge change in this country. This is not to say that today’s projects are

not necessary. It’s just that repairing roads and patching up crumbling

bridges seems somewhat at odds with the administration’s claims that the

Recovery Act can revolutionize the country in the long term. No innovative

energy project or paradigm-shifting piece of construction is going to be able

to get moving in the narrow window allowed, rendering the ARRA some-

thing of a missed opportunity.

Despite the strict time limits placed upon ARRA infrastructure funding,

fears remain that the wheels of government will grind too slowly for the act

to be truly effective. Ron Utt, Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation,

certainly believes that this system is too cumbersome to provide

quick results. “The money is going to be spent extremely slowly,”

he says. “The new program requires somebody to sit down and

write the regulations as to who’s eligible. How you submit a bid,

what sorts of things are acceptable, what we’re looking for, how

will rewards be granted, and then give everybody a chance to re-

sponse to these. So, three months later the regulations for that

program have finally been written. I’m assuming that state DOTs

and cities will have – let’s say 60 days, to submit their proposals.

Then it’ll probably take another 60 or 90 days to evaluate the pro-

posals and award money.”

Looking backPerhaps efforts to paint President Obama’s Recovery Act as a

modern day equivalent of Roosevelt’s New Deal gloss over the faults

of FDR’s efforts. Many people feel curiously nostalgic about this pe-

riod, when government and population pulled together to struggle

through a time of great hardship. Consequently, there is a danger

that the New Deal’s success can be overstated. True, it left America

with billions of dollars worth of glittering new infrastructure, but its

impact on the economy and the people it was designed to help are

less certain. “The New Deal and the Great Depression have been ac-

tively and avidly debated,” says Utt. “Many skeptics of the program

note that by 1938, 10 years after the beginning of the recession, the

economy was still in terrible shape. This suggests that while the New

Deal became a charming and interesting social and historic event, in

terms of providing meaningful relief to people who were desperate for


Making the gradeThe American Society of Civil Engineer

s’

Report Card for American Infrastructure

2009 makes for some grim reading.

Aviation D

Bridges C

Dams D

Drinking Water D-

Energy D+

Hazardous Waste D

Inland Waterways D-

Levees D-

Public Parks and Recreation C-

Rail C-

Roads D-

Schools D

Solid Waste C+

Transit D

Wastewater D-

GPA D

A_Excellent, B_Good, C_Satisfactory,

D_Poor, F_Failure

“As a result of the huge banklosses and previous governmentbailouts, we have becomeincreasingly blasé about figuresthat seemed almost too big tocomprehend just a few years ago”


Depression, though the war naturally brought plenty

of fresh challenges of it own. It is to be hoped that we

won’t require a global conflagration to dig us out of

our current hole.

Regardless of the strengths and weaknesses of

the administration’s response to the economic crisis,

the stimulus funds do represent a considerable op-

portunity to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure.

As a result of the huge bank losses and previous

government bailouts, we have become increasingly

blasé about figures that seemed almost too big to

comprehend just a few years ago. However you slice

it, $100 billion is a fair chunk of change. Even if it only

allows us to clear the overdue backlog of projects al-

ready on the books, it should help to put us in a po-

sition to invest in truly innovative ideas once the

economic dust has settled. The American Recovery

and Reinvestment Act may not leave a legacy quite

as impressive as that of the New Deal, but perhaps

we should stop worrying about ancient history and

start making our own. n


Despite the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s aims of providing a quick stimulus, certain areas will be receiving their

cash much sooner than others. 2009 will see the lion’s share of the funds going into healthcare and it will be 2012 before the

pendulum swings more towards transportation and infrastructure projects.

Fiscal year 2009 Fiscal year 2012

Composition of state and local recovery act funding

Health Education and training Transportation Income security Community development Energy and environment

Source: US Government Accountablility Office (GAO)

64%18%

8%

6%3% 1%

30%

17%

16%

17%

1%

19%

The Hoover Dam, one of theNew Deal’s biggest projects.

A Q

UIC

K F

IX?



The freight rail industry has long played a crucial role in supporting the USeconomy. But in today’s tight markets the that relationship is hanging in thebalance, as Union Pacific CEO, James Young, explains.

FREIGHTTRAINBLUES

FEATURE

UnionPacific new:may09 15/6/09 13:25 Page 34


It cannot be argued that the American freight rail system provides

nothing short of the most efficient, cost-effective freight rail net-

work in the world. Not only is it vital to the economic health of US

industry, but it also keeps American companies competitive in the

world market. America’s freight rail network is also the safest,

most environmentally friendly and energy efficient mode of sur-

face transportation. And freight railroads have long been considered

the backbone of the US’s transportation network, moving more than 41

percent of the freight ton miles, which is more than any other mode of

transportation.

But what does 41 percent of the freight ton miles mean? Looking

behind the number reveals that US railroads actually move 70 percent

of all automobiles produced in the US; 30 percent of the entire nation’s

grain harvest – enough wheat to

provide every man, woman and

child with a fresh loaf of bread

six days a week; and 70 percent

of the coal in the US, which pro-

vides half the nation’s electricity

needs.

In fact, everything that we

touch in our daily lives – from or-

ange juice, to the clothes we

wear, to toys, bicycles, comput-

ers, DVDs – all have had some

part of their journey on a train.

Over the past 25 years, the

American freight rail system has gone from moving three million trail-

ers and containers a year to more than 12 million a year. It also carries

steel, the wind turbines that create renewable electricity, and chemical

products that are used to make the medicines we take, protect the

water we drink, help grow the food we eat, and produce the products

that make our lives more comfortable. In short, 41 percent of the freight

ton miles means just about anything that touches our lives.

Freight railroads also directly employ approximately 187,000 people,

and the vast majority of these are union jobs. These are good US jobs,

where the average total compensation is roughly $95,000,marking freight

railroads asoneof America’s highest-paying industries. Employees alsopay

for, and are covered by, the Railroad Retirement System, which provides

benefits considerably more generous than those associated with Social

Security. In fact, roughly 550,000 retired railroadworkers and familymem-

bers currently receivemore than $8 billion in retirement and survivor ben-

efits each year.

In addition, all of the large, along with the vast majority of smaller

freight railroads, are privately owned, which means they must build and

maintain their own tracks and rights-of-way. Not only do they own the

tracks, but freight railroads also have to purchase the equipment that op-

erates on these tracks, and they

do this with virtually no govern-

mental assistance. In fact, in

2007, freight railroads paid al-

most $600 million in state and

local property taxes on this same

infrastructureandequipment, and

between 1980 and 2007 freight

railroads invested approximately

$420 billion in both operating ex-

pense and capital investment –

more than 40 cents out of every

revenue dollar – to maintain,

renew and expand track and

equipment. This investment generates billions of dollars in economic ac-

tivity to the rail supplier community andestimations show that for every bil-

lion dollars in increased rail investment, 20,000 jobs are created.

But while during normal economic conditions the freight railroad

network moves enough lumber to build almost three houses every

minute of every day, and enough cement to build 45

miles of new highway every day, these are not nor-

CLASS I RAILROADS

In the US, The Surface Transportation Board (STB) defines

a Class I railroad as ‘having annual carrier operating revenues

of $250 million or more’, after adjustments for inflation, which

are calculated using the Railroad Freight Price Index

developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). According

to data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR), in

2006, Class I railroads had minimum carrier operating

revenues of $346.8 million.

FEELING THE BENEFIT

A closer look at some of the other ways freight railroads

impact the infrastructure industry as a whole

• ALL FREIGHT IS MOVED SAFELY.Nothing is more important to railroads than the safety of its

employees, its customers, and the communities it serves,

and its safety record is unmatched. Between 1980 and 2007,

the last full year for which data is available, railroads have

reduced the overall train accident rate by

71 percent and employee casualties are

down by 80 percent. Today, railroads have

lower employee injury rates than other mode of

transportation and most other major industry groups –

including agriculture, construction, manufacturing and even

some types of retail activity.

BENEFIT

1



mal economic conditions and this is unquestionably affecting how our rail-

road companies are operating.

DownturnIn January 2009, Union Pacific reported earnings for both the fourth

quarter and the full year of 2008. Frankly, it was a good year for the company,

with the firm reporting record returns as well as record

investments. However, UnionPacific didbegin tosee the

impact of the weakening economy in the second half of

the year as rail traffic dropped sharply in the fall. In fact,

in the fourth quarter of 2008, Union Pacific car loadings

dropped by 12 percent and have continued to drop fur-

ther in 2009.

This year will clearly be a year that challenges the

company, its customers, and its employees. During

peak periods, Union Pacific has handled up to 205,000 car loads a week,

and in 2006 and 2007 the company averaged over 190,000 car loads per

week for the entire year. But in January 2009, car loads were below 150,000,

and in prior weeks, the number was much lower. These are numbers that

the company has not seen since the 1990s, and the reduction in car load-

ings cuts across every commodity group Union Pacific carries.

• The two largest railroadsin the US each spent more

to operate, maintain andexpand their

infrastructure than theState of New York did on itsentire highway system.As the nation’s only privately funded

transportation system operating a 140,000-

mile network, railroads require vast amounts

of private investment to meet the large capital

demands necessary to support their

infrastructure. While other modes of transportation rely on

government funding to support their infrastructure, the

railroads ability to facilitate this private investment is a

tremendous asset and benefit to the country.

BENEFIT

2



As a result of such reductions, Union Pacific has also had to

face the arduous task of having to reduce their number of active

employees, and over the last five years, the company has hired

over 27,000 people to accommodate growth and replace retired

workers.

Today, Union Pacific has roughly 3150 employees out on fur-

loughor in a part-timework program.However, themajority of those

furloughedare in aprogramcalledAlternativeWork andTrainingService

(AWTS),whichwas started as amechanism to keepotherwise furloughed,

well-trained employees available to return to service when the company

sees an uptick in demand.

Under the direction of AWTS, employees are guaranteed eight days of

paid service every month, which can be in the form of work or training.

Usually weekends are designated as the paid service days so that both

weekend vacancies are covered and so that those employees in the pro-

gram are able to get another job during the week. Union Pacific also con-

tinues to provide healthcare coverage andpay railroad retirement taxes for

the employees in this program.

Ensuring there is a readily available pool of trained employees –while

expensive – is a deliberate strategy that Union Pacific has undertaken to

ensure the long-termhealth and responsiveness of the company.Wewant

to be ready to meet increased demand for rail transportation should the

economy respond to the current stimulus.

While it isn’t clear what will happen throughout the remainder of 2009,

onething iscertain–UnionPacificwillberequiredtotakethecostcontainment

stepsnecessary to reflect economic reality. If the economygrows, the compa-

nywillmake themuch-needed investments for the future; if not, itwill contain

spending, reducecostsand reducecapital to reflect theweakereconomy.

Supply and demandTo capture all thebenefits that rail canprovide toour economyand soci-

ety, the industrymust continue to invest for the future. A recent Department

ofTransportation (DOT)studyprojects total freight transportationdemandwill

increaseby92percent from2002 to2035,with an88percent increase in de-

mand for rail service during that same period. Other studies concludemuch

of the same. Moreover, a September 2007 study (The National Rail Freight

InfrastructureCapacityand InvestmentStudy) foundthat,by2035,Class I rail-

roadsneed$135billion in investment toexpandtheirnetworkcapacity if they

are to keeppacewithDOT’s forecasteddemand.

This figure equates to over $4.5 billion annually for capacity expansion

for the next 27 years, meaning that that amount will be needed several

times tomaintain and renewexisting infrastructure. However, today, on an

• If just 10 percent of thefreight that moves by highwaymoved by rail instead, the US’sannual fuel savings wouldexceed one billion gallons.Freight that moves by rail instead of truck reduces

greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds per ton mile. The

EPA estimates that for every ton-mile, the typical truck emits

roughly three times more nitrogen oxides and particulates

than a locomotive.

BENEFIT

3

“Over the past 25 years, the Americanfreight rail system has gone frommoving three million trailers andcontainers a year to more than 12million a year”

Continued on page 39



The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency

(CREATE) Program is a first-of-its-kind partnership between US

DOT, the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, Metra, Amtrak, and

the nation's freight railroads. A project of national significance,

CREATE will invest billions in critically needed rail infrastructure

improvements. CREATE will improve the quality of life for

Chicago-area residents and increase the efficiency of freight and

passenger rail service throughout the region.

CREATE represents the first time state and local

governments have partnered with the railroad industry to solve

the problem of auto and rail congestion on such a large scale.

CREATE is also the first project on which so many

competing railroads have come together as partners to increase

the efficiency of an urban rail network. Six of the seven major

railroads operating in North America pass through Chicago and

all six of those railroads are partnered with the CREATE Program.

Why is it needed?Over the next 20 years, demand for freight rail service in

Chicago is expected to nearly double. Railroad infrastructure

in the Chicago area needs updating to meet that demand

efficiently and allow Illinois businesses to take advantage of

the resulting economic opportunities. In meeting new demand

for freight rail services, CREATE will enhance the overall

quality of life in Chicago-area communities by reducing

congestion on area roadways, improving air quality, increasing

IN FOCUS:CHICAGO’S CREATE PROJECT

public safety, limiting noise due to slow-moving and idling

trains and creating jobs.

What’s at stake?If rail capacity and infrastructure issues are not

addressed, studies show the Chicago region will not sustain

17,000 jobs and $2 billion in annual economic production

within two decades. CREATE will protect Illinois jobs, improve

quality of life and ensure businesses in the state and

throughout the nation continue to have access to efficient,

affordable rail shipping services.

But by recognizing the growing urgency of the region's

rail capacity needs, Mayor Richard M. Daley called on the

federal Surface Transportation Board to convene a task force

to tackle the problem. The resulting task force then drafted

the plan now called CREATE.

CREATE will reduce train delays and congestion

throughout the Chicago area by increasing the efficiency of

rail traffic on five rail corridors. The work includes:

25 new roadway overpasses or underpasses at locations

where auto and pedestrian traffic currently crosses railroad

tracks at grade level; six new rail overpasses or underpasses

to separate passenger and freight train tracks; viaduct

improvements; grade crossing safety enhancements; and

extensive upgrades of tracks, switches and signal systems.

The selection of these improvements was a collaborative

process between the freight railroads, State of Illinois DOT,

City of Chicago Department of Transportation, Metra and

Amtrak. Recommendations were developed for three types of

projects through different processes, and the Illinois

Commerce Commission and Chicago Area Transportation

Study helped to identify the most congested railroad grade

crossings, where trains cross the roads and traffic must

periodically wait for trains to pass.

The process of identifying railroad infastructure projects

started with the creation of computer models to measure existing

rail bottlenecks in the region. Each railroad then submitted

recommendations for improvements. Additional

recommendations came from the State and City. A working group

made up of representatives of all the CREATE partners refined the

recommendations into the CREATE Program, ensuring that the

concerns of all parties were taken into consideration.

For the peopleThe public are to be strongly encouraged to participate in

the CREATE process. As individual projects enter the design

and approval phase, public hearings and meetings will be

scheduled to gather input from residents, businesses and

neighborhood groups in the various communities. It is

believed that public input will be critical to the success of

individual projects and the CREATE program as a whole.

source: www.createprogram.org



annual basis, the industry is spending less than 40 percent of this amount

on new infrastructure capacity, and while studies that project growth this

far into the future may not be 100 percent accurate, even if these studies

are off by as much as 50 percent we will still not be able to invest in infra-

structure to the level the nation needs us to.

Another area that continues to bring huge costs to the rail industry is

replacing existing assets that have either come to the end of their useful

life and need because of damage caused by natural events such as fire,

floods and earthquakes.

Union Pacific, for example, owns a bridge over the Mississippi River

that is nearing the endof its useful life and this single bridge alonewill cost

hundreds of millions of dollars to replace, and last year construction was

started to replace another bridge in Boone, Iowa, that will ultimately cost

over $50million.

While these are big numbers associatedwith big projects, equally stag-

gering are the day-to-day numbers. For example, Union

Pacificcurrentlywearsout twomilesof trackeveryday,and

at a cost of between $450,000 and $600,000 for replace-

ment rail permile, thisaddsupveryquickly.Whileestima-

tionsshowthat it costsonaverage$2.5millionpermile to

build new track, this figure does not include the addition-

al cost of acquiring landor environmental issues thatmay

need tobeaddressedbefore anew track canbebuilt.

Moving forwardThese are the challengeswe have before us. Our governmentmust em-

bracepolicies thatenhance theabilityof the freight railroads toattractprivate

investment dollars. Our ability to attract private investment in rail infrastruc-

ture literally frees up billions of dollars in public money that can be used to

supportothermodesof transportation in thiscountry. In fact,onecouldargue

that the lesswe utilize rail in this country, themore the taxpayermust pay to

subsidizeothermodesof transportation.Wemustbeable toearnanadequate

rateof return toattractprivatedollars.As returns improvetomarket levels,ad-

ditional investment will follow.

Congressmust enact an investment tax credit for new rail capacity.We

have endorsed a proposal that has been introduced in this Congress that

would provide for a 25 percent investment tax credit for new rail construc-

tion that expands freight capacity. This credit will allow us to increase our

return andmake additional investments in rail – investments that are criti-

cal if we are going to meet the future, projected de-

mands for rail transportation. In today’s economic

environment, where wemust conserve our cash, this

would enable us to spendmore than we could other-

wise. In fact, according to US Department of

Commercedata, for every dollar of rail investment that

would be stimulated by the tax incentive, $3 in total

economic output would be generated.

Lastly, Congress should enact and fund pro-

grams that allow states to partner with freight railroads to move for-

ward with projects that benefit both the freight railroad and the public.

The best example of this type of project is the CREATE project in

Chicago. This project will improve the fluidity of the freight railroads,

enhance passenger rail service in the city, and reduce congestion on

the highways. The freight railroads are willing to put up money con-

sistent with the benefits we would receive, while the local, state and

federal governments put up the resources commensurate with the

public benefits. These types of projects allow both sides – private and

public – to develop and implement projects that would not otherwise

move forward. �

This article is based on a testimony given before the United States House of Representatives inJanuary 2009

• Freight reduces highwaygridlock.

A typical train takes the

equivalent of several

hundred trucks off the

highways. Overcrowded highways act as an

inefficiency tax that seriously constrain

economic growth and costs commuters

days in lost time every year. Freight railroads

help relieve this tax by reducing congestion,

enhancing personal mobility, reducing the

cost of maintaining existing roads and reducing the pressure

to build costly new ones.

BENEFIT

4

• Virtually all passenger railoperations outside theNortheast Corridor (includingAmtrak) run on track owned bythe freight railroads.

There is currently a very healthy

and robust relationship between passenger

rail operators and freight railroads, and both

often partner together to take thousands of

commuters out of their cars and onto the

trains. However, to take rail capacity from

freight to provide rail capacity for

passengers is not the answer to America’s

urban congestion problems, as it will only

shift thousands of trucks onto the highways.

The real answer is to grow capacity for both freight and

passenger and this concept was recognized in the recently

passed Amtrak Reauthorization legislation, which provides

additional funds for new capacity.

BENEFIT

5

From page 37



ing that system into the suburbs, before having a commuter rail that

runs as far as Ann Arbor. Essentially, our biggest priority is to give

people different options on how they move around.

The signature of Michigan’s Governor was among those on a recent

letter praising President Obama for ARRA. But because people want

to see fast results from the injections of this cash, infrastructure

projects need to be shovel-ready. Has that been a diffi cult for you, or

did you have something of a backlog ready to go?

KS. I don’t know if I'd say it was diffi cult, but it was certainly a chal-

lenge. Unlike some states that may have had three or four really big

projects sitting on their shelf, in Michigan, we have been in this eco-

nomic crisis for about nine years and so we’ve already been to the

shelf quite a lot already. Last year, for instance, Governor Granholm

did her own economic stimulus plan that provided transportation with

about $150 million, and we reached back onto our shelf and grabbed

projects and pulled them forward then: we were just replacing those

when this call came in.

While we didn’t have anything ready to go, because we have been

focusing so much on preserving what we had, we did have some big

capacity projects that were already designed but just didn’t have any

money behind them. Because of this, all we had to do was pull them

out, refresh them, make sure they were up to current standards and

then push them out the door. So what we have ended up with is about

So what are the key transport priorities for Michigan going to be over

the next few years? Are there any major projects that you are cur-

rently working on?

Kirk Steudle. In Michigan we are working in a very multimodal sense.

One of the biggest things for us at the moment is the high-speed rail

initiative that the President has laid out. We think we are very well po-

sitioned for this and have actually been doing quite a bit in high-speed

rail for the last 10 or 15 years, and so, incrementally, have been making

that easier. We think there are some great opportunities there, and

we believe we can cut our transit times from Detroit to Chicago by a

couple of hours compared to what they are now.

A lot of what we are doing at the moment is focused on our light

rail system. Detroit remains the largest urban area in the world that

doesn’t have some form of a light or commuter rail system, so we’re

working quite diligently on that. From there we’re looking into stretch-

In light of the ASCE’s particularly damning assessment of its infrastructure, we speak to the Director of Michigan’s Department of Transportation, Kirk Steudle, to fi nd out what the state is now doing to make good.

cardReport

“People want to move around a little differently, so we’re going to be able to get to some of the transit initiatives that have been put on the back burner”

STEUDLE ED P40-41.indd 40 15/6/09 09:36:39


KS. Actually, a lot of that was already spelled out for

us. If you look at the dollars, the bulk is going towards

roads and bridges. There’s just under $1 billion coming to

Michigan and $847 million is going to roads and bridges,

and $135 million are going to transit.

On top of that is the $8 billion initiative that the

President put out there for his vision for high-speed

rail, and that’s an important priority for us. We are

working very diligently to get into that mix and make

sure that we have a share of the pot.

The one piece of investment that we got left out

was the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

money, which was money geared towards new

starts. Unfortunately for us, as the FTA goes

through that ‘new starts’ process, we often

get left out because we can’t prove the rider-

ship. Of course, the reason we can’t prove

the ridership is because there’s nothing

here to compare it to – so we are complain-

ing about that fi ercely.

Obviously you’re achieving things and

getting projects moving, but do you think

that, in the long-term, this money is going

to have a big effect on Michigan?

KS. There’s two pieces to that. Clearly

the long-term depends on a lot of other

economic factors outside of here,

but frankly, I think we’re going to see

brighter skies in Michigan. We’re going

to see Chrysler and General Motors emerge from

the bankruptcy pieces as better companies, and this whole thing that

we’re going through is a well-needed restructuring within the state

and in our thoughts about how we think about the economy.

In the long term, it’s going to be good for us because we’re going

to be able to get to priorities that the people have told us they require.

People want to move around a little differently, so we’re going to be

able to get to some of the transit initiatives that, in the past, have

been put on the back burner; but at the same time, this short-term

shot-in-the-arm is going to help us from a different perspective. Still,

though, we have to remember that it’s still just a short-term answer:

we still have to deal with the long-term funding issue and the fact that

this summer the Highway Trust Fund is projected to go broke again.

There are still some challenges coming, but we think once we get

through them we’ll be all right.

three or four big projects that range larger than $40 million – but it

was a challenge to get them there.

Nonetheless, we have now obligated half of the money the stimu-

lus plan has given us, which was the target for the end of June. We

reached that target three weeks early, and now, by the end of June can

expect to have $400 million obligated.

And how is the money breaking down in terms of where it is actually

being spent. You spoke about working in a multimodal sense, but are

you fi nding that the spending is going more towards road and private

transport, or does there seem to be a greater focus on trains and the

public transport?

GPA = Grade D

ASCE’s Michigan Infrastructure Report Car

d

AviationGrade CMichigan's 200+ airports genera

te $4.3 billion for Michigan's

economy each year. However, current infrastructure repair,

maintenance and expansion needs to

exceed $1.3 billion over

the next fi ve years, a fi gure well beyond existin

g revenue.

Roads and BridgesGrade D38 percent of Michigan’s roads are

in poor condi-

tion, 28 percent of the bridges are struct

urally de-

fi cient or functionally obsolete, and

US truckers rate

Michigan roads as third worst in the countr

y.

DamsGrade DOver 90 percent of Michigan's 2581 dams will reach or

exceed their design life by 2020. Many dams are aban-

doned and pose safety hazards to d

ownstream residents.

No funding for improvements is currently available.

TransitGrade DSome form of public transpo

rtation is available throughout

the state, but the capacities of most urban systems fail to

meet demand. Improving public transportation servic

es within

the state is a key component in reviving

Michigan's economy.

$1 BILLIONGovernment infrastructure stimulus for Michigan

STEUDLE ED P40-41.indd 41 15/6/09 09:31:23

Atemporary solution to losses of power to

traffic lights has been to rely on drivers to

use a four-way stop procedure. This helps

to a degree, but drivers can become irritated and

aggressive, which can lead to incidents and acci-

dents. Another solution is to have a traffic control

officer on-site to direct traffic at the intersection

but this solution only works based on the avail-

ability of resources and the time and distance re-

quiredforapersontoreachthe intersection.Some

jurisdictions haveusedgenerators to temporarily

supply power to intersection controls, however,

this can be costly because both fuel and man-

power need to be supplied.

Changes in traffic light technology from in-

candescent lamps to LED lamps has reduced

power consumption, making it possible for in-

tersections to include battery backup power so-

lutions to keep lights operating during outages

anddisruptions. Still, this inclusion is oftenover-

looked because of the challenging installation

environments, lack of understanding of the so-

lutions available and the incremental cost of

adding battery backup to a system.

A UPS (uninterruptible power supply) dif-

fers from a battery backup system as it offers

more sophisticated power filtering and control,

faster transfer timesandadvancedmonitoringand

communication capabilities. In the past, the only

UPS solutions available were standard, off–the-

shelf solutions used in offices and data centers.

Typically theyonlyofferedenoughruntimestoen-

able the graceful shut-down of servers and other

electronicdevicesandwerenotdesigned towork

in outdoor environments that saw extreme tem-

peratures,dust,or roadvibration,nordid theypro-

vide runtimesnecessary tosustainservices in the

event of lengthyoutages.

The ideal solution now is a ruggedized

outdoor UPS. This offers long run times and is

designed to withstand extreme temperatures

and environments where the shaking caused

by cars, trains, trucks, buses or planes can not

interfere with its operation. Often these solu-

tions include ruggedized UPS control modules

that manage and filter the electricity, special-

ized batteries that provide dependable ser-

vice regardless of environmental conditions

(with optional heater mats to keep batteries

warm in colder environments) and outdoor

rated enclosures (NEMA 3R rating) protecting

the UPS system.

Yet integratingaUPS intoevery trafficsystem

is not recognized as a standard requirement in

manyareas,andduringthe initial installationofan

application, the need for protecting critical loads

is often forgotten until a power disturbance oc-

curs. Then the impact can be catastrophic: sys-

temsstop, trafficflow is impacted, revenue is lost

andaccidents canoccur. However,many systems

owners don’t realize retrofitting a UPS into exist-

ing traffic systems can be easy and cost effective

eventhoughdesigning, installingandmaintaining

transportation systems is costly.

Cities, counties and states are constantly

challenged to reduce costs as traffic systemsare

publicly funded and under strict budgets. Many

planners consider a UPS as a costly option, but

when they realize the direct and indirect costs

that result froma failed traffic signal, the cost of

including a UPS is easily rationalized.

Traffic systems canoperate flawlesslywhen

good, clean, uninterrupted power is available.

When power fluctuations, brownouts and com-

plete power outages occur, and systems come

to a quick halt. There is an urgent need for ser-

vicing, resourcesmaybeneeded todirect traffic,

there are economic and environmental impacts,

commuters are left to manage through the dis-

ruption, accidents can occur, and safety can be

at risk. UPS systems designed for traffic appli-

cations should therefore be the first considera-

tion in improving intersection safety. �

DISSECTING THE INTERSECTION


According to a study by the California Energy Commission, traffic lights experienceeight to 10 power outages during one year. With each one, intersections are leftuncontrolled, posing real risks to the public. Dennis Bennett explains how UPSsystems can improve safety.

ASK THE EXPERT

Dennis Bennett is the National Sales

Manager for Traffic Solutions at Alpha

Technologies and has focused exclusively

on the traffic market for the past five

years. As a graduate of Ohio Institute of

Technology (Devry), Dennis has worked in

the Power Protection and Battery Backup

industry for over 30 years.

“Changes in traffic light technology fromincandescent lamps to LED lamps has reducedpower consumption”

AlphaTechnologues_ATE:may09 15/6/09 13:09 Page 42

ALPHA TECH AD P43.indd 43 12/6/09 11:52:30


The Surface Transportation Board is an independent eco-

nomic regulatory agency charged with adjudicating rail-

road rate and service disputes and reviewing proposed

rail industry fi nancial transactions, among other areas of

surface transportation jurisdiction. The Board was cre-

ated by the ICC Termination Act of 1995 and is the succes-

sor to the former Interstate Commerce Commission.

Several current matters on the Board’s agenda could have an

impact on rail infrastructure issues. These range from the agency’s

new responsibility to participate in the determination and adjudica-

tion of National Railroad Passenger Corpora-

tion (Amtrak) on-time performance metrics;

examination of the general purpose rail costing

system used by the Board in a wide variety of

cases; adjudication of a number of large and

small railroad-shipper rate disputes; and deter-

mination of the rail industry’s cost of capital,

a measure vital to industry decision making on

infrastructure investment.

The Passenger Rail Investment and Improve-

ment Act of 2008 (PRIIA) gave the Board several

new responsibilities in the passenger rail area,

including the measurement of Amtrak’s on-time

performance. Amtrak and the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA), in consultation with the

Board and others, were directed by Congress

to develop a system of standards for measuring

on-time performance and other service metrics.

Amtrak and FRA have since developed pro-

posed standards and metrics that were subject

to public comment. If fi nal standards cannot be

agreed upon by Amtrak and FRA, the Board will,

upon request by a party, appoint an arbitrator

to assist the parties in resolving the areas of

disagreement through binding arbitration.

Under PRIIA, if Amtrak’s on-time perform-

ance should fail to meet the statutorily pre-

scribed 80 percent level for two consecutive

calendar quarters, or should other, agreed-upon

measures not be met, the Board can be called

upon to investigate the causes of performance

failure. The Board can also prescribe remedies,

including damages, if it determines that freight

railroads are the cause of delays.

PRIIA also gives the Board certain respon-

sibilities related to commuter rail access to

Amtrak’s dedicated track on the Northeast Rail

Corridor. Amtrak, the northeastern states, or

the commuter railroads may petition the Board

to establish a system for setting charges for

commuter access to Amtrak’s facilities if the

parties are unable to reach agreement them-

selves. Congress also gave the Board authority

to provide non-binding mediation when a commuter railroad seeks

access to either the trackage or right-of-way of any other rail operator.

In another area, the Board is examining its Uniform Railroad Costing

System (URCS). URCS is used to determine Board jurisdiction over rates

charged by railroads, to adjudicate rail line abandonments and “feeder

line” applications, and to regulate other matters where rail movement

costs must be estimated.

This review is much needed, as URCS was adopted 20 years ago.

The Board must determine whether, or what, modifi cations to URCS are

required to refl ect changes in railroad operations over the intervening

ON TRACKFostering communication to address the key challenges of railroad infrastructure. By Dr. Francis Mulvey

RAIL REGULATION

Mulvey.indd 44 15/6/09 12:03:13


years. The goal of reform would be to ensure that the costing relation-

ships employed by the URCS are as accurate, current, and effective as

possible to enable the agency to perform its statutory duties fairly and

expeditiously. It is particularly important to review URCS because of the

key role it plays in the Board’s adjudication of rail rate cases.

This past April, the Board held a public hearing on URCS to explore

means and areas of possible reform. The Board received testimony on

the inherent diffi culties – for both the agency and its stakeholders – in

bringing URCS up-to-date, a project that would take years and require

supplemental funding from the Congress. I believe, however, that

building a better regulatory costing system is a sound investment of

taxpayer dollars.

One of the Board’s most important responsibilities is the adjudica-

tion of railroad-shipper disputes about freight rail rates. When a rail

shipper lacks the benefi t of competition between freight railroads or

from other transportation modes, the agency will establish a maximum

reasonable rate upon a complaint by a rail shipper.

Bringing a rail rate complaint has traditionally been a complicated

and expensive process. But recent years have seen major improve-

ments to the Board’s procedures for handling rate complaints. The

Board revamped its process for smaller rail rate disputes, resulting in

greater accessibility for shippers and more expeditious disposition of

their complaints. The Board also has signifi cantly revised its large rate

case process to make it more effi cient and accurate.

I am very pleased by the Board’s recent success, this past May,

in mediating a large rail rate dispute to settlement by the parties.

Non-binding mediation is an integral part of the agency’s revised rate

complaint process, and I fi rmly believe that with assistance from Board

mediators, parties can achieve acceptable outcomes and avoid millions

of dollars in litigation costs.

The railroad industry is capital-intensive. Congress directed the

Board to regulate in such a way that considers the railroads’ need to

earn revenues suffi cient to maintain the national rail system and to at-

tract new investment capital. The accurate estimation of an appropriate

return on capital is a crucial regulatory function performed by the Board.

The cost of capital includes the cost of both debt and equity capital. The

agency recently revised the procedures it uses to estimate the industry’s

cost of equity capital.

The cost of common equity component is unique, in the sense that

it exists, but one can’t observe it directly. Rather, one must use a fi nan-

cial model to develop an estimate and, to do that, the Board formerly

employed a “single-stage discounted cash fl ow” (DCF) model relating

dividends to stock price. Simple as that approach was, for many years it

produced remarkably stable and plausible results.

However, in 2006, after the Board’s reliance on the DCF model was

questioned by a group of coal shippers, the agency reviewed the model

and its bases. Part of this process involved the Board’s request for input

from all industry stakeholders, as well as from other US governmental

agencies, and even the Board’s Canadian counterparts, before we con-

cluded that the dividend-based model could and should be improved.

To accomplish this, the Board turned to two broadly accepted ap-

proaches, one a multi-stage DCF and the other a capital-asset pricing

model, which divide investment returns into two portions: a risk-free

rate and a premium an investor would need to hold railroad shares.

We are currently conducting our annual review of the industry’s cost of

capital (for 2008) and soon will issue a decision employing the agency’s

newly developed procedures.

In April of this year, a respected economic consulting fi rm pro-

duced an independent study, on behalf of the Board, examining rail

capacity issues. That study addressed an estimate of infrastructure

investments needed over the next two decades. In particular, the

study questions the accuracy of prior forecasts of rail traffi c growth,

fi nding that a detailed sector-by-sector analysis showed the aggregate

forecasts to be overstated. So, whether the industry is capable of

self-fi nancing needed capacity improvements in the mid- to long-run

remains an open question.

In summary, the Board currently has before it a full agenda of mat-

ters that could affect rail infrastructure issues. From Amtrak’s on-time

performance metrics and commuter rail access issues; to costing, rate,

and cost-of-capital proceedings; to concerns over current and future

freight-rail capacity, the Board invites members of the US infrastructure

fi eld to take part in our proceedings, monitor the progress of our work,

and study the fi ndings of, and reasoning behind, our offi cial decisions.

Dr. Francis Mulvey is Acting Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board. For further information see www.stb.dot.gov

One of the Board’s most important responsibilities is the adjudication of railroad-shipper disputes about freight rail rates.

“Several current matters on the Board’s agenda could have an impact on rail infrastructure issues”

Mulvey.indd 45 15/6/09 13:09:19


As if life isn’t stressful enough, the

simple task of effi ciently getting

to work, home and recreation

has become equally problematic.

Greater traffi c volumes, deteriorating infra-

structure, overburdened mass transit and

volatile energy costs conspire against us.

Longer rush hours, more time spent in traffi c

and more disposable income spent on fuel

affect our quality of life. Building our way out

of these problems is not the answer. Accord-

ing to TRIP, a Washington, DC non-profi t re-

search group that evaluates and distributes

economic and technical data on highway

transportation issues, “The current level of

national transportation investment needs to

double in order to signifi cantly improve the

country’s highway, transit, passenger rail

and freight systems.”

Given the current economic climate,

relief may not come soon to all the places that

need it. Transportation offi cials understand

their users need better ways to deal with the

system as it currently exists.

Guessing the presentToday’s traffi c information providers

rely almost exclusively on real-time data and

historic information. Little or no information

is given on arterial and secondary roadways.

No adjustments are easily made for wild-card

factors — crashes, construction zones, spe-

cial events, adverse weather — that account

for over half of congestion problems.

The best data can be of little use to the

average motorist embarking on a local trip.

The usual twenty-minute drive may take

thirty, or turn into a one-hour nightmare.

Freight shippers feel the pinch more keenly.

A study by HLB Decision-Economics indicates

that, on average, freight carriers lose about

$200 per hour in traffi c; this loss almost dou-

bles if the delay is unexpected.

The answer lies in predictive traffi c infor-

mation, a system that considers future traffi c

conditions along the route, allowing for much

more precise calculations of arrival times

and providing much better tools for manag-

ing travel.

A crystal ball on your dashboard?Early efforts at creating predictive

models were based on a statistical approach

using Bayesian analytic techniques. Though

these models gave some good short-term

information, their predictive limitations

could not process those unexpected delays

or react to changes in traffi c management

strategies. Most crucially, they could not

propagate these effects throughout a travel

network. Bayesian models really only pro-

vide extrapolations of historical conduct, and

do not model or understand human behavior

—more Farmer’s Almanac than a National

Weather Service forecast model.

Mygistics’ methodology is based on

travel demand models that explain volumes

and travel times by simulating all travelers on

a network. Demand is generated using socio-

economic data such as household size, au-

tomobile availability and employment data,

the root of why people travel from A to B. This

knowledge applied to a network model can

simulate how traffi c conditions propagate

throughout all roadways in a network, not

just freeways, and how vehicles react to im-

pedances such as accidents or road closures.

The Mygistics model requires only the ap-

plication of limited, live traffi c sensor data,

which serves to constantly calibrate system

calculations.

Because this approach has its origin in

both traffi c engineering and transportation

planning, it’s also useful for improving uti-

lization of existing and planned infrastruc-

ture, predicting vehicle emissions, assessing

environmental impacts and investigating

topics in transportation safety and market

research. Our partner, PTV AG, has applied

this methodology in several European met-

ropolitan areas and on a national scale in

both Germany and the UK with great success.

Mygistics is working to deliver data across

the US with the Chicago metro as our fi rst

covered region.

With advances in the science of traffi c

engineering and increases in computing

power, we can truly begin to get a handle on

network complexity and solve transportation

issues on a system wide level.

As Robert Frost wrote, “Two roads di-

verged in a wood, and I—I took the one less

traveled by, and that has made all the differ-

ence.” Technology is moving in a direction

that could afford this luxury to all of us.

NEXT BIG THING

The FUTURE of traffi c dataMichael Ostrom, CEO of Mygistics, Inc., reveals how advancements in traffi c modeling will improve personal and commercial travel.

Michael Ostrom was an early

pioneer in the use of 3D visualization

for transportation engineering and

served as a technology director

at two top AEC fi rms. As CEO of

Mygistics he is working to leverage

Web 2.0 technologies with Traffi c

Engineering and ITS to improve

mobility on a national scale.

Mygistic_NBT.indd 46 15/6/09 12:29:29

MYGISTICS AD P47.indd 47 12/6/09 11:59:39


Contrary to just a decade

ago, there is virtually

unanimous agreement

in the scientific commu-

nity that human activi-

ties are a primary cause

of climate change. Man-

made causes, such as

operating power plants and motor vehicles,

have increased the concentration of green-

house gases in the atmosphere, resulting

in global warming. 11 of the past 12 years

have been the hottest since 1850 and 2006

was the warmest on record. Sea levels are

rising, and Category 4 and 5 hurricanes are

becoming more frequent around the globe.

Mitigating the negative effects of climate

change will require comprehensive plan-

ning and aggressive, cooperative action

worldwide.

Although this is a global problem, the

United States must take the lead in remedy-

ing a wide range of adverse climate impacts,

because our nation is the largest consumer

of energy in the world. In 2020, US energy

consumption is projected to grow by 23

percent, and in 2025, the Energy Informa-

tion Administration projects that worldwide

energy use will grow by 57 percent. There is

no way to avoid it, the Federal government

must harness its energy use to reverse the

global warming trend, before it is too late.

We should take the view that the chal-

lenge before us is an opportunity for posi-

tive change. By taking meaningful steps to

address climate change, we can simultane-

Red, white and gReen

ously tackle our nation’s increasing energy

needs and reduce our dependence on foreign

oil. New laws and regulations promoting

increased energy efficiency and alternative

energy sources across various sectors will

result in lower carbon emissions and reduce

America’s dependence on fossil fuels.

It is logical that Federal government

buildings are a good place to start when

implementing alternative sources of energy,

because the Federal government is the

largest consumer of energy in the world. In

fact, the Federal government owns 333,000

buildings worldwide, comprising just over

2.5 billion square feet. In the United States,

the asset count is 293,651 buildings compris-

ing approximately 2.4 billion square feet of

space. Worldwide, the Federal government

leases approximately 57,000 buildings,

comprising 557 million square feet of space.

In the US, the Federal government leases

23,000 buildings, just under 291.2 million

square feet of space.

A systematic policy of ‘greening’ Fed-

eral buildings, or integrating construction

practices that significantly reduce the

environmental footprint of a building

in comparison to standard practices,

will result in a reduction of our net

environmental impact. However,

without significant transformation of

building construction and operations,

adverse impacts on the environment

will increase with population growth

and changes in other demographic

and economic factors.

I have advocated that the

Federal government play a central role in

supporting and stimulating applied research

in alternative energy systems for nearly 30

years. In fact, in 1977, I introduced legislation

calling for accelerated procurement of photo-

voltaic solar electric systems (PV), which con-

vert solar energy into electricity, in new and

existing Federal facilities. That provision was

incorporated into a comprehensive national

energy bill, the National Energy Conserva-

tion Policy Act (PL 95-619). Unfortunately,

the PV provision in the law was not funded,

so we have no way of knowing how effective

it would have been and how much progress

our nation could have made in reducing our

dependence on foreign fossil fuels.

The federal government has a major role to play in making America more energy efficient and environmentally responsible, says Rep. James Oberstar, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

CLIMATE CHANGE

RepOberstar.indd 48 15/6/09 12:03:42


When I became Chairman of the Com-

mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure

in 2007, one of the first pieces of legislation

that my Committee passed directed the Gen-

eral Services Administration (GSA) to install

a PV system at the Department of Energy’s

(DOE) headquarters. The DOE’s overarching

mission is to advance the country’s national,

economic and energy security, and to pro-

mote scientific and technological innova-

tion. Consequently, it is only appropriate

that DOE headquarters serve as a model for

the entire nation to save energy by utilizing

cutting-edge photovoltaic technology.

The photovoltaic system is an important

energy technology that is environmentally

sensitive and contributes to the nation’s

energy security. Because it generates elec-

tricity from sunlight, PV produces no air pol-

lution or hazardous waste. It doesn’t require

liquid or gaseous fuels to be transported or

combusted. Because its energy source, sun-

light, is free and abundant, PV systems can

guarantee access to electric power all year

round, and they are virtually maintenance

free. This is just one opportunity where

the Federal Government can make a dent in

global warming.

In addition to installing and implement-

ing alternative energy sources, we can

curtail energy use through such means as

energy-efficient appliances, lighting and

weatherization. The Energy Independence

and Security Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-140), set

the bar higher by requiring that each Federal

agency reduce energy consumption from

20 percent (relative to 2003 levels) to 30

percent by 2015. The requirements are more

stringent for new construction and major

alterations by requiring them to reach a 65

percent reduction of energy usage by 2015,

and zero-net energy use by 2030. Agencies

will be evaluated twice a year on perform-

ance of their energy and water management.

The law also accelerates the use of energy

efficient lighting in buildings leased by the

GSA and reduces negative impacts on the

environment throughout the lifecycle of the

building, including air and water pollution.

The American Recovery and Reinvest-

ment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5), which was

signed into law on February 17, makes an

historic investment in promoting energy

efficiency. The law provides $6 billion to

upgrade and improve energy efficiency in

James Oberstar

GSA’s inventory of Federal buildings, includ-

ing the construction of border stations on

the northern and southern borders of the US.

The goal is to save taxpayers $2 billion every

year by modernizing more than 75 percent

of Federal building space. The Recovery Act

also invests $4.2 billion in energy efficiency

and modernizing projects at Department of

Defense facilities, including military medical

facilities and army barracks.

Although some features of ‘greening,’

such as high-efficiency appliances and light-

ing, can be more expensive and design costs

may be higher, the operational cost savings

will eventually recoup any initially higher

investment. Green initiatives and energy

efficient repair and alteration projects

for Federal buildings will save money on

energy costs long term. However, making

Federal buildings more energy efficient not

only saves taxpayer money in lower energy

bills, it also creates jobs and increases the

value of the Federal inventory. The Associ-

ated General Contractors of American testi-

fied before the T&I Committee that $1 billion

in nonresidential construction creates or

sustains 28,500 jobs. Further, deteriorating

conditions of Federal buildings have caused

the GSA, which provides facilities for ap-

proximately 60 Federal agencies, to aban-

don Federally-owned facilities for leased

space. GSA’s annual lease bill, which is paid

by American taxpayers, is approximately $4

billion every year. Repairing, altering and

upgrading Federally-owned facilities makes

good fiscal sense all around.

The Federal government is also study-

ing the installation of plantings on rooftops,

called ‘green roofs,’ on new Federally con-

structed buildings. Although this practice is

more common in Europe than in the United

States, it has several benefits, including

increasing roof longevity and reducing the

need for heating and cooling by acting as an

insulating barrier.

The scientific evidence is crystal clear –

Planet Earth is warming. But climate change,

as well as America’s corollary need for

greater energy independence, is not just an

environmental issue – it’s a national security

issue, an economic issue, an humanitarian

issue. It’s an issue we cannot afford to ignore

any longer. n

“It is logical that Federal government buildings are a good place to start when implementing alternative sources of energy, because the Federal government is the largest consumer of energy in the world”

RepOberstar.indd 49 15/6/09 12:03:44

August 1, 2007, Minneapolis,

Minnesota. As rush hour traffic

crawledacross the I-35WMississippi

River bridge, it ceased to be just an-

other summer’seveningandbecame

oneof thebiggest infrastructuredisasters inUShis-

tory. Without warning, a span of the sixties-built

bridgecollapsed,plungingvehiclesandtheiroccu-

pants up to35meters into the valleybelow. When

the dust had settled, 13 people were dead and a

further 145hadbeen injured.That amajorpieceof

infrastructurecould fail sodramaticallyandsosud-

denly causedwidespreadshockaround thenation

and left many looking uneasily at bridges in their

own neighborhoods. However, if Federal Highway

Administration statistics are to be believed, per-

haps themost shocking thingabout this tragedy is

that it has not been repeated in the intervening years.

According to the most recent figures from the Administration, 6051

bridgesonnationalhighwaysareconsideredstructurallydeficientwhilea fur-

ther 65,418 non-highway bridges also received the troubling designation. A

further 89,024are categorizedas functionally obsolete.Thismeans that fully

26percentofAmerica’s roadbridgesarenotuptostandard. In thewakeof the

Minneapolis collapse, thepoorqualityof somanypiecesof critical infrastruc-

ture, usedbymillionsof peopleeveryday, is troubling to say the least. Anad-

ditionalcause forconcern is that,while ruralbridgeshaveshownimprovement

over recent years, the same cannot be said for their urban counterparts.

Through thecourseof2008, thenumberofdeficienturbanbridges increased

by2817,meaning that one-third of themnow fall into the category.

According to figures from the American Association of State Highway

and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), simply maintaining the status quo

Mind the gap


There is widespread concern that the country’s bridgesare on their last legs. US Infrastructure assesses thesituation and looks to the future.

BRIDGE SAFETY

Each green dot represents a singular structurally deficient bridge on the nations highway system

Shit Bridges:may09 15/6/09 13:24 Page 50

and preventingmore bridges frombecoming classified as deficient will re-

quire an annual investment of $13 billion for the next 50 years. To actually

eliminate these faults, an investment of $850 billion, or

$17 billion a year, will need to bemadeover the next half

a century.

The announcement of President Obama’s American

Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which pledged around

$90 billion to infrastructure, is a big boost. But as that

figure needs to be shared among roads, power, dams

and water, it isn’t going to fill the big hole required for

bridge funding.

But there is a risk that this blizzard of statistics and billion dollar fig-

ures could obscure the issue. Terms like ‘structurally deficient’ and ‘func-

tionally obsolete’ can provoke some very strong emotions, particularly

when applied to bridges that many of us must cross every day. But a clos-

er look at the facts serves to alter the picture somewhat.

According to the Federal Highways Commission “Structural deficien-

cies are characterized by deteriorated conditions of significant bridge ele-

ments and reduced load carrying capacity. Functional obsolescence is a

function of the geometrics of the bridge not meeting current design stan-


dards. Neither type of deficiency indicates that the bridge is unsafe.”

Provided weight limits are observed and it undergoes regular inspection

and testing, a ‘deficient’ bridge can remain in normal service for years.

Clearly, this is a debatewhere adegreeofmoderation is called for. But even

if we aren’t taking our lives in our hands every timewe set foot on a bridge,

there are other reasonswhywe should be concerned that somanyof them

are deemed deficient.

Functional obsolescence is one such area thatmerits further attention.

Asmany of America’s bridgeswere built in the 1930s and 1940s, theywere

simply not designed to cope with the types of traffic on our roads today.

Freight traffic may find these bridges uncomfortably narrow, or even im-

passable in extreme cases.While thismaynot seemaparticularly big prob-

lem at first glance, the economic and environmental implications can be

significant. If traffic cannot pass easily alonga certain route, itwill be forced

to find an alternative. This results in more fuel being bought and burned,

an unwelcome situation for business, private motorists and the environ-

ment alike. Furthermore, bridges that fail to meet the standards demand-

ed bymodern traffic flows can become amagnet for accidents.

But even if there aren’t countless other I-35Wson the verge of collapse

out there, what has sprung up in thewake of theMinneapolis catastrophe

offers a blueprint for the future of bridges in the US. The new St. Anthony

Falls bridge opened in September 2008 and is one of the most innova-

tive and technologically advanced of its kind anywhere in the world.

Though it’s not going to win any prizes for its looks, the span has been

constructed with smart technology built into its very fabric. Packed with

an array of sensors that measure everything from metal corrosion to vi-

bration to temperature, it is America’s first truly smart bridge.

Constructed in less than a year, using new planning and efficiency tech-

niques, the bridge generates huge amounts of data warning of any po-

tential problemwith the structure long before it becomes amajor issue.

A repeat of its predecessor’s fate is unthinkable.

At $234million, St Anthony Falls didn’t come cheap. Innovation rarely

does, so it’s likely to be some timebefore the smart bridgebecomes a com-

monplace feature on our transport network. Given the state of somany of

the country’s bridges, exactly where to spend limited funds will require

some tough decisions. Perhaps the alarmist headlines that flooded out in

thewakeof the I-35W’s collapse have servedonly tomuddy thewaters.We

should focus less on the one in amillion cataclysms and instead recognize

the less newsworthy reality that it is the little things that matter. Bridges

are a vital component of the country’s transport infrastructure. If they are

not up to the task of keeping the traffic moving as freely as possible, then

our economic lifeblood will be restricted. While widespread structural de-

ficiency is unlikely to lead to attention-grabbing disasters on a regular

basis, failure to address the very real challenges it poses could be every bit

as damaging to the country �

GET SMART

The new St Anthony Falls Bridge in Minneapolis is laden

with sensors keeping watch for a wide range of potential

hazards

IceWhen the atmospheric conditions pose a risk of

ice, embedded sprinklers spray anti-freeze onto

the road surface

StrainDevices measure any stretching or compression

in the bridge’s concrete

VibrationSensors flag up any changes that could indicate

damage

CorrosionMetal parts in the roadway give a heads up

before rust can affect the reinforcing steel

TemperatureGauges measure concrete temperature, allowing

it to be correlated with changes in bridge

curvature

MovementExpansion joints are monitored for movement

that can be caused by temperature changes

“6051 bridges on national highways are consideredstructurally deficient while a further 65,418 non-highwaybridges also received the troubling designation”

Shit Bridges:may09 15/6/09 13:38 Page 51

What different uses, and in which environ-

ments, can a communication network be uti-

lized?

Wim D’Hooghe. The most important telecom

subsystem for metro organizations, intelligent

motorways, bridges or tunnels is the fiber optic

backbone. It carries all information needed to

run the daily operations. Needless to say that

the network should be extremely reliable and

providemaximum resilience to copewith the in-

evitable faults that will occur, for example cable

breaks. Another important requirement to the

network is that it shouldbeeasy tomanage–ac-

tually it should be child’s play. And unlike enter-

prise equipment, network (software) upgrades

should be avoided. Inmost cases there’s simply

not enough time to switch back to the ‘old’ con-

figuration, sowhy take the risk? Also,make sure

the backbone has a guaranteed life span of at

least 10 years, preferably 15.

How important is it that a transport communi-

cation solution is able to handle differing data

types and a wide diversity of applications?

WD’H. The last thing you want to do is install

multiple networks for the different applications.

It would not only cost an arm and a leg, but it

would also become very hard to manage and

lead to high OPEX (Operational Expenditures).

Keeping things simple by choosing a network

that can combine all the applications without

jeopardizing the performance of any of them. A

metro environment is probably one of the most

complex ones because of thewide variety of ap-

plications encountered– safety applications, se-

curity, train control, passenger information,

station management, etc. Moreover, each of

these applications has their own specific re-

quirements towards the transmission network:

the CCTV application can only tolerate a max-

imum delay of 150 milliseconds (from camera

to control room display – for pan-tilt-zoom

purposes); the radio network might require

synchronous links; and the SCADA system

might need a process control type of connec-

tion. Not to mention the legacy equipment

that still might be out there with its tradition-

al (analog) interfaces. To make things even

more complicated you don’t want any of these

applications to interfere with one another.

Imagine a surveillance system bringing your

SCADA down due to unforeseen high traffic?

That’s completely unacceptable. Hence,

choose a system that can guarantee 100 per-

cent separation between every single appli-

cation.

What role do fiber optics play in modern com-

munication networks? Why are they superior to

more traditional copper cabling?

WD’H. Installingfiber hasbecomenearly as easy

as pulling a copper cable. The connectors avail-

able on the market today make a fiber installa-

tion as easy as ‘plug and play’ and the benefits

are numerous. The bandwidth provided is virtu-

ally unlimited, as well as the distances that can

be spanned. We are no longer talking about

Gbps (Gigabits per second) but Tbps (Terrabits

per second), far beyond the bandwidth that is

currently needed to run the daily operations.

Also, fiber cable is immune to electromagnetic

interference, which is often a nightmare for

equipment manufacturers and for end users.

So, today, fiber cable has become a no-brainer

in the industry.

How important is it that transport communica-

tion networks are robust and secure? What are

the potential risks if such networks are not pro-

tected from interference and intrusion?

WD’H.Again, the transport network is the heart

of your operations. It should operate round-the-

clock andbe impossible to break into. The latter

is easier said than done. Open standards have

brought us interoperability over the internet but

with it hackers andfirewalls. The train operator’s

worst nightmare is that someonebreaks into the

network andaccesses the train signaling or safe-

ty applications.Not only could it stop the system

fromoperating but it could also put lives in dan-

ger. It ismy recommendation to take all possible

precautions and select a system that is designed

for the worst case. �

Full of fiber


Wim D’Hooghe explains the need for communication solutions and the pushfor fiber optics in today’s transportation industry.

EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

Wim D’Hooghe is co-founder and

CEO of OTN Systems. Prior to that

he was in charge for all indirect

business and the industrial market

at Nokia Siemens Networks and, at

Siemens, was in charge of the OTN

Business Unit.

“The transport network is the heart of youroperations. It should operate round-the-clock and be impossible to break into”

OTN Systems:may09 15/6/09 13:20 Page 52

OTN SYSTEMS AD P53.indd 53 12/6/09 12:00:03


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How the ARC Mass Transit Tunnel will shake things up in New York and New Jersey. By Stephen Dilts, New Jersey Commissioner of Transportation and Chairman of the Board, NJ TRANSIT.

Fast, frequent commuter rail service to Midtown Manhat-

tan is a vital link in the regional transportation system

that serves as an engine for prosperity in New Jersey.

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and NJ TRANSIT are

poised to ensure that we can meet future demands for

rail service by starting construction this spring on the

most ambitious rail infrastructure improvement for the region in

generations: The Access to the region’s Core Mass Transit Tunnel

Project.

The $8.7 billion project will meet the challenge of surging rid-

ership by creating two new, state-of-the-art rail tunnels under the

Hudson River, as well as a much-needed expansion of New York’s

congested Pennsylvania Station. The project will relieve chronic

peak-hour congestion at the two 99-year-old rail tunnels that cur-

rently provide the commuter rail connection between New Jersey

and Manhattan. NJ TRANSIT is partnering with the Port Authority

of New York and New Jersey to build this important advancement

in mobility.

The new two-track rail link will more than double the number

of peak-hour trains that can travel under the Hudson River, to 48

from the current 23. That added capacity will provide more trains

and more express service for riders. The new tubes and related work

will also allow NJ TRANSIT to provide one-seat rides for all of its rail

lines, including, for the fi rst time, the Raritan Valley, Pascack Valley,

Main and Bergen lines.

Increasing capacity along the Northeast Corridor, the rail net-

work’s ‘spine,’ will provide NJ TRANSIT room to extend passenger

train service to new areas, including the Jersey Shore. The additional

capacity will also allow increased service frequency, thus provid-

ing more and improved service for customers traveling within New

Jersey.

The Mass Transit Tunnel’s benefi ts extend beyond more and

better rail service. The tunnel will be a powerful economic engine for

New Jersey and the region, providing much-needed stimulus now and

laying the foundation for a better economic future for generations to

come.

The project will create 6000 construction and related jobs each

year for nearly a decade. Another 44,000 permanent jobs will be

generated once the tunnel opens for passengers. Those jobs will pro-

duce $4 billion in new personal income and $10 billion in additional

gross regional product. As impressive as these fi gures are, they are

conservative. Experts say the economic payoff could be much higher.

Income from infrastructure employment generates spending at

local restaurants, barbershops, and the range of other merchants

who comprise the fabric of every community. In fact, the American

Public Transit Association calculates that every dollar spent on public

transportation generates about $6 in economic returns.

Because The Mass Transit Tunnel is ready to begin construction

this spring it is ideal for Governor Corzine’s initiative to use infra-

structure projects to jump-start the economy. Earlier this year the

project completed all of its environmental reviews, and received

Federal Transit Administration approval to enter fi nal design, which

is ongoing.

Dilt.indd 54 15/6/09 12:28:30


NJ TRANSIT and other transportation leaders began a concerted

planning effort some 15 years ago for the new MTT to prepare the

commuter rail system for the growing ridership demands of the 21st

century. The need is obvious. NJ TRANSIT ridership to New York in-

creased by more than 400 percent in the past 20 years, from 10 mil-

lion annual trips to more than 46 million. Today, passengers make

more than 500,000 trips through Penn Station New York every day.

Meanwhile, in the peak hours, NJ TRANSIT operates 20 of the 23

trains heading into Manhattan under the Hudson. The Mass Transit

Tunnel will accommodate those ridership needs.

The tunnel project’s engineering is as impressive as its impacts

on regional mobility and the economic activity.

The project’s construction will be contracted in about 25 de-

fi ned-scope contracts, each of which will have a relatively short du-

ration. This process will match specialized contractors with specifi c

work scopes. The major tunnel segments are being constructed on a

design-build basis, which capitalizes on contractor innovation while

reducing construction time. Upon completion, dual-mode locomo-

tives will provide transfer free service on fi ve existing NJ TRANSIT

passenger rail lines that currently operate only diesel services to

Newark or Hoboken, NJ.

NJ TRANSIT determined that the most feasible route for the new

tunnel project parallels Amtrak’s existing Northeast Corridor rail line.

It travels above ground eastward from the vicinity of the Frank R.

Lautenberg Station in Secaucus, NJ, and then swings east and goes

underground in two, single-track tunnels at North Bergen, NJ.

The two tunnels will proceed under the New Jersey Palisades

at a depth averaging more than 200 feet and continue under the

Hudson River at about 50 feet below the riverbed. The tunnels will

continue under Manhattan at a depth of 100 to 145 feet below street

level, following a course beneath 34th Street to Sixth Avenue. The

total length of the tunnels will be approximately 3.4 miles.

The tunnels will connect with a new, state-of-the-art under-

ground extension of Penn Station, adjacent to the existing station.

The station will include a three-over-three track/platform arrange-

ment between Eighth and Sixth avenues, with the mezzanine in the

middle level. The station will be within the public right of way of

West 34th Street.

The new, expanded station will feature three high-rise escala-

tor banks at Sixth Avenue, Broadway, and Seventh and Eighth ave-

nues. Pedestrians will be able to connect directly with the New York

subway system, and they will be able to use fi ve station entrances to

the street at key locations near the Eighth Avenue/Seventh Avenue

and Sixth Avenue/Broadway intersections. Three ADA-compliant

separate elevator station entrances will also be provided on Eighth

and Seventh avenues and Sixth Avenue/Broadway.

The new Penn Station expansion will, for the fi rst time, provide

direct access to key New York subway lines including the Sixth

Avenue and Broadway lines. The project design will allow for future

expansion to the east.

Preliminary engineering was completed at the beginning of

2009, putting the project on track to enter fi nal design and con-

struction. Bids were received for the fi rst construction contract, an

NUMBER CRUNCHING: THE ARC MASS TRANSIT TUNNEL

cubic yards of rock

cubic yards of soil will be hauled away

and

Creates

construction and related jobs for 10

years

permanent jobs will be generated once the tunnel opens

will be spent on construction

There are

annua l t r ips between NJ

TRANSIT and NY

Passengers make more thanthrough Penn Station daily

underpass for the new tracks at a major highway in North Bergen,

NJ, in April, and work will begin shortly. Meanwhile, the procure-

ment process for the tunnel segments is well underway; contrac-

tor qualifi cations are under review for construction of the tunnels

under Manhattan.

Boring will be done using a rock tunnel boring machine (TBM)

in each section under the New Jersey Palisades, under Manhattan

and in the Hudson River segment. The TBM for the Palisades tunnel

work will be started after construction of an access shaft in North

Bergen, NJ. The TBMs for Manhattan will be lowered and removed

through access shafts in Manhattan, and the TBMs for the Hudson

River work will be lowered through an access shaft in Hoboken, NJ

and removed in Manhattan.

Work will proceed on the new, 96-foot wide Penn Station Expan-

sion using conventional mining methods after the completion of the

Manhattan tunneling work. Five fan plants and three new traction

power facilities will also be built in New Jersey and at the new Penn

Station Expansion in New York.

Altogether, approximately 1.6 million cubic yards of rock and

330,000 cubic yards of soil will be hauled away by truck to close a

landfi ll and to cap a property in Kearny that will become a mid-day

train storage yard. The MTT project will help ensure the quality of

life and competitiveness of the New Jersey-New York metropolitan

region in the 21st Century and beyond.

Dilt.indd 55 15/6/09 12:28:31

What is technology’s role for transportation infra-

structure?

Ron Gant.Technology improves theworkwedoon

aday-to-daybasis. It affectsproductivity,qualityof

deliverablesandtheprojectcontinuum.Technology

is not new to the transportation industry. Early on,

the civil engineering industry readily adopted IT;

however,muchof this knowledge is now taken for

granted. Departments of transportation (DOTs)

and organizations such as the American

Association of State Highway andTransportation

Officials (AASHTO) and the Highway Engineering

Exchange Program (HEEP), were forerunners in

thewillingness toshare technology, ideasandpro-

mote softwaredevelopment of tools not yet com-

mercially available. These industry leaders

envisioned the ways in which technology could

bring about productivity gains, improved design

capability andworkflows, and process enhance-

ments—better sustaining the transportation life

cycle throughconception,preliminarydesign,final

design, construction, maintenance, operations

andback to conception.

What is the biggest deterrent to adopting new

technology and seeing the benefits thereof?

RG.The first primary deterrent is the failure to re-

purpose information. Information created in one

partofthelifecycleoftenendsratherthanbeingcar-

ried forward. For instance, roadwaydesigns creat-

edinpreliminaryandfinaldesignareoftenarchived

and are not carried forward intomaintenance and

operations.Werecreateinformationthatshouldal-

readybe inanexistingdatastream.

Secondly, lack of industry standards make it

difficult for us tomove through the transportation

lifecycle.Most agencies have their ownstandards.

In the US alone we have 50 DOTs, which means

there are at least 50 design standards. Time and

moneycouldbesaved if agencies sharedCADand

designstandardsforfinalcontractdeliverables.We

need tooptimizeourdata fordesign,maintenance

andoperations.

TRANSPORTING TECHNOLOGY


The US transportation system is forever grateful to the EisenhowerInterstate System and transportation advances made throughout the20th century. If the 21st century is to carry a similar legacy, it mustsustain that system for today and future generations, says Ron Gant.

EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

g

eer

Roads

Preliminarydesign Site and road

design

Design toconstruction

ConstructionOperations

and maintenance

Rehabilitation

Planning

provide the relationships and repurposing of

data to support theneedsof transportation. CIM

should not be misconstrued as just a project

model, but instead a systematic association of

data that reaches across multiple models, fully

aware of their dependencies on one another to

serve the entire transportation lifecycle.

What trends support sustaining transportation

infrastructure?

RG.Civil engineers, constructionprofessionals and

technologyprovidersarebecominginvolvedinBIM

andBrIM.Theseconceptsaregood,butneedtobe

expanded for road, drainage andwastewater – all

aspects that make it civil. Bentley and Autodesk

have agreed to share data andwork toward inter-

operability, takingthefirststepstowardintegrating

dataacrossvendors.Todaywestandonthethresh-

old of CIM; however, by being attentive and taking

advantageofthegroundworklaidbyBIMandBrIM

leaders, the civil industry should be able tomove

forwardmore quickly to facilitate the life cycles of

transportationprojects.�

Ron Gant has been involved with Bentley Civil products for 19years and currently serves as Global Marketing Director for CivilEngineering at Bentley Systems.

How can we best eliminate such deterrents?

RG.Agoodstart is to lookat theefforts of building

andplant industry leadersregardingbuilding infor-

mationmodeling (BIM).Thecivil transportation in-

dustry has lagged behind other industries in 3D

modeling, as well as creating information around

thosemodels.

Bentley has been doing 3D modeling for

over 20 years, which is essential for civil engi-

neering. Our work must be cognizant of build-

ings, utilities and other features around us. We

construct in 3D, we model in 3D, but what hap-

pens to thedata?Wemust combine3Dmodeling

with information modeling to create the civil in-

formationmodel (CIM). If dataflow issuesare re-

solved, the need to recreate data will be

eliminated, vastly improving ourworkflows.

What progress is being made at this time?

RG.Efforts shouldnotbedirected towards simply

constructing a singlemodel that incorporates all

data intoonemassive, unmanageabledatabase.

Rather, models are being constructed that are

data aware of one another andeachobjectwith-

in each individual model. A cohesive civil infor-

mation model, similar to BIM, is required to

Bentley Systems:may09 15/6/09 13:12 Page 56

BENTLEY AD P57.indd 57 12/6/09 11:54:43


systems to the promotion of public transport. But the allure of the

private vehicle is such that these efforts have failed to stem their flow

into city centers.

This is particularly true of New York City, recently named the second

most congested city in the US, after Los Angeles. Jams are a regular oc-

currence, causing drivers to waste hours of their lives stuck in traffic.

For Gerard Soffian, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Traffic Operations

Traffic congestion is the blight of the modern urban environ-

ment. The age of the automobile has put an incredible strain

on cities around the world. As traffic volumes have grown,

the arteries of the average city have become increasingly

clogged. Long a potent symbol of personal freedom, the car

has become a prison for many commuters. Numerous attempts have

been made to ameliorate the situation, from improved traffic control

As one of America’s busiest cities, New York is engaged in a constant struggle with traffic. US Infra examines its current plans and how congestion charging schemes from around the world might point the way to its future.

Gowith the

flow

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

TrafficCongestion.indd 58 15/6/09 12:30:50


so they’ll be aware either that there could be or delays ahead, or that

there are alternate routes that maybe they should be considering in their

driving. We have a large number of variable message boards where we

can alert motorists to future problems and issues.” All these activities are

directed from a command center where NYCDOT works with sister agen-

cies like the New York Police Department and the state Department of

Transportation, which has jurisdiction over some of the city’s roads.

with the

flow

for NYCDOT, keeping people and vehicles moving is a daily challenge.

Achieving this requires a combination of the latest technology and traffi c

management techniques. “We have a pretty ambitious program to use

technology to manage and to better understand how traffi c operates

here in the city,” says Soffi an. “We have over 450 cameras on street

within the city limits that keep us in close touch with what’s happening

on our roadways. If there’s an incident, we can report that to motorists

Upon its introduction in 2003, London’s congestion charging

system was the largest ever implemented by a capital city. To

say that it was welcomed by all inhabitants would not be true,

but few could argue with its immediate results; on its fi rst day traffi c

levels decreased by an impressive 25 percent. Critics argue that the

scheme’s launch during the school holidays accounts for a great deal

of this success, and debates about the scheme persist to this day.

Critics of the charge argue that it has harmed businesses and unfairly

penalizes those residents that live at the boundaries of the congestion

charge zone. Nonetheless, a Transport for London report on the fi rst

six months of the charge stated that the number of vehicles entering

the congestion zone was 60,000 less than the previous year and the

zone was extended west in 2007. However, the new mayor of London

Boris Johnson has promised to scrap the western extension by 2010,

after 67 percent of respondents to a public consultation voted against

it. In London at least, congestion charging seems to have a way to go

before it achieves total public acceptance.

londonIN THE ZONE


DUBAIPaYinG THe ToLL

given the opportunity to get out of their cars, they seem happy to take

it. However, there is another factor that could account for New York’s

success in coping with traffi c: the state of the economy. Across the US,

urban congestion levels fell signifi cantly over the course of last year.

Even Los Angeles experienced a drop of around a quarter from 2007.

High fuel prices, rising unemployment and the necessity to make every

penny count all contribute to the number of vehicles on the road. If this

is the case, we could only be experiencing a temporary dip, which will

rebound once the nation’s fortunes change.

It is the universal truth that an economically healthy city is a

busy one which has led to a mounting interest in

congestion charging. The thinking goes that if driv-

ers are forced to pay every time they enter a city,

they will do so less. In addition, money raised by

the schemes can be funnelled into improvements in

traffi c systems and better public transport, further

easing the burden on urban roads. It was this reason-

ing that saw New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg

unveil plans for a charging system back in 2007. The

move, which would charge cars $8 and trucks $21 to

enter the busiest parts of Manhattan, was ultimately

defeated by the state’s Assembly. However, elsewhere

in the world, congestion charging is an idea that is

slowly catching on.

Stockholm represents one of the most recent imple-

mentations and is probably the city able to demonstrate

the most compelling positive effects of the congestion

charging system. The success was so notable that in a

referendum following six months of trial operation, the

citizens of Stockholm voted in favour of keeping the con-

gestion tax system – probably the fi rst time in history a

population has voted in favour of a tax. Ingemar Skogö,

Director General of the Swedish Road Administration, is

clear that any controversy over the move has been well

worth it. “We have a positive experience from our road

charging experiment in Stockholm City, where we have

undertaken a fully automatic congestion tax in the city

center,” he says. “Our experience is that the congestion

has decreased by approximately 10 percent, and accept-

ance from the public is, overall, positive.”

In London, a congestion charging scheme has been

In addition to providing intel for the three agencies tasked with con-

trolling the roads, NYC’s network of traffi c cameras are also a source

of useful real-time information for motorists. “Many of our cameras

available on our website are so people can look fi rsthand and get a

sense of what the conditions are, what are roadways that they might be

interested in,” Soffi an continues. “The media utilizes these cameras as

well to provide travel information on news programs.”

But if the busy and slow moving thorough forces of the modern city

have taught us anything, it is that the only way to dramatically improve

things is to have fewer vehicles on the road. All the high-tech traffi c sys-

tems in the world won’t help if every NYC resident decides to drive into

city on a daily basis. For Soffi an, key to ensuring NYC’s continuing suc-

cess is encouraging people out of their private vehicles and onto other

forms of transport. It is an area where New York is experiencing some

success. “The traffi c levels have stabilized in many parts of our city and

we’re not seeing the growth that we have in recent decades,” says Sof-

fi an. “By contrast, we’re seeing a dramatic increase in transit usage and

bicycle usage is up over 30 percent during the past year.”

It certainly helps that the areas of New York City that are experienc-

ing the strongest population growths are also those that afford resi-

dents some of the widest transport choices. It seems that if people are

The proposed cost per car for new York City’s abortive

congestion scheme

Though Dubai’s Salik project became operational a month before its

Swedish counterpart, it remains a work in progress. Beginning with

tollgates on Al Garhoud Bridge and at Barsha on Shaikh Zayed Road,

further gates were added in 2008 on Al Maktoum Bridge and Shaikh Zayed

Road between the First and Second Interchanges. Though this implementation

is dwarfed by those in Stockholm and London, the conditions it seeks

to address are every bit as pressing to the Emirate’s road users. Dubai’s

infrastructure has struggled to keep up with its rapid expansion, turning the

daily rush hour into a virtual gridlock. The Salik tollgates only form part of

Dubai’s overall strategy to ease traffi c congestion. A new metro system, more

public buses and marine transport aims to change Dubai’s reputation as a

place where public transport is the poor relation to the private car. Current

usage rates for public transportation sit at around six percent. A massive media

campaign is planned to encourage its use by visitors and residents, with a

target to increase this rate to 30 percent once the new metro and buses are

launched in September 2009.




While some congestion charging schemes have been

criticized as a form of stealth tax, the Swedish project

has been confident enough to label itself as a tax from

the outset. Following a seven month trial period, the charge was

implemented on a permanent basis in August 2007 and covers

Stockholm city centre, virtually in its entirety. Drivers passing

through the automatic tollbooths are logged on their way into and

out of the city. Rather than pay on a daily basis, motorists are

issued with a monthly bill for their trips into the city, which costs

between the equivalent of one and three dollars, depending on

the time of the journey. What is particularly interesting about the

Swedish project is that when Stockholm’s residents were given

a referendum on it, they voted to make it permanent. Sweden’s

population is used to shouldering a fairly hefty tax burden, which

goes some way to accounting for this acceptance. It is hard to

imagine a similar outcome if the process were to be repeated in

many American cities.

Stockholm

had is we’ve actually seen a 66 percent increase in the

number of people cycling into London, which obviously is

a good news story.”

Given its well publicized traffic issues, it isn’t sur-

prising that Dubai is now pursuing its own congestion

charge scheme. The Salik project has introduced toll-

gates at some of the Emirate’s worst traffic blackspots

and is the first such system in the region. According to

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the board and Executive

Director of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority

the system is already proving to be a success. “Our

studies before and after introducing the Salik have

revealed that it has been a success and helped a

great deal in easing traffic congestion on the Salik

routes,” he says. Backing this statement up with

personal experience, he adds that his journey from

home to office, previously a 75 minute trip, has now

shrunk to just a quarter of an hour.

Steinar Furan, of traffic system provider

Q-Free ,lauds Dubai’s move in adopting a road

pricing strategy, but adds that it is only part of a

total solution to tackle traffic congestion. “The

Dubai RTA has been very brave and foresighted

when deciding to implement the first tolling

system in the region,” he says. “It is important

to understand that RTA’s intentions with SALIK

has always been to use it as a part of a broad

plan within ITS and traffic management in the

Emirate. We are now seeing public transport

coming into effect like the high-speed train

and buses. Where there are alternatives to the

private vehicle, the Salik system can prove

itself invaluable.”

As populations increase and the number

of vehicles on the roads continues to grow, we can expect to see

more and more congestion charge implementations. They may not

always be popular with the drivers who have to foot the bill, but it

is increasingly clear that they are a necessary evil. If the economic

heartbeat of cities like Dubai is to remain strong, it is essential that

their circulatory systems can flow freely.

While a form of congestion charging has already been rejected

in New York City, the idea hasn’t been completely forgotten. “It’s

something that we will always be thinking of,” Soffian confirms.

“Right now though we have to respect the will of the state legis-

lature and put that on hold.” Until such a time as paying to drive

into the city becomes more palatable, NYCDOT is working to find

other ways to ease congestion. “We provide priority treatments

on many of the roads coming into Manhattan for buses and high

occupancy vehicles,” Soffian continues. “We’re continuing to go

in that way, where people share the ride with others. We’re also

promoting buses and other forms of public transport. It’s a way

of using a carrot rather than a stick to encourage more efficient

travel.” n

in operation since 2003. Though there have been some predictable

teething problems, the scheme is now demonstrating a reasonable

level of maturity. “We’ve made hundreds of changes to the way

that the scheme works since it was first introduced,” says Graeme

Craig, Director of Congestion Charging and Traffic Enforcement at

Transport for London. “There was and still is no automated payment

system, so drivers have to remember to pay when they drive in the

zone. Sometimes they forget and end up getting a fine. So back in

2006 we gave drivers an extra day to pay the charge.” Next on the

menu is a fully automated payment system that should eliminate the

risks of driver forgetfulness.

Central to the London plans has been the fact that all money

raised by charges and fines for non-payment is pumped back into

improving the city’s transport infrastructure. As the scheme raised

a net figure of $217 million last year, Craig believes the benefits go

well beyond simply reducing the number of vehicles on the roads.

“Particularly we’ve improved the bus network,” he says. “We’ve

also made it easier and safer to walk around and cycle around

London. One of the impacts the congestion charging scheme has

TaxinG Times


investigations and stop all other business until the

problem was solved. The same urgency and com-

mitment is needed to stop these preventable

tragedies on our nation’s roads.

The average rush-hour commuter in the US

spends nearly a full workweek stuck in traffic each

year. Traffic congestion costs our economy billions

of dollars in lost productivity, wastes precious time

and fuel, generates needless emissions, creates

safety hazards and driver frustration and harms our

quality of life. Allowing congestion to grindour cities

to a halt every day is unacceptable, especiallywhen

we have the tools available to manage and reduce

this gridlock.

What’s more, the transportation sector is re-

sponsible for over a quarter of all US CO2 emis-

sions, in addition to other environmental and

energy challenges. Technologies are now avail-

able that can improve the fuel efficiency of vehi-

cles, reduce inefficient traffic patterns and

unnecessary fuel consumption, facilitate shifts to

transit and other non-motorized transportation,

and help sustain our environment for future gen-

erations.

Add to these challenges the fact that the

Interstate Highway System, while highly successful

andagreat enabler for America’s industrial and com-

mercial success, has celebrated its 50 year anniver-

sary and is very much in need of a 21st century

upgrade. The estimated annual cost to fix andmain-

tain our transportation infrastructure ranges from

$225 billion to $340 billion – far more than can be

generated by the current public funding system,

which is based on fuel tax. New, innovative financ-

ing mechanisms including increased private sector

investment are needed to fix our infrastructure and

build a safe, smart and energy efficient transporta-

tion system for the future.

ITS solutions are now working to reduce traffic

congestion and its economic and environmental consequences, help pre-

vent accidents and improve emergency response, give drivers and trans-

portationmanagers real-time information to dealwith roadway conditions

and enable innovative financing methods to pay for our nation’s trans-

portation system. The message is simple: we must make better use of

today’s technologies and innovations to solve our transportation infra-

structure challenges.

It is critical that state and local transportation agencies pursue ITS solu-

tions thatwill create jobsacrossnumerous industries including thehigh-tech,

automotive, engineering, IT,manufacturing andenvironmental sectors.

According to the Department of Transportation, an average of 50 per-

cent of ITS project spending is for direct labor as comparedwith 20percent

for new highway construction, making ITS an attractive investment from a

purely job creation standpoint. And, integrating ITS into transportationpro-

As the new Obama Administration works with Congress to

put in place new policy agendas to repair our ailing infra-

structure system, pass transportation reforms as part of a

new surface transportation authorization bill and advance

legislative solutions to other critical issues like energy, cli-

mate change and homeland security, 2009 looks set to be

a challenging yet exciting year. An aggressive agendaprovides anunparal-

leled opportunity to advance the deployment of intelligent transportation

systems (ITS) and related technological innovations that must play a key

role in solving our infrastructure, economic and environmental challenges.

Each year,more than40,000people die onAmerica’s roads and2.7mil-

lion are injured. That cost to America’s economy totals at least $230billion

– while the human pain and suffering is beyond measure. Imagine a fully-

loaded 737 airliner falling out of the sky every day. Lawmakers would hold


POLICY FOCUS

Timeforchange

Scott Belcher tells US Infrastructure why the newadministration needs to invest in technology if it is to trulybolster America’s transportation infrastructure system.

Scott Belcher ED:may09 15/6/09 13:23 Page 62

jects can significantly improve economic productivity by reducing conges-

tion, which is critical for businesses, truckers, shippers and consumers

whose jobs and livelihood depend on an efficient and reliable transporta-

tion network.

Tools like traffic light synchronization, incident detection and man-

agement systems, traveler information, electronic tolling, ramp signaling,

dynamicmessage signs,weigh-in-motion truck inspections and smart tran-

sit systems canall bedeployedquickly toput people toworkwhile alsopro-

viding long-term benefits in terms of less congestion, fewer accidents and

a healthier environment.

It is encouraging that the US DOThas also recognized this critical op-

portunity and has provided guidance through the Federal Highway

Administration recommendation that transportation agencies include

ITS and other operational elements in their transportation projects as

they work to effectively invest monies received through the economic

stimulus.

Wemust also not lose focus on the critical need for reform in the next

surface transportation authorization bill and the September 30 expiration

of the current legislation provides an opportunity to pursue new, innova-

tive solutions and build a smarter transportation infrastructure.

Many transportation agencies and businesses are incorporating the lat-

est technologies into passenger and commercial vehicles, highways, transit

systems and traffic operations centers. However, in order to accelerate the

widespread deployment and effective use of ITS solutions, fundamental

changes are needed in thenation’s approach to transportationpolicy.

What is neededThe current SAFETEA-LU legislation eliminated dedicated funding for

deployment of ITS, and provides only $110 million per year for ITS re-

search and development. These funding levels are grossly insufficient

to support the critical role that ITS must play in modernizing our trans-

portation infrastructure. The current law lacks proper incentives for

transportation agencies to use all of the tools at their disposal to im-

prove system performance. Dedicated funding for deployment and op-

eration ITS, combined with meaningful policy reforms, will result in

significant improvements in the transportation system while also pro-

viding tremendous opportunities for the ITS industry.

ITS America has beenworkingwith itsmembers to develop legislative

priorities for the next surface transportation bill.

Funding should be linked to aggressive performance goals to ensure

that the public investment results in measurable improvements in safety,

mobility and the environment. To improve the performance of our trans-

portation system, thenext authorizationbill shouldprovidededicated fund-

ing and incentives for public agencies andprivate sector partners to deploy

and operate ITS solutions that will prevent traffic accidents and fatalities,

reduce gridlock, improve the environment and build a smartermultimodal

transportation network.

While we are making better use of today’s technology, the next autho-

rization bill should at least double funding for research, development and

demonstrationprogramsthatwilladvancethenextgenerationof ITSsolutions,

includingvehiclecollisionavoidance technologies,advancedcongestionman-

agement systemsandnewapproaches for collectinganddisseminating real-

time traffic, transit andmultimodal traveler information.

A significant investment should bemade in the initial deployment of a

nationwide communications network between vehicles andwith the road-

way, knownas vehicle infrastructure integration (VII) or IntelliDrive, thatwill

enable the next generation of critical safety,mobility, commercial and con-

sumer applications.

The next transportation bill should also include major real-world

demonstrations of ITS-enabled financing alternatives for supplementing

andultimately replacing the current gas tax, including amileage-baseduser

fee and variably priced tolling systems.

While the ITS community is better positioned thaneverbefore tomakea

difference in the next transportation bill and other upcoming legislative bat-

tles, it is critical that the transportationcommunitycontinues tosendthemes-

sage to Congress and the new administration that the federal government

needs to begin investing seriously in the deployment and integration of cur-

rently-available technologies intoour transportation infrastructuresystem. �


100

80

60

40

20

0

19832003

ANNUAL HOURS LOST TO CONGESTION PER PEAK HOUR DRIVER

Very large metro areas, 1983 vs 2003

Atlanta

Washing

ton

Dallas

LA/LongBe

ach

Chicago

SanFransisco

Detroit

Miami

Boston

NewYork

Phoenix

Houston

Philadelphia

Average

Scott Belcher is President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America)

Scott Belcher ED:may09 15/6/09 13:23 Page 63

Over the past two decades, government

agencies have come to realize themajor

impactweather has onour roadway sys-

tem. Recognizing this impact, they have in-

creased their resources and tools to prevent or

avoid major delays and congestion caused by

weather. One of the biggest tools used tomoni-

tor weather conditions on the road system, es-

pecially during the winter, is Road Weather

InformationSystems (RWIS). RWIS stationswere

first installed and used in the 1970s and now

most US States have an extensive RWIS net-

work. RWIS stations gather both traditional at-

mospheric conditions and road surface

conditions to accurately provide information to

an agency’s maintenance and operation divi-

sions. Thedata assists them inmaintaining road

conditions and minimizing the impact to the

traveling public. On a near parallel path, traffic

systems and sensors were developed and de-

ployed tomonitor the flowof vehicles and these

sensors detect vehicle count, speed and classi-

fication andhave beenmainly used formonitor-

ing traffic flow in urban areas. Today there is a

growing trend in theUS to bring these two tech-

nologies together since they have a direct and

significant impact on each other.

The main challenge has been finding an

economical way to combine RWIS and traffic

sensing technologies into a single, usable sys-

tem. Once combined, agencies could better

track the impactweather hason traffic, andeven

use traffic flow data to determine when the in-

fluence began and ended. Another challenge is

that traffic and weather sensing networks are

not dense enough to provide uniformand effec-

tive data across the country, or even a region.

This is a result of traffic sensorsmainly beingde-

ployed in urban areas, and RWIS placement

beingdrivenby areas of the country that see sig-

nificant winter driving conditions. Finding rural

applications for traffic sensors and year round

applications for RWIS is one way to gain addi-

tional funding for creating denser networks. In

addition, government agencies are looking for

solutions that allow them to stretch their spend-

ing dollar by using existing infrastructure to add

features and capabilities. This approachwill help

them reduce deployment costs and recurring

communication costs to collect the sensor data.

To solve these challenges state agencies,

such as the Ohio Department of Transportation

(DOT), Iowa DOT, and Alaska DOT, deployed, or

are deploying, traffic sensors as part of their

RWIS stations. Each of these states has an ex-

tensive network of RWIS stations,which provide

a perfect platform to add traffic sensing capabil-

ities without additional infrastructure spending

or communication costs. The Ohio DOT chose a

wireless, intrusive pavement sensor that detects

both surface weather and traffic conditions in a

single sensor. The sensor uses magnetic imag-

ing to count traffic,measure speedand length of

the vehicles and measures pavement tempera-

ture, wet or dry road conditions, and provides a

chemical index for the detection of winter snow

removal chemicals. TheRWISand traffic data are

sent to Ohio DOT’s server, approximately every

six minutes. And in Iowa and Alaska they have

chosen a non-intrusive radar sensor for moni-

toring traffic conditions,which aremounted and

connected directly to the RWIS to measure traf-

fic data across four lanes of traffic – all from a

single sensor.

As this trend continues to grow among

transportation agencies, systemswill need tobe

designed and deployed to allow for multiple

uses and purposes. The solutions described

here produced a cost savings of installation,

communications and maintenance of the sys-

tems and increasing this sensor deployment

strategy can provide additional funding and re-

sources for increasing the network of data col-

lection sites. In addition, the value of the

network increases as more sites are added and

the systems configured andusedby theseDOTs

are the future of ITS sensor deployment. �

The synergy of road weather informationand traffic data


THE NEXT BIG THING

Jon Tarleton is Marketing Manager at

Quixote Transportation Technologies,

Inc. (QTT) and has nearly 14 years

experience in the transportation

industry. His background includes

operational weather forecasting for

RWIS clients, RWIS user training and

weather training, product

development and marketing.

RWIS stations gather both traditional atmospheric conditions and road surface conditions toaccurately provide information to an agency’s maintenance divisions. The data assists them inmaintaining road conditions and minimizing the impact to the traveling public.

By Jon Tarleton

Quixote NBT:may09 15/6/09 13:22 Page 64

QUIXOTE AD P65.indd 65 12/6/09 12:01:07

SPEND AND RECEIVE


Leslie Blakey explains the need for tactical investment in the transportation system.

STRATEGY FOCUS

Leslie Blakely:may09 15/6/09 13:18 Page 66


For a century, the Port of Cleveland has handled

bulk and break-bulk cargos, with an emphasis on products

related to steel production and finished steel. These

products move into the Great Lakes to Canadian and US

destinations, and out of the St Lawrence Seaway to

European markets. Exciting plans are underway to relocate

the port’s operations to a new, 200-acre facility on

Cleveland’s east side. The move will place the Port

Authority directly at the heart of an inter-modal hub. It will

be connected to ports in Nova Scotia, where partner ports

will connect Cleveland to European

and Asian markets. The proposed

new site brings together water,

road and rail access to provide

companies in Ohio and the

Midwest industrial heartland with

direct access to international

markets. In addition, the site is

adjacent to an underutilized

industrial area that will be

transformed into a 1000-acre

maritime/international trade district.

The move will accomplish

several other key objectives. It will

free up land at the Port Authority’s

current site to provide greater lakefront access to

Clevelanders for mixed use recreational, entertainment

and business opportunities, and the proposed new site

will provide the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

with a dredge disposal site. Adam Wasserman, President

and CEO of Cleveland County Port Authority explained

that USACE has a responsibility to maintain shipping

channels to a required depth. This dredge material will

create land that will become port property, making it a

win-win situation for the Port Authority and USACE.

For the third time in as many years, a major high-level trans-

portation analysis has documented the deterioration of the

transportation systemand the crisis our nation faces due to its

current fundingstructure.Thereport, released inFebruary2009,

was entitled Paying Our Way, A Framework for Transportation

Finance and was conducted by the National Surface

Transportation InfrastructureFinancingCommission,andputs thecrisisblunt-

ly: “Our surface transportation system has

deteriorated to such a degree that our safe-

ty, economic competitiveness and quality of

life are at risk,” it says.

Nowhere is this threat more real than

within America’s freight transportationnet-

work. The rapid and cost efficient move-

ment of goods throughout the US supply

chain – and particularly through our trade

gateways and corridors – is vital to secur-

ing America’s economic future and main-

taining our competitiveness in world

markets. Yet, the observable chokepoints

along the nation’s highways and in metro-

politan areas only tell a fraction of the story.

For example, traffic congestion costs theUSeconomy$78billion each

year in lost time, wasted fuel and vehicle wear and tear, but we are invest-

ingmuch less than that across our transportation systems to improve them.

Furthermore, congestion is not only an environmental disaster, it serves as

a trade barrier as well. Manufacturers and farmers depend on our multi-

modal system to get their products to internationalmarkets and American

businesses and families rely on the goods movement network to bring

products to their shelves and homes.

Trade in US goods totals about $1.8 trillion per year. In practical terms

this means, among other things, bringing seven million cars, 15,000 live

rabbits, 1.1 million tons of coffee and two billion ballpoint pens into the

United States; and sending 2000 aircraft, 367million books, $29 billion in

integrated circuits and 26million tons of wheat abroad.

The supply chain that carries all these products usually involves trav-

el over several differentmodes:water, rail, highway and air. There are com-

plex connections and infrastructuremaybeeither public or privately owned

and operated. Just-in-timemanufacturing and constantly moving invento-

ries depend on these parts working at top efficiency and reliability.

It is a testament to American ingenuity that for most of the last centu-

ry our supply chain and freight capabilities were the envy of the world.

However, for a variety of reasons, even though population and demand for

goods was growing dramatically, investment in the system was not keep-

ing up. Nowwe are facedwith a backlog of projects and no funds set aside

to pay for them.What’s more, estimates of these needs ranges in the hun-

dreds of billions of dollars.

IN FOCUS: PORT OF CLEVELAND

Port of Cleveland


Without a campaignof strategic investment to expand capacity and in-

crease efficiency, US productivity and global competitiveness will suffer,

costswill increase andgrowthwill lag. A new federal programshould be es-

tablished to address freightmobility, on allmodes, by adding capacity and

improving efficiency. In 2009, Congress will take upmulti-year legislation

to fund the federal surface transportation program, offering a chance to ad-

dress this long-neglected national asset.

The Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) has

proposed the creationof a Federal FreightTrust Fund (FTF) to facilitate imple-

mentationofanew,strategic freightmobilityprogramthat incorporatesana-

tional strategy for long term planning, as

most states donot have state freight plans

andtherehasbeennoguidingpolicyat the

federal level; away to focus funds onhigh-

priorityprojects thatwill returnnationaland

regional benefits; a fair andbalanceduser-

pay funding sourcewith revenues dedicat-

ed to freight projects only; and a

partnershipwith theprivatesector to lever-

age non-government funds and provide

transportation planners with the largest

toolboxof financingoptionspossible.

The impact of freight improvements

is substantial andwidely felt. Sustainable

goodsmovement lies at the center of our

productivity and quality of life, not only for the availability of consumer

products, but because of transportation’s impact on land use, energy con-

sumption and environmental quality. Improvements to freight infrastruc-

ture, through a combination of conventional infrastructure and

advancement in intelligent transportation systems, can result in reduced

congestion, better air quality and less time and fuel wasted. �


The I-5 Columbia River Crossing is a long-term,

comprehensive and sustainable multi-modal solution to

the economic, safety and environmental challenges

caused by the Interstate Bridge over the Columbia River.

The bridge and its approaches in Oregon and

Washington cause the worst traffic congestion in the

Portland/Vancouver metro region and the area is

recognized as one of the biggest bottlenecks on the

I-5 trade corridor, one of the nation’s top freight routes.

The bridge is planned to provide congestion relief, freight

mobility, an expanded transit service and greater access

to ports and industrial lands.

It will also offer new bicycle and pedestrian access

between Portland and

Vancouver. The bridge,

highway, transit and

cycle/pedestrian project is

set to cost between $3.1-

3.9 billon.

It is the last significant

lift bridge on the interstate

system and includes the

only stoplight on I-5

between Canada and

Mexico. Each year the

interstate bridge carries

about $40 billion in freight,

and this is projected to

increase to $70 billion

annually by 2030. With just

three lanes in each direction, the bridges strain to carry

135,000 vehicles each weekday. Congestion on this

crucial corridor already lasts four to six hours a day,

stranding motorists in their cars, stalling buses in

gridlock, and delaying freight moving up the freeway by

truck. By 2030, stop and go traffic is projected to

increase to 15 hours a day.

In July 2008, to address these issues, local agencies

endorsed replacing the interstate bridge with a new

structure, extending light rail across the Columbia into

downtown Vancouver, improving interchanges and

creating a world-class bicycle/pedestrian facility over

the river, thereby offering a long-term comprehensive

solution to the challenges on this section of freeway.

The project will significantly reduce congestion and

safety problems while improving mobility, reliability and

accessibility for all users of this section of freeway,

whether they’re traveling by automobile, truck, transit,

bicycle or on foot.

IN FOCUS: COLUMBIA RIVER CROSSING

The Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade

Corridors (CAGTC) is a diverse coalition of more than 50

public and private organizations dedicated to increasing

federal investment in America’s inter-modal freight

infrastructure. In contrast to single mode interests,

CAGTC’s main mission is to promote a seamless goods

movement transportation system across all modes to

enhance capacity and economic growth.

ABOUT THE COALITION

Leslie Blakey is Executive Director of The Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC).

Columbia River Crossing

“We are faced with a backlog of projects and nofunds set aside to pay for them. What’s more,estimates of these needs ranges in the hundredsof billions of dollars”


EMERALD INSIGHT AD P69.indd 69 12/6/09 11:56:16

America’s freight rail systemprovides theworld’smost efficient,

cost-effective freight rail network. It is vital to the economic

health of the American economy and keeps US companies

competitive inworldmarkets, pro-

viding some 43 percent of the na-

tion’s freight transportation, based on

ton-miles, more than any other mode.

The US rail freight network is almost en-

tirely privately-owned. This means that rail

companies must build and maintain tracks,

rights-of-way and signal control systems them-

selves. They also pay state and local property

taxes on their infrastructure, some $600 mil-

lion in 2007 alone. From 1980 through 2007,

freight railroads invested approximately $420

billion – more than 40 cents out of every rev-

enue dollar – to maintain, renew and expand

track and equipment.

Freight railroads play a vital role in the US

economy and they do it safely. From 1980 to

2007, the last full year for which data is avail-

able, railroads have reduced the overall train

accident rate by 71 percent and the employee

casualty rate by 80 percent, with 2007 being a

record year in terms of overall safety. Today,

railroads have lower employee injury rates

than most other modes of transportation and

most other major industry groups – including

agriculture, construction, manufacturing and

even some types of retail activity.

Freight railroads provide the nation’s only

privately funded transportation system, oper-

ating a 140,000-mile network. This requires

vast amounts of private investment. To oper-

ate, maintain and expand their infrastructure, the two largest railroads

spend more than the State of New York and almost as much as

California do on their highway systems. Other modes of transportation

rely on government funding to support their infrastructure. The ability

of railroads to fund this private investment is a tremendous asset and

benefit to our country.

If railroads couldn’t do this, the governmentmight have to find the bil-

lions of dollars necessary to fund the rail network,much as it already funds

highways and inland waterways. Otherwise it would have to spend vastly

more on highways to handle the business railroads carry, thereby forcing

an even heavier burden on taxpayers.

Freight lifting


Investing in rail infrastructure is vital for the continued health of the nation. By EdwardHamberger, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads.

Today’s transportation infrastructure is not adequate to meet to-

morrow’s needs, and that is true across all modes of transportation.

Before the onslaught of the recession, congestion was becoming a

growing concern on the railroads, on the highways,

in ports and in aviation. Economic growth is expect-

ed to double the demand for freight transportation

by 2035. But that growth could be stunted unless we

expand our transportationnetwork tohandle it.

For railroads, the need to expand is acute. A 2007

study by Cambridge Systematics concluded that to

meet the nation’s projected need for freight rail capac-

ity over the next 25 years, a $148 billion investment is

needed to expand capacity. Evenmoremust be invest-

ed if the growing demand for rail passenger services is

to be met because outside of the Northeast Corridor,

most Amtrak and commuter passenger trains run on

tracks owned by freight railroads.

Railroads have been investing heavily in their in-

frastructure. Over the past two years, freight railroads

investedmore than$18billion in capital improvements,

themost in history. It’s expected that railroads on their

own should be able to invest about 70 percent of the

money needed to expand the freight rail network. Yet

there remains a gap of about $1.4 billion annually be-

tweenwhat railroads can invest on their own andwhat

needs to be invested to handle growth. The gap grows

even larger when plans for expanded rail passenger

service are taken into consideration.

If that gap is not closed, about 30 percent of the

nation’s primary rail corridors will be approaching ca-

pacity by 2035. That would cause freight to shift from

rail onto highways, increasing fuel consumption, air

pollution and highway congestion.

Moreover, railroads are also a cost-effectivemode

of transportation. Basedon revenueper tonmile, on average it cost 54per-

cent less (in inflation adjusted terms) tomove freight by rail in 2007 than it

did in 1981.

Rail passenger and freight interests recognize the need to work to-

gether to increase total rail capacity and recently formed OneRail, a

coalition that brings together a diverse group of freight rail, passenger

rail and environmental advocates, united in the belief that public poli-

cies that support both freight and passenger rail objectives are needed

to maximize transportation options that enhance mobility, achieve en-

ergy efficiency, address climate change, boost economic growth and im-

prove quality of life for all Americans.

There is a strong public interest

in expanding the capacity of the

rail network so that more trains –

both freight and passenger – can

operate throughout the country.

The rail advantage includes:

• More fuel efficiency (a freight

train can move a ton of freight

an average of 436 miles per

gallon of diesel fuel, three

times as far as a truck)

• A cleaner environment (freight

trains pollute one-third as

much as trucks)

• Less traffic on our nation’s

highways (a single intermodal

train can remove up to 280

trucks from the highways)

• Similar advantages flow from

increased passenger rail

investment

• Beyond this, each billion

dollars in capital investment in

the rail industry creates 20,000

new jobs

BOXCAR BENEFITS

RAIL FOCUS

Edward Hamberger ED:may09 15/6/09 13:17 Page 70

the rail network. That legislation would provide a 25 percent tax incentive

for investments in new tracks and other projects that expand rail capacity.

This legislationwouldmake the tax incentive available not just to railroads

but to any entity that invested in projects that expand the capacity of the

rail network. For example, a shipper that invested in a spur to connect to

the rail network would be eligible to receive the credit.

Finally, the nation has been well served by the balanced rail regulato-

ry system implemented by the Staggers Rail Act of 1980. That regulatory

systemprotected the rights of shippers from railmarket powerwhile at the

same time providing railroads with new ability to react to changes in the

market place. The result has been an unqualified success. US freight rail-

roads are recognized as the international standard, providing the world’s

most affordable freight service.

As a result of theStaggers Act, a railroad industry thatwason thebrink

of collapse and faced with billions of dollars of deferred maintenance has

been able to invest some $420 billion to maintain, renew and upgrade fa-

cilities and equipment, providing the nation with billions of dollars in an-

nual benefits. Efforts by some special interests to reverse the Staggers Act

and return railroads to a regulatory system in which government bureau-

crats make all of the decisions must be rejected or else capital for expan-

sion of the rail industry will dry up. �

Thegapbetweenwhatshouldbe invested in railexpansionandwhatcur-

rently can be invested is significant. But that gap can be narrowed and

closed through adoption of public policies that foster investment in the

rail network. One way to close that gap is through development of pub-

lic-private partnerships in which the public pays for the public benefits

it receives while the railroads pay for the benefits they receive. The best

known example of this is the Alameda Corridor in Southern California

which connects the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach with inland in-

termodal rail facilities. It separated the rail lines from highways, im-

proving the fluidity of both the highway and rail networks. More than

100,000 trains have crossed the corridor since it opened in 2002, reduc-

ing air pollution by close to 10,000 tons.

Other successful public-private partnerships include ones inNorthern

California and in North Carolina where capacity was added to accommo-

date additional passenger service; theHeartlandCorridor from theAtlantic

to theMidwest where clearances are being increased to handle energy-ef-

ficient double-stack intermodal trains; theGatewayCorridor in the East and

the CREATE project in Chicago. Additional opportunities exist throughout

the country for cooperation betweenpublic agencies and freight railroads.

An infrastructure tax incentive such as the bi-partisan Freight Rail

Infrastructure Capacity ExpansionActwould alsohelp revitalize andexpand


Edward Hamberger ED:may09 15/6/09 13:17 Page 71


Today’s railway industry has come

a long way from the days of steam

locomotives, cabooses and hordes

of track workers performing manual

labor. Increased supply and demand for

goods has increased freight rail traffic and

economic changes and popularity of public

transportation have resulted in increased rid-

ership on transit and commuter rail systems.

Today, some of the heaviest freight trains in

the world, high-speed passenger trains and

sophisticated, purpose-built maintenance

machinery, keep America’s railways moving.

Plasser American Corporation provides

technology and know-how. Working in part-

nership with our customers we address the

industry’s most pressing Maintenance of Way

Challenges. From a small operation with five

employees in 1960, Plasser American now

has more than 200 employees headquartered

in a modern 170,000+ square foot facility in

Chesapeake, Virginia and our expertise lies

in high capacity and customized equipment

in all areas of track maintenance. Together

with our affiliates we have manufactured

more than 13,800 machines in 104 countries

worldwide over the past 50 years.

One of the biggest challenges today,

caused by increased rail traffic, is limited

track time to perform maintenance. Recogniz-

ing the demands for increased performance

early on, Plasser has continuously improved

on its machines and by using the assembly

line approach, Plasser also began to design

multiple maintenance systems installed on

one machine. These systems quickly became

the industry standard for many railways.

Some examples of technological im-

provements to maximize maintenance work

during limited track time are:

Tamping machinesThe first tamping machines were small,

simple machines capable of tamping one tie

at a time at a production rate of up to 1500

ft/hr. Today the fastest, continuous action

tamping machines are equipped with multiple

computers and a plethora of electronics such

as GPS and automatic tie detection. Some of

these machines are capable of tamping two,

three and even four ties at a time with pro-

duction rates as high as 7400 ft/hr.

Ballast managementConventional Ballast Regulators move

the ballast back-and-forth along the track.

With today’s high production tamping ma-

chines, these ballast regulators cannot keep

pace. Plasser’s Ballast Distribution System

is designed with the capacity to easily keep

pace with the high production tampers as the

ballast is profiled to the railroad’s desired

specification in one single pass. Its unique

design and proper use can reduce the need

for new ballast by up to 70 percent, paying

for itself within two years. With an average of

ASK THE EXPERT

Keeping America’s railways

movingBy Patrick Hofstadler

2800 tons of crushed-rock per mile, the Bal-

last Distribution System helps control cost by

spreading and profiling the optimal amount,

or reclaiming excess ballast and redistribut-

ing it somewhere else.

Ballast undercutting/cleaningThe purpose of undercutting and clean-

ing the ballast is to improve drainage of the

track. Lack of drainage leads to fouled ballast

and deterioration of track conditions, Plass-

er’s ballast undercutting/cleaning machines

excavate the entire ballast section and clean

the excavated material by separating waste

material from the reusable ballast which is

put back into the track directly behind the ex-

cavating chain. The design of these machines

has evolved from simple undercutting/clean-

ing machines working at rates of 700 ft/hr

excavating eight to 10 inches of material to

complete subgrade rehabilitation machines

that lift the track, remove up to three feet

of ballast and subgrade, insert geotextiles,

reapply new subgrade and new ballast,

replace old ties with new concrete ties and

exchange the old worn rail with new rail, all

in one pass.

Dynamic track stabilizationOne of Plasser’s most innovative ma-

chines is the Dynamic Track Stabilizer. This

machine is used directly behind a tamping

machine. It settles the disturbed track bed

in a controlled environment, thus reducing

the need for slow orders and allowing trains

to run across maintained track at scheduled

speeds.

Innovations like these increase produc-

tivity and track quality, allowing goods and

the every day commuter to be transported

safely and making sure they arrive on time. A

well-maintained track is a cost effective way

to keep America’s railways moving. n

Patrick Hofstadler is Sales Administrator for Plasser American Corporation

“One of the biggest challenges today, caused by increased rail traffic, is limited track time to perform

maintenance”

Plasser.indd 72 15/6/09 12:29:41

PLASSER AD P73.indd 73 12/6/09 12:00:49

Anew President – one who made

transportation infrastructure a

key campaign and ‘first 100 days’

issue – joins six new senators, 45

new members of the House of

Representatives, and a slew of new faces in

the US Department of Transportation and

White House domestic policy roles. Add in eco-

nomic issues and other pressing international

and budget challenges and many are left won-

dering: what does it all mean for the next

multi-year highway/transit investment bill and

for our industry?

We have a great deal of work to do in ed-

ucating these new policymakers about making

transportation investment a national priority.

And there’s no getting away from the fact that

growing the highway, transit and aviation pro-

grams is going to require the Congress and

President to boost revenues – no doubt a

heavy political ‘lift.’

As we progress through this ‘mega-au-

thorization’ year, one thing is clear: the trans-

portation design and construction industry

faces significant headwinds. Despite these

challenges, the American Road &

Transportation Builder’s Association (ARTBA)

remains bullish – not bearish – about the out-

look for increasing federal transportation in-

frastructure investment.

In recent years, when push has come to

shove, and in the face of heated rhetoric from

all sides, Congress has stepped up and ap-

proved increases in federal highway and tran-

sit investment. Last year, many believed a

solution to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) rev-

enue shortfall for FY 2009 was out of reach.

Yet, the Congress and President Bush got the

job done, even if it was only a one-year fix.

Our first test case will be the new eco-

nomic recovery package, which includes sig-

nificant new investments in transportation

infrastructure. ARTBA is continuing to work to

secure the maximum level of transportation in-

vestment possible as an installment on the

long term investment commitments needed

over the next decade.

As Congress moves further into the reau-

thorization process, it will face a difficult deci-

sion among these choices: cutting investment

as the HTF shortfall faces an even larger $20

billion shortfall, deficit spending, or generat-

ing new transportation investment revenue.

When the dust finally settles, ARTBA believes

Congress and President Obama will agree on

a solution that is both sustainable and robust.

The 2009 bill also offers a unique oppor-

tunity to establish a new transportation para-

digm. ARTBA believes the federal surface

transportation program should be reformed,

refocused, refinanced and restructured for the

future. The ARTBA plan has two distinct, but

complementary parts.

First, the current highway and transit pro-

grams must be significantly better funded to

preserve past infrastructure investments, and

address future safety and mobility priorities.

This will require a minimum 13-cents-per-

gallon increase in the federal motor fuels tax

to recoup lost purchasing power since 1993

and generate the revenue necessary to main-

tain current highway and bridge conditions.

The fuel tax should also be indexed to prevent

future dilution of these revenues. Public-pri-

vate partnerships, innovative financing and

tolling should also be part of the solution.

And second, part of ARTBA’s plan calls for

creation of a ‘Critical Commerce Corridors’ (3C)

program – financed with fire-walled freight-re-

lated user fees – that would focus on improv-

ing goods movement throughout the US. With

freight traffic expected to double in the next 25

years, it is critically important to fill the feder-

al policy vacuum in this area.

The 3C proposal calls on the Secretary of

Transportation to initiate a process involving rel-

evant public and private sector stakeholders to

develop a comprehensive strategic business

plan. We suggest starting with the 200 freight

bottlenecks already identified by US DOT.

What will these proposals mean for high-

way, transit and bridge users? Reduced con-

gestion, a significant drop in greenhouse gas

emissions, increased mobility and a renewed

focus on multi-modal, system-wide efficiency.

While the road to reauthorization may

have bumps and curves, now is not the time

avoid the legislative playing field. For the

transportation design and construction indus-

try, this can be a time of great opportunities.

Our industry and our workers can help put

America back on track to economic growth,

competitiveness and prosperity. n

A new focus: The road to 2009 surface transportationauthorization


By Dave Bauer

COMMENTCOMMENT

Dave Bauer is SVP of Government Relations

for the ARTBA. More information on ARTBA’s

proposals can be found at www.artba.org

or www.criticalcommercecorridors.com.

DAVE BAUER:may09 15/06/2009 13:34 Page 74

HUBNER AD P75 .indd 75 12/6/09 11:57:25

The road ahead

The ARRA projects will lead to the hiring of new

workers and the prevention of layoffs at firms

that would otherwise not have enough work to

keep good workers on.

Infrastructure investmentsFHWA began preparing for this rapid infu-

sion of federal dollars in our nation’s roads

and bridges as early as December 2008,

when news of the President-elect’s intentions

became clear. The agency assisted in drafting

legislation, prepared guidance and tools to

support implementation, and helped states

prepare their program of projects for advance-

ment – even advising states to take prepara-

tory steps before the legislation was passed.

Priority goes to projects that can be completed

within three years and are physically located in

the most economically distressed parts of the

country. The resurfacing and reconstruction

of roads, repair and replacement of bridges,

and other projects that have been ready for

months or years but have been deferred due to

insufficient funds will be able to move forward

now. Matching funds are optional and there-

fore projects can be fully funded with ARRA

resources.

The funds were made available to states

on March 3, 2009, well ahead of the 21-day

deadline specified in the law. In the weeks

since, states have moved at a swift and steady

pace to move transportation projects forward.

In just 48 days after the ARRA was passed,

nearly 2200 projects had been approved and

nearly a dozen states had obligated more than

50 percent of their ARRA funds for highways

and bridges – well ahead of the 120-day dead-

line. Many projects have been let or started.

Construction on others will start soon.

Accountability and transparencyWhile it is highly anticipated that ARRA

funding will be spent quickly for projects to

bring people back to work – the expectation

that every dollar will be accounted for is equally

pressing. ARRA is not only about the size and

The Federal Highway Admin-

istration (FHWA) is playing

a pivotal role in the nation’s

economic recovery and in laying

the groundwork for tomorrow’s

transportation system. Over the

past several months, FHWA has taken center

stage as a lead agency in the implementation

of the American Recovery and Reinvestment

Act (ARRA) enacted by President Obama on

February 17, 2009.

Creating and saving jobsARRA focuses on job preservation and

creation through infrastructure investment

by providing $27.5 billion for highways and

bridges. Through investment in highway and

bridge projects alone, ARRA is expected to

create or save hundreds of thousands of jobs,

through direct and indirect sources. First, there

is the direct impact of building new roads and

fixing old ones, leading to employment for

people who would otherwise be out of work.

Working toward economic recovery with speed and watchfulness. By King Gee, associate administrator for Infrastructure, Federal highway administration.


HIGHWAYS

KIng Gee.indd 76 15/6/09 12:02:41

economic recovery. Governors must first cer-

tify that the projects selected in their states will

create or save jobs. States must report to FHWA

on the progress of their projects and on how the

money is being spent.

Accountability and transparency are both

key tenets of ARRA, and are satisfied through

our agency’s website, which features daily up-

dates to state-by-state obligations and offers

links to state websites with project-specific

information. FHWA is undertaking extra efforts

to increase the oversight of ARRA funds and

is prepared for increased scrutiny on the part

of federal government oversight agencies to

ensure that funds are spent properly.

The future of transportationThe transportation community must move

quickly and effectively, and certainly it will be-

cause of the great need that exists for highway

and bridge improvements. The health of the

economy and transportation system is too im-

portant. Moreover, the work being done now is

not just for jobs today but also for transporta-

tion’s future. ARRA is being implemented with

speed, transparency, and accountability – but

it is no less essential that the nation’s trans-

portation infrastructure is being renewed.

The reinvestment in American infra-

structure made possible by ARRA will make

America’s highways and bridges – and tran-

sit, rail and aviation operations – better able

to deliver the mobility on which the nation

and our economy depend. n

For more information please go to www.fhwa.dot.gov/economicrecovery

“ARRA projects will lead to the hiring of

new workers and the prevention of layoffs”

number of projects and how fast investments

are made, but how effectively and responsibly

investments are made. While the FHWA is com-

mitted to providing maximum flexibility under

the regulations to advance projects, the agency

is fully committed to providing accountability

and transparency as directed by the President.

ARRA is accompanied by stringent report-

ing requirements for states on how their selec-

tion of road and bridge projects contribute to

King Gee.indd 77 16/6/09 10:00:01


An increased focus on public transport can provide big

wins across the board, says William Millar.Investment in public transpor-

tation must be a signifi cant

and integral part of any plan

designed to put our country back on

track. The Obama administration and Congress have wisely

chosen to focus on repairing, improving and advancing various infra-

structures nationwide in an effort to move America out of the economic

turmoil in which we fi nd ourselves. With that in mind, it’s important to

point out that public transportation is unique in its ability to be part of

the solution to so many of the challenges we face as a nation today. By

investing now in public transportation infrastructure, we can create jobs

and stimulate growth, reduce our dependence on foreign sources of

energy, protect the environment and improve our overall quality of life.

Demand in this country for public transportation is at historic levels.

We need to improve and expand public transportation’s reach to provide

services and offer the transportation choices Americans want. This fall,

the federal surface transportation authorization legislation will be up

for consideration – something that happens only once every six years.

Simply put, it’s the single biggest investment that the federal govern-

ment makes in public transportation. The importance of this piece of

legislation cannot be overstated. It’s the chance that cities and towns

across our country will have to improve and expand public transit service

to meet the needs of all Americans. The American Public Transportation

Association and our members are calling on Congress to provide at least

$123 billion (more

than double what the current

legislation provides) for our country’s investment

in public transportation. Public transportation represents the future

of public infrastructure in America, and it needs to be funded to meet

future needs.

By defi nition, public transportation includes vehicle services de-

signed to transport customers on local and regional routes. These serv-

ices include public and private buses, trolley buses, vanpools, demand

response services, heavy and light rail, commuter rail, automated guide-

way transit, cable cars, monorails and ferryboats. Each one of these

modes is designed to take us to our destinations. But together, public

transportation can take us all where America needs to go.

The economyPublic transportation can take us to a better economy. Investment

in public transit helps create and support jobs and engages other in-

dustries to maintain and improve the transit infrastructure. But transit

investment doesn’t simply create jobs; it creates jobs for American

330

9276

2

330

9276

2

TRANSPORT FOCUS

william miller.indd 78 15/6/09 13:08:01


workers who need them most. Two-thirds of the jobs created and sup-

ported by capital investment in the public transit industry replace lost

blue-collar jobs with ‘green’ jobs.

Every one billion dollars invested in public transportation sup-

ports 30,000 of these jobs in a variety of sectors. For every dollar in-

vested in public transportation, six dollars are generated in economic

returns. As is clear, perhaps no other infrastructure investment has

the ability to stimulate the economy and put people back to work in

good, green jobs.

When it comes to an individual’s personal economy, riding public

transportation can save an average of more than $8600 a year when

compared to driving. And that’s just an average. In a large metropolitan

area such as Boston or New York, an individual’s savings can be more

than $12,000 each year. No matter how you slice it, public transportation

is the smart choice for saving money.

EnergyPublic transportation can take us to energy independence. Current

public transportation use in America allows us to

eliminate 900,000 automobile fi ll-ups each day.

That equates to 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline

annually that we are not buying from overseas.

What’s more, by providing affordable, energy-

effi cient choices, public transportation allows

those who live near transit to drive as much as

4400 fewer miles in total each year. This means

that the average household residents in proxim-

ity to a public transit system are able to drive 16

fewer miles per day compared to those in house-

holds that don’t use public transit. That’s signifi -

cantly fewer miles driven and much less gasoline

consumed. And all of this is given the current

levels of transit use. With more investment and

more transit choices, each of these numbers will

grow. Public transportation truly is helping to put

us on a path toward energy independence.

The environmentPublic transportation can take us to a world with fewer greenhouse

gas emissions. Individually, there may be no better or more meaning-

ful choice we can make each day to help the environment than deciding

to use public transit. If a person switches from driving to riding public

transportation for a 20 mile round-trip commute, he or she can reduce

his or her personal carbon footprint by 20 pounds per commute. That’s

signifi cant, and adds up to 4800 pounds of carbon emissions per year.

In fact, these savings are more than the combined carbon emissions

reduction that comes from using energy-effi cient light bulbs, adjusting

thermostats, weatherizing a home, and replacing an old refrigerator

with a new high effi ciency one.

Overall, American public transportation saves 37 million metric

tons of carbon dioxide annually. If that doesn’t seem like a huge number,

consider this: it’s the equivalent of the emissions put into the air from

the electricity generated to power 4.9 million households. Still not

convinced? Think of it this way: that’s the emissions created to gener-

ate power for every household in Washington, New York City, Atlanta,

Denver and Los Angeles combined. Unfortunately, the truth is that with-

out proper and adequate transit investment, future growth in vehicle

travel will negate much of the emissions savings derived from advances

in better fuels and technology. With that in mind, APTA strongly supports

the inclusion of emissions reduction goals for the transportation sector

as a whole. But we strongly urge signifi cant federal investment in public

transit and other climate-healthy transportation to enable communities

and states to meet those goals.

Even the individual transit systems themselves are becoming

greener. Consider alone the number of hybrid and alternative fuel buses

that are currently being used and are being ordered today. Right now,

these types of buses make up about 30 percent of all transit buses –

vehicles that are up to 40 percent more fuel effi cient than conventional

diesel buses. Transit systems also have made innovative investments to

install solar technology and to construct facilities that meet new energy

effi cient standards. Taken together, it’s all more proof points that public

transportation is and can be the wise environ-

mental and conservation choice.

A better quality of lifePublic transportation can take us to a better

quality of life. In many ways, transit use can add

to our daily lives by reducing stress, increasing

exercise and providing increased opportunities.

Americans currently living in areas served by

public transportation save 541 million hours of

travel time each year. That’s a lot of time not spent

sitting in the car, stuck in traffi c. What’s more,

that’s a lot of time spent with family and loved

ones rather than in the driving seat. Not only does

public transportation lessen road congestion, it

also expands opportunities and transportation

choices. Transit provides access to job opportuni-

ties for millions of Americans as well as a trans-

portation option to get to work, go to school, visit

friends, or see a doctor. More than 80 percent of

older Americans say that public transportation provides easy access to

the things the need in everyday life. And it is a vital link for the more than

51 million Americans with disabilities.

As if that weren’t enough, consider this: when Americans use public

transportation, they walk more. Public transportation users are more

likely to get increased exercise that can lead to healthier citizens. Com-

bined with the reduced congestion and reduced levels of stress, it’s easy

to see how public transportation improves our quality of life. Because

public transportation is able to directly impact numerous challenges

facing our country today, it should be funded fully and adequately this

year and beyond. No matter the issue, whether it is the economy or the

environment – energy independence or quality of life, public transporta-

tion takes us there.

William Millar is President of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

“American public

transportation saves 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide

annually”

william miller.indd 79 15/6/09 12:05:02

Asphalt pavement infrastructure is vast in scale. Of the 2.6

million miles of paved roads in the United States, over 94

percent are surfaced with asphalt. Approximately 85 per-

cent of the nation’s airfield pavements andparking lots are

also surfaced with this material. Because of its extensive

use, small changes in technology canmakeabig difference

in greenhouse gas emissions.

If you look at a cross sectionof asphalt pavement, you can see crushed

stone particles of various sizes. These particles are held together by amor-

tar of asphalt cement (glue) and fine particles. These materials are com-

bined in amanufacturing facility. The aggregate is dried andmixedwith the

asphalt cement binder. Typically, the composition of the mix is about five

percent asphalt cement and 95 percent stone, sand, and gravel byweight.

How thematerial is manufactured and the ingredients used in the mix are

key to understanding the opportunities for reducing greenhouse gases.

The asphalt pavement industry is on the verge of several major ad-

vances in asphalt pavement technology that have the potential to trans-

form the environmental impact of the paving industry. The breakthrough

technologies arewarm-mix asphalt, reuse/recycling, Perpetual Pavement,

and porous asphalt.

Warm-mix asphaltWarm-mix technologies allow for production andplacement of asphalt

pavement material at lower temperatures than conventional technologies.

Runningwarm-mixcanreduceenergyconsumptionduring themanufacturing

of theasphaltpavementmixturebyanaverageof20percent.Thisequates to

aonemillion tonreduction ingreenhousegases.Since2004, implementation

hasproceededwithvirtuallynocomplications.Thestatedepartmentsof trans-

portation (DOTs)andFederalHighwayAdministration (FHWA)havebeenvery

receptive to the use of warm-mix. Agencies such as the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and

Health (NIOSH), and the labor unions are fully engagedwith us.

Warm-mix also makes it possible to increase the rates of reuse/recy-

cling even further. Research on this topic could be helpful in speeding the

rate of acceptance. Research funding will also be needed both for emis-

sions studies and for monitoring of long-term pavement performance.

Paving the way


How asphalt breakthrough technologies can lower greenhouse gas emissions.By Mike Acott, President of the National Asphalt Pavement Association.

ROAD SURFACES

Mike Acot ED:may09 15/6/09 13:19 Page 80

Reuse and recyclingTheuseof reclaimedasphalt pavement (RAP) has beenwidespread for

about 30 years, and today asphalt pavement is America’smost reused/re-

cycledmaterial. Every year,more than 100million tons of asphalt pavement

material is reclaimed. Virtually all of it is reused or recycled into new pave-

ments. A singular quality of asphalt cement in old pavement is that it can

be completely rejuvenated in the recycling process. It becomes an integral

part of the binder. This is referred to as the highest and best use. No other

pavementmaterial has this unique quality.

In view of the high reuse/recycling rate in many states and evidence

that the quality of asphalt pavements incorporating RAP is equal to or bet-

ter than pavements using all virgin materials, there is a great opportunity

to double the quantity of recycled asphalt pavement usedwithin five years.

For asphalt pavement, it is possible to reduce greenhouse gas emis-

sions simply by incorporating recycled asphalt in newpavements. Currently,

the percentage of recycledmaterial in a ton of mix is 12 percent nationally.

Doubling that to about 25 percent recycled asphalt pavement reduces

greenhouse gas emissions by 2million tons annually.

We estimate that we have 18 billion tons of asphalt pavement already

in place on America’s roads and highways. Because of the ability to reuse

and recycle this material indefinitely, our existing highways are a resource

for future generations.

Perpetual PavementPerpetual Pavement is the name given to an asphalt pavement that is

designednot to fail. Construction is in layerswhoseproperties serve a com-

bination of different functions; they all add up to an extraordinarily long-

lasting pavement. Surface distressesmayoccur eventually, but they donot

penetrate deep into the pavement’s structure. Routine maintenance in-

volves infrequent milling of the top layer for recycling, then placing a

smooth, quiet, durable, safe new overlay. A Perpetual Pavement never

needs to be completely removed and replaced. In theworld of pavements,

this is the ultimate in economic and environmental sustainability.

Perpetual Pavements canmitigate climate change by reducing green-

house gas emissions, both now and for generations to come. Perpetual

Pavements reducegreenhousegasproduction severalways. Sinceonly the


Mike Acott


AIRSTAR AD P82.indd 82 12/6/09 11:51:57

surface is renewed, the base structure stays in place, thereby signifi-

cantly reducing greenhouse gases associated with acquisition of virgin

raw materials, production of pavement material, and placement of the

pavement on the road or highway. Greenhouse gas emissions associ-

ated with complete removal and replacement of pavements that have

reached the end of their useful life is avoided. Taking a long view – 100

years or more – building Perpetual Pavements is a highly sustainable

practice.

Porous and open-graded asphalt pavementsPorous and open-graded asphalt pavements have been shown to have

a dramatic beneficial effect on water quality. These pavements have been

used widely for over 30 years with an excellent record of success. Open-

graded pavement is made with same-size rocks, creating a web of inter-

locking pores that allow water to flow through the surface.

Open-graded pavements are used mainly in two types of applications.

First, open-graded friction courses are widely used for surfacing roads and

highways. The pavement layer directly beneath this is impermeable. During

a rainstorm, instead of pooling on the surface or bouncing off it, rain drains

through the surface and out to the sides. Splash and spray are greatly re-

duced, enhancing safety. Second, porous pavement systems are stormwa-

ter management tools with an open-graded surface

over a stone recharge bed. The system is designed and

constructed to collect stormwater, which then infiltrates

into the ground. Porous pavement systems are used

mostly for parking lots, but they have also been used

successfully for roads in communities like Pringle Creek

in Salem, Oregon.

Both applications can be used to improve water

quality. Porous asphalt surfaces allow roads and high-

ways to function as linear stormwater management systems. Porous park-

ing lots store stormwater, reduce runoff, promote infiltration and

groundwater recharge, allow evaporative cooling of the atmosphere, di-

minish erosion on stream banks, reduce particulates in stream water after

storms, and improve water quality.

Asphalt for sustainabilityThe asphalt pavement industry has worked for the past three decades

to create and deploy these sustainable technologies. Three major environ-

mental goals – conservation of natural resources, reduction of greenhouse

gas emissions, and improvements in water quality – are not only achiev-

able, they are already being achieved by the thousands of asphalt compa-

nies across the country. Many, if not most, of the 300,000 workers in the

industry may be called green workers.

The potential benefits to the environment and the economy are clear,

and the challenge to the industry and its customers now is to ramp up the

implementation of these green pavement technologies. NAPA is not only

working actively with its partners in government agencies and academia to

advance asphalt’s green agenda, we recently testified before Congress to

ask for a major research program to help push deployment out onto our

streets, roads, highways, runways and parking lots. With or without the

funding from Congress, the industry will continue to pave the way to a sus-

tainable future. �


Asphalt recycling andwarm-mix pavingoperations in action



Few of the public may know this, but

94 percent of the paved roads and

highways in the US are constructed

of asphalt. Over the last two dec-

ades, a new approach to preserving

one of our nation’s most vital assets has been

evolving. Federal and State agencies have now

learned that proactive pavement preserva-

tion programs are the best means to optimize

transportation funding and ensure that tax

payer’s dollars are spent in the most cost ef-

fective manner.

Roads can be made to last longer when

the right preventive maintenance treatment

is used for the conditions to which that road

is exposed. Historically, the Federal High-

way Administration (FHWA) focused on new

construction and reconstruction and did

not consider maintenance to be a federal

responsibility. However, studies by the FHWA

examined a number of surface treatments –

including microsurfacing, chip seals, slurry

seals and ultra-thin hot mix overlays, as well

as not applying maintenance treatments at

all – and found that preventive maintenance

extends the surface life of a road in a cost

effective way, and therefore could be eligible

for federal aid funding.

Since pavement preservation mainte-

nance offers the States a way to increase the

return on infrastructure investment, the FHWA

field offices encourage its use and work closely

with State agencies on these technologies. In

addition, there is general industry agreement

that for every US dollar spent on pavement

preservation there is a six-dollar return in ex-

tended service life.

An effective pavement preservation

system addresses pavements while they are

still in good condition, before the onset of

serious wear or weather damage. If agencies

changed their maintenance strategy from

fixing the worst pavement first, to proactively

resurfacing their roads before significant

wear on the surface can be detected, their

overall efforts could be much more cost ef-

fective. Common techniques such as chip

seals, microsurfacing, slurry seals or thin-

lift overlays are the technologies used most

frequently, and by adopting the right mainte-

nance treatment for the right pavement at the

right time, the pavement can be restored to

almost the original condition.

The National Center for Pavement Pres-

ervation (NCPP) at Michigan State University

works with government agencies and indus-

try to advance and improve best practices

through research, education and training. As

part of its activities the NCPP has recognized

that use of polymer modification in surface

treatments further extends their cost ben-

efit ratio. It is currently conducting a study

for FHWA and it’s Federal Lands Highway

Division on polymer modified asphalt emul-

sions. This study is expected to help officials

decide what types of modifiers and additives

to blend with the asphalt binders used in

surface treatments. FHWA also recommends

that all pavement preservation applications

be polymer modified because of the substan-

tial performance improvement and road life

extension.

Pavement preservation also reduces

the length of time roads are under construc-

tion. Often a resurfacing treatment can

be completed in as little as 24-48 hours, a

significant reduction compared to complete

structural reconstruction. This faster resur-

facing time means fewer traffic delays and

less traffic congestion, which translates into

fewer emissions, less waste and less motor-

ist frustration.

Rising costs of asphalt and raw materi-

als over the last few years – and increasing

demand for limited capital – warrants a more

cost effective approach to managing our

roadways. In 2008, asphalt escalated to well

over $800 per ton in some regions, doubling

the raw material cost for the most expensive

cost component. Agencies are now finding

that budget dollars can go further by using

these cost effective strategies to increase

overall infrastructure and contribute to a

healthier environment.

BASF Corporation is the global leader

of styrene butadiene rubber latex polymers

(SBR) used in all types of asphalt applications.

For decades BASF has been helping road engi-

neers around the world improve performance

of their asphalt roads and highways. BASF’s

Butonal latex polymers increase the strength

and resiliency of asphalt roads under all cli-

mate conditions and thereby extend the per-

formance and longevity of the road. n

Pavement preservation

For more information about techniques to improve asphalt roads, please visit www.basf.com/asphalt

James andrews

James Andrews on cost effective ways to extend the

surface life of a road.

ASK THE EXPERT

“In 2008, asphalt escalated to well over $800 per ton in some regions, doubling the

raw material cost for the most expensive

cost component”

BASF.indd 84 15/6/09 11:59:17

Helping make asphalt roads betterButonal® styrene butadiene polymer dispersions increase the strength and resiliency of asphalt roads, especially at extreme temperatures. This helps your asphalt roads perform better and last longer under all climate conditions. So whether you are making hot-mix overlays, using pavement preservation techniques, or utilizing warm-mix asphalt technology to get more road life for the dollar, BASF can help.

For more information visit http://www.basf.com/asphaltCall 1-800-395-5152 and ask for James Andrews, or send an email to [email protected] or [email protected].

BASF AD P85.indd 85 12/6/09 11:53:26

The current focus on sustainable design and green building has

changed the way our industry markets its services. Successful

contractors are judgedon their qualifications to provide quality

and value in their services, not on their

ability toprovidea lowbid. As construction

professionals, we are now expected to provide supe-

rior services throughalternate deliverymethods such

as constructionmanager at risk or design-build on all

types of projects. With this new responsibility to our

clients growing each year, we should be enhancing

our skills andour credentials to bebetter able tomeet

these needs.

Discussions on sustainable development were a

key focus of the American Institute of Architects (AIA)

in 2004 and the Green Building Council’s Leadership

in Energy andEnvironmentalDesign (LEED) approach,

which created a newset of construction standards for public buildings. The

Portland Cement Association announced a sustainability program for ce-

ment makers, including a key element focused on education, making ar-

chitects and designers more aware of the benefits of concrete from a

sustainability perspective. Conferenceparticipantswere committed tomov-

ing beyond the general goal of green building to specific ways to achieve

sustainability in their various projects.

While the AIA conference emphasis was on design, it was their desire

to progress fromadiscussion of sustainability’s gen-

eral principles to detailed practical applications that

struck me as very familiar. Within the design-build

community, many practitioners have often been ex-

posed to basic principles of green design and con-

struction. It is easy for virtually anyone to tout the

advantages of sustainability and claim that they use

the design-build deliverymethod to achieve sustain-

able results, but how do we know their true level of

competency?

Training is fundamental and credentialing is crit-

ical. The biggest challenge for an owner is to deter-

mine whether the skills and capabilities of a

proposed project team will be adequate for the required tasks. At Sundt,

we have learned that there is no substitute for rigorous training, continu-

ing education and experience. Sundt has 34 employees who have earned

Certified Professional Constructor (CPC) certification by the American

Institute of Constructors, aswell as 154 employeeswho have earned LEED


Skills matter

Why the American Institute of Contractors Certification Program is good forbusiness. By David Crawford of Sundt Construction.

David Crawford

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

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HYUNDAI AD P87.indd 87 12/6/09 11:57:50


certifications. In addition we have 17 individuals with Professional Engineer

(PE) registrations and six employees who are Designated Design-Build

Professionals by The Design Build Institute of America (DBIA).

These employees are not just gathering titles and degrees. They are

gaining specific expertise that they will directly apply to future projects. We

mirror the belief of our design partners and key competitors that the com-

mitment to regular and continuing education is essential in gaining and re-

taining a competitive edge. Teams offering professional services are

providing quality and value alternatives to owners. Designers and builders

are working together as equals to achieve the owner’s objectives.

Procurement strategies are key. These enhanced capabilities mean lit-

tle if they are not recognized as skills that are essential to the job. Why

should a design firm or a contractor commit significant resources for staff

training if prospective owners do not state that they consider these capa-

bilities critical and worthy of additional value during the selection process?

If we want to ensure that prospective owners receive the highest quality

services on their projects, the increased use of qualifications-based selec-

tion methods, including construction manager at risk and design-build, is

essential. We undervalue and subvert the importance of the AIC certifica-

tion program, LEED certification, DBIA designation and other specialized

degrees when these competencies are not explicitly accorded value in the

procurement process. A reliance on low-bid serves as a disincentive to ac-

quire and use these specialized knowledge areas that are requisite for the

design and construction of efficient and sustainable facilities and infra-

structure. Owners need the best team at a competitive price – not the low-

est bid. But we won’t get there if we remain straightjacketed by a low-bid

mentality that puts little premium on education, skill and experience. A

highly educated, credentialed work force with cutting edge skills is essen-

tial for team success.

We encourage all of our people to engage in training for these certifi-

cations. Incentives have been created to encourage employees to achieve

these individual recognitions. Our clients and our industry will be better

served. I encourage each of you to find a way to engage your employees in

the AIC Certification process as well as the other certifications available to

contractors. It will only enhance your place at the negotiation table as you

work with fellow AIA and PE professionals to provide your clients with the

best solutions to their project challenges. Design and construction is in-

tended to be a team process celebrating quality and value. Enhanced qual-

ifications are essential to be a successful service provider in a team

approach to alternate delivery systems. �

On February 23, 1857, 13 architects met in Richard

Upjohn’s office to form what would become the American

Institute of Architects (AIA). The group sought to create

an architecture organization that would ‘promote the

scientific and practical perfection of its members’ and

‘elevate the standing of the profession.’ Upjohn became

AIA’s first president, serving from 1857 to 1876.

In 2007, the AIA celebrated the 100th anniversary of

its Gold Medal awards program. First issued in 1907 to

Sir Aston Webb, R.A., Hon. FAIA, the Gold Medal is the

highest honor that The American Institute of Architects

can bestow on an individual. It is conferred by the

national AIA Board of Directors in recognition of a

significant body of work of lasting influence on the theory

and practice of architecture.

With any individual (not necessarily an American or

an architect), living or dead, whom the Board believes to be

qualified eligible to receive the Gold Medal, the archival

records of the AIA’s national awards programs document

the recipients and reflect how architects looked at

themselves and their practice across different eras.

THE HISTORY OF AIA

AmericanInstituteContractors :may09 15/6/09 13:11 Page 88

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SITUATION:

CRITICAL


FEATURE

CriticalInfrastructure:may09 15/6/09 13:14 Page 90

Welcome to the Circle Interchange near down-

town Chicago, Illinois. Also known as the

Spaghetti Bowl, this express interchange sits

between the Dan Ryan, Eisenhower and

Kennedy expressways, its name referring to

the curving ramps that appear to form concen-

tric rings when viewed from above. It is an in-

tricate design, logically defined as a stack interchange, allowing turning

off in all directions, with each of the four main lines having a single en-

trance and exit to serve both directions of the crossing highway.

Following its construction at the same time as the Kennedy express-

way, the Circle Interchange went on to make history when, in 1965, the

University of Illinois opened a new campus to the southwest of the junc-

tion. Calling this new site the Chicago Circle, the freeway interchange be-

came the only one in the world to have a university named after it.

From collapsed bridges to leakingdams, American infrastructure is facingreal decline. US Infrastructure’s MattButtell investigates real life problems forAmerica’s roads, bridges and transitlines, and asks, “What’s next?”


“Usually, until there’s a disaster, youdon’t see this kindof politicalwill,

this push tomake something happen,” said Ramzi Mahmood, chair of the

civil engineering department at California State University, in a statement

hemade in January. Andeven then the impact canbe short-lived. Takewhen

the levees inNewOrleans failed in 2005, for example.While at the time this

led to widespread outrage, many of the nation’s levees still remain unac-

counted for, without an index of stability, let alone an inspection. And look

at the collapse of the I-35Wbridge inMinneapolis two years ago, following

which, there has been little attempt to increase the rate of repair or re-

placement for the thousands of these structurally deficient roadways.

However, this year, the implosion of theUSeconomy seems tobe com-

pelling infrastructure reform,and the timing, experts say, isperfect. “Anyex-

penditure into infrastructure today is an investment in and of itself,” details

Mahmood. “Infrastructure investment is also an investment in our quality of

life, asat thesame time it createsa lotofopportunitiesand

jobs thatareneeded to reallyprime

this economy.”

However, the Circle Interchange is also notoriously known for its

lengthy traffic jams. Local reports often reference miles of gridlock popu-

lating the junction, and, on thedayofwriting this very article, a police squad

car was reported to have “hydroplaned into a wall” by the Chicago Sun

Times, where, despite no injuries, hours of delays occurred. Since 2004 the

interchange has also been rated as the country’s third-worst traffic bottle-

neck. Approximately 300,000 vehicles use the junction every day, losing a

combined 25million hours stuck in its jams each year.

It’s a pretty harsh reality, but the Circle Interchange is just one exam-

ple of the state of US infrastructure and its extreme need of a radical

overhaul. But now, even as stimulus money and the forthcoming fed-

eral transportation bill promises to provide big injections for roads,

bridges and transit lines, experts warn that looming budget deficits

could still make it difficult to deliver the long-term investment that most

people believe is necessary.


CRITICAL

1

CRITICAL

2 Brooklyn Bridge, New YorkAs one of the oldest suspension

bridges still being used in the United

States, the Brooklyn Bridge is

considered as ‘structurally deficient’

under the federal rating systems. But,

while officials do not fear a collapse

of the bridge – the main span appears

to be sound – some of the

approaches to the structure have

been marred with rusting steel and

deteriorating road decks. However,

repairs are due in 2010, symbolising

that a country serious about its

infrastructure is prepared to take care

of its national icons.

Alaskan Way Viaduct, SeattleThere’s still no decision as to whether

replacing the roadway with a tunnel or

improved surface roads is the best

option, despite the earthquake that

damaged the structure happening eight

years ago. Meanwhile, every day, as

many as 110,000 vehicles are travelling

on the compromised structure, a traffic

artery in downtown Seattle whose

supports subsided by five inches after

the earthquake weakened the structure.


26 gallons of fuel each year due to traffic congestion. This adds up to three

billion gallons every year,which is the equivalent of one-fifth of a year’s im-

portedoil from thePersianGulf. In fact, infrastructure-relatedexpenditures

continue to cost Americanhouseholds over a trilliondollars annually,most-

ly in categories such as utilities and transportation. After housing, trans-

portation is the second-largest component of the average family’s

household budget, with 18 cents out of every dollar spent here.

But just how is the country going to take advantage of the promise for

a new commitment to infrastructure? How is America going to repair what

is broken and set the nation onanewpath of a cleaner, greener future?The

answer isn’t a simple one. Despite the recent commitment to infrastructure

as part of the recovery package, the federal government is struggling to re-

spond to thesemajor challenges. At the precise timewhen the nation des-

perately needs to prioritize its limited investments and resources, the

responsehasbeen to keep throwingmoneyat theproblemwithout any real

purpose, targeting or accountability.

The biggest issue for Katz is that the federal government is absent

where it should be present, and is failing to leadon infrastructure issues of

national significance. As he explains: “Weare simply incapable of focusing

on infrastructure issues that transcend state borders and therefore we’re

not experiencing the same kinds of economic impacts from transforma-

tional programs like the interstates […] the social impacts from iconic pro-


O’Hare International Airport, ChicagoBetween 2001 and 2006, O’Hare International Airport saw 68

runway incursions, with three close calls in March 2006

alone. A year later, the airport had the country’s worst record

of on-time departures with fewer than 65 percent of flights

leaving on time. While reconfiguring the multiple crossing

runways could help, it would cost millions.

CRITICAL

3

SustainabilityWhile it remains the case that no one can predict which bridge, levee

or water main will fail next, many problems are widely known, and work is

long overdue. After all, we need to begin rebuilding the nation’s infrastruc-

ture somewhere.

Much of the modern day infrastructure in American was actually built

at the start of the twentieth century, during the greatest age of construc-

tion theworld has ever seen. Iconic landmarks such as theHooverDamand

the Golden Gate Bridge, along with the interstate highway systems were

all completed during this investment-crazy, prolific era; and all of this was

closelymatchedby thedevelopmentof thousandsof smaller bridges,water

tunnels and roadways across the nation. The truth, however, is that these

investments were made too long ago, and the reality that Americans now

need to face up to is that their infrastructure is in real trouble.

America has been living off an inheritance of steel-and-concrete mar-

vels for too long, and fresh investment by the American Recovery and

Reinvestment Act offers an opportunity for redress. But while more funds

are definitely needed, how thatmoney is going to be spent is actually prov-

ing to be equally (if not more) important than getting those funds secured

in the first place. Furthermore, experts argue that while new information

technology, fresh engineering and advancedmaterials can help theUSnot

just restore but improve its infrastructure, America must first gather the

drive to get there.

Back in February of this year, for example, at the National Governors

Association’sWinterMeeting, BruceKatz,Vice President andDirector of the

Metropolitan Policy Program, discussedwith fellowgovernors the need for

a stronger infrastructure across theUS– and,more importantly, the reason

why thismust result in a sustainable future for the nation. “Put simply, our

infrastructure is in bad shape,” he said in his opening speech. “Fromnear-

ly 2000 ‘high hazard potential’ dams, to the 60 percent of urban roadways

that are in a ‘less than fair’ condition, to the 72,000 bridges that are con-

sidered ‘structurally deficient’, it is not hyperbole to say that our infra-

structure is crumbling before our eyes.”

Also noted by Katz is the fact that in addition to its condition, the very

design of America’s infrastructure is quickly becoming obsolete. The na-

tion’s air traffic control system, for example, is so outdated that it is con-

sidered one of the primary reasonswhy theUShas been unable tomake a

dent in its airport congestion problems. Further issues relating to current

transit systems continue to lay off hundreds ofworkers every year because

they neither have the ability to copewith skyrocketing demand nor the re-

sources to operate the existing system.

Then there are theAmericanwater systems, currently in suchbad con-

dition that leaking pipes lose seven billion gallons of clean drinking water

every day, and, further to this, today’s average American driver is wasting

“Many problems are widely known,and work is long overdue. We need tobegin rebuilding the nation’sinfrastructure somewhere”


France, they have recently merged their Ministry of Transport with the

Ministry of Ecology, Energy and Sustainable Development; in Australia

there is now an overarching Department of Infrastructure; Japan links in-

frastructure with land development and tourism, all in one agency; and

other countries, including theUKandGermany are already establishing in-

tricate networks of data, metrics, tools and techniques so that they can

make educated infrastructural investment decisions based on clear priori-

ties. “In America, change needs to come,” says Katz.

LegacyUntil the I-35WMississippiRiverBridge (officiallyknownasBridge9340)

collapsed on 1 August 2007, it had served as a transportation lifeline for the

growing Twin Cities population, carrying acrossmany of the SUVs, cars and

trucks that accounted for the42percent rise inMinnesota’s vehicle trafficbe-

tween 1990 and 2003. The bridge, an eight-lane steel construction, was ex-

actly 40 years oldwhen it plunged into theMississippi River twoyears ago.

Much has been documented about the collapse over the last two years:

13 people were killed, 145 injured; andwithin a few days of the collapse the

Minnesota DOT had announced plans for a replacement bridge, the I-35W

Saint Anthony Falls Bridge,whichopenedonSeptember 18, 2008.

However, Bridge 9340’s age and heavy use are by no means isolated

conditions, nor is it just America’s roads andbridges that are being pushed

grams like rural electrification […] or the sustainability benefits fromair and

water pollution control programs in the 1970s and 1980s.”

Katz also details the ongoing problem of compartmentalizing policies

on all levels. He argues that while families understand that issues related

to transportation, housing and education are all intrinsically linked, policy-

makers continue to keep these issues separated by placing them in spe-

cialized agencies. “In stark contrast to this,” says Katz, “our global

counterparts are beginning to provide the kind of leadership on infrastruc-

ture thatmany are now calling on theUS government to demonstrate. And

we need to learn from our global competitors in order to get more strate-

gic, integrated and disciplined.”

In Canada, India, SouthAfrica and Italy, for instance, governments have

introduced specialist units throughout various agencies to assist with the

expanding opportunities for public/private partnerships. Elsewhere, in


Lake Okeechobee, FloridaThree years ago, experts announced that in any given

year there is a one in six chance that the Herbert Hoover

Dike will fail, releasing waters from Lake Okeechobee.

Such an event would result in South Florida’s water

supply becoming contaminated and would leave over

40,000 waterside residents flooded. In 2008, a 1000-

foot long stretch of treacherously eroded land was

found near state-owned floodgates north of

Okeechobee. Nonetheless, for the 2009 budget

year, the government only allotted half of the

requested money needed for improvements.

CRITICAL

4


to breaking point. Just weeks before the col-

lapse of Bridge 9340, underground in

Manhattan, a steam pipe which had been in-

stalled toheat nearbyofficesback in 1924ex-

ploded beneath Grand Central Terminal propelling a giant jet of scalding

brownish steam toward the sky. One person died, 30were injured andNew

Yorkers were left scrambling for cover. Then, in April of this year, governors

in Illinois announced that theywould consider abill thatwould require com-

munitynotificationwhendrinkingwater is suspectedof contamination after

it was discovered that formore than 20 years residentsmay have been ex-

posed to contaminated well water due to neglect and badmanagement.

The issues surrounding the critical state of America’s infrastructure are

multilayered and complex. One argument is that the country’s infrastruc-

ture has not expandedwith its population, and that it was never designed

to handle such a high density of people. In fact, reports show that the

growth of the US’s population far outpaces growth in infrastructure, while

other densely populated countries such as Japan don’t seem to have this

problem because they were highly-populated countries long before mod-

ern technology was available. Therefore, as technology became available

(like subways and the engineering capability to dig huge water manage-

ment systems) these countries already had the knowledge of what would

be put on the infrastructure and built it accordingly. In the US, however, it

was never intended that current infrastructure should need to support such

a large population.

What’s more, according to a new report co-published by the Urban

Land Institute (ULI) andErnst&Young, theUS truly needs to rethink its out-

dated regional infrastructure planning process and create a viable frame-

work, or face compromising its ability to compete in a globalmarketplace.

The findings echo those sentimentsmadebybothMahmoodandKatz

and the report, entitled Infrastructure 2008: A Competitive Advantage,

which touches on the infrastructure needs in several of the nation’s largest

metropolitan areas, highlights the consequences of inadequate federal pol-

icy and guidelines that have resulted in “a mish-mash of disconnected re-

gional management approaches.”

The pulls-no-punches report says the US is headed downward and

needs to wake up to the dire state of its infrastructure, cautioning that,


“political will may only emerge when people face imminent reward or

immediate risk.” It also estimates that the US has at least a $170 billion

annual funding gap in addition to its outmoded land use and infra-

structure models. “America heads for a crisis in the next 10 years if

nothing is done,” the report warns.

“It is increasingly clear that the infrastructure funding gapwill need to

be addressed with public/private partnerships,” says Dale Reiss, Global

Director of Real Estate at Ernst & Young in NYC. “If the US fails to embrace

this model, it could lead to our economy falling behindmore of our global

competitors.”

“Infrastructure investment anddevelopment are having stronger-than-

ever implications for urban growth patterns,” adds Richard Rosan,

President ULIWorldwide. “If we continue tominimize transportation infra-

structure as a federal priority,we are setting our urban areas up for decline,

rather than prosperity. This country simply cannot afford to keep treating

infrastructure as an afterthought.”

And therein lies the biggest issue of all. America once had a trans-

portation system that was the envy of the world. Now it is more likely that

America is better known for its congested highways, second-rate ports,

third-rate passenger trains and a rather archaic air traffic control system.

Themajority of America’s greatest projects of the 20th century – dams and

canal locks, bridges and tunnels, aquifers and aqueducts – are either at or

are beyond their designated life span. The haunting images of contorted

pavements, stranded vehicles, twisted girders and heroic rescues which

continue to punctuate our news reports stand as a harsh reminder that our

country’s infrastructure cannot be taken for granted.

The fact is that America can afford to have world-class infrastructure,

but first it needs to publicly acknowledge the responsibility of neglecting

thebridges, roads andother essential hardware that have for too longgone

unloved. Then, andonly then, can the country hold its leaders accountable

for setting priorities and for policing what is required to repair its already

fragile infrastructure. �

Dover Bridge, IdahoIn 2008, a 30 by 30 inch piece of the Dover Bridge’s

deck was found hanging by its rebar, and in the National

Bridge Inventory the bridge scored an appallingly low

sufficiency rating of two of out 100. 5000 vehicles

continue to use the bridge everyday, putting drivers at

risk. To replace the bridge would cost $25 million, but

such funding is yet to materialize.

CRITICAL

5


Infrastructure in theUS is in critical condition, and the signs are every-

where. One-third of America’smajor roads are not in good condition

and 45 percent of major urban highways are congested. Leaking

pipes lose an estimated sevenbillion gallons of clean, treateddrink-

ing water daily. More than 25 percent of the nation’s bridges are

structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and the number of de-

ficient dams has risen to over 4000. The increasing volume of electronic

equipment and lack of uniform regulations for disposal is creating the po-

tential for high levels of hazardous materials and heavy metals in the na-

tion’s landfills. Further, despite lessons learned from widely publicized

disasters, many of the nation’s levees are on the verge of failure, placing

businesses, homes and lives at risk.

Substandard roads, water pipes, dams, and other infrastructure sys-

temsdrain resources, inhibit commerce, and threatenpublic safety,welfare

and the environment. Americans everywhere are feeling the impact of a fail-

ing infrastructure. Even more distressing, we were warned. For a decade,

theAmericanSociety of Civil Engineers (ASCE), a longtimewatchdogof the

nation’s infrastructure, has been issuing a Report Card for America’s

Infrastructure that assesses the state of the infrastructure in theUSandas-

signs grades to 15 critical areas, including roads, bridges, drinking and

waste water, and schools. Each category is evaluated on the basis of ca-

pacity, condition, funding, future need, operation andmaintenance, public

safety and resilience.

Decreased federal leadership, aging systems, explosive population

growth, public and political opposition to development of effective solu-

tions, a ‘patch-and-pray’mentality, and funding issues have caused a dan-

gerous decline in our infrastructure. Despite warnings raised by ASCE in

1998, 2001 and 2005, no significant progress has beenmade in improving

either the condition or performance of the nation’s infrastructure. Now,

decades of inattention and underfunding have left the US in a state of cri-

sis, wheremanyof the systems are unable to consistently provide the level

of service and safety the population demands.

By the numbersThe 2005 Report Card assigned a D to the overall condition of the na-

tion’s infrastructure and recommendedspending$1.6 trillionover five years

to improve conditions. Federal funding, however, has not met the recom-

mended level. When the most recent Report Card was issued in January


Urgent action is needed if the crisis in US infrastructure is not to infect theentire nation, says Wayne Klotz.

EMERGENCYCARE

WayneKlotz_ASCE:may09 15/6/09 13:32 Page 96

2009, theoverall gradewas again aD, and theneededfive-year investment

had risen to $2.2 trillion. In area after area, costs continue to outpace avail-

able funds. It is estimated that across all categories, the deficit between

funding and investment needs over five years is $1.1 trillion.

The numbers are staggering, and represent a real and dangerous

threat to the nation’s economy and the public’s health.

Americans. For example, spend 4.2 billion hours a year in

traffic at a cost to the economy of $78.2 billion – that’s

$710 per motorist. Poor conditions cost motorists anoth-

er $67billion a year in repairs andoperating costs. Current

spending of $70.3 billion per year for highway capital im-

provements iswell below the estimated$186billion need-

ed annually to substantially improve conditions. The rail

system is no better, as the Federal Transit Administration

estimates $15.8 billion is neededannually tomaintain cur-

rent conditions and $21.6 billion is needed to improve to good conditions.

The cost to replace the present systemof locks in inlandwaterways is

estimated at more than $125 billion, and estimates put the cost at more

than$100billion to repair and rehabilitate the nation’s levees. A $17 billion

annual investment is needed to substantially improve current bridge con-

ditions – currently, only $10.5 billion is spent annually on the construction

andmaintenance of bridges.


America’s drinking water systems face an annual shortfall of at least

$11 billion to replace aging facilities that are near the endof their useful life,

and the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the nation must

invest $290 billion to update or replace existing wastewater systems and

build new ones tomeet growing demand.

The current recessionhasput hundredsof thousandsof Americans out

of work and left critical infrastructure projects across the country incom-

plete. With unemployment figures rising, Americans are looking to

PresidentObama tonot only revitalize the economy, but to create andkeep

more jobs in the United States. Obama’s $850 billion Economic Stimulus

Plan is intended to address the nation’s needs and fuel the economy.While

the$100billion stimulus funding allocated to infrastructure is an important

“The deficit between funding andinvestment needs over five years is$1.1 trillion”


CAMPBELL SCI AD P98.indd 98 12/6/09 11:55:57

first step, given the estimated$1.1 trillion finding gap, the plan isn’t a cure-

all for the employment and infrastructure crisis andmust not be treated as

such. At best, it’s a down payment.

Nonetheless, the nation’s infrastructure has not seen this level of lead-

ership and support in decades. But it is only one piece of the complex puz-

zle thatmust include continued focus on the infrastructure crisis long after

the stimulus package is invested. As an important step tobolstering thena-

tion’s economic stability, this stimulus package must supplement, rather

than replace, long-term solutions such as regular appropriations and

scheduled reauthorizations that will ultimately rebuild America’s world-

class infrastructure.

The path to restorationFederal funding alone won’t fix the failing systems – it is only the be-

ginning. Restoring America’s infrastructure to the level needed to sup-

port economic prosperity, health and safety, and quality of life will

require a compelling national vision that is based in bold federal lead-

ership and that is shared by all levels of government and the private sec-

tor. It will require a range of solutions, including advances in technology,

regulatory changes, wise community planning, cooperation of state and

local governments, and involved citizens willing to partner with the gov-

ernment tomake real changes.

The stimulus investments canbegin to address the nation’s crumbling

infrastructure andprovide significant and lasting benefits for bothbusiness

and the public, but only if projects are selectedwisely and applied to areas

thatmost require federal support. In setting the investment priorities, pro-

jectsmust be selected on the basis of their ability to create and retain jobs;

solve themost pressing problems; and deliver measurable improvements

in public health, safety and quality of life.

Investmentsmust provide long-termbenefits to the public and can be

steered in the right direction by focusing on rehabilitating worn-out infra-

structure to increase safety and building new infrastructure to keep the

nation competitive in the global economy. Further, projects should pro-

vide substantial, broad-based economic benefit; be designed and built

in a sustainable and cost-effective manner; reflect life-cycle costs; and

have significant environmental benefits such as area restoration, im-

proved air quality through reduced congestion, and better watershed

management.

A healthier futureInfrastructure has adirect impact onpersonal andeconomic health. An

unhealthy infrastructure cannot support a healthy economy, and the infra-


Wayne Klotz, began his tenure as President of the American

Society of Civil Engineers in November 2008. Founded in

1852, ASCE represents more than 146,000 civil engineers

worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering

society. Klotz has served as president of Klotz Associates Inc.

since 1985, when he founded the company.

structure crisis is endangering America’s future prosperity. Given the limit-

ed funding, rising expenses andever-increasing backlog, attentionmust be

turned towardfindingways to reduceoverall costs. Innovative construction

methods and materials are key to the health of our nation’s infrastruc-

ture.Investing in research nowwill drive the development of cost-effective

solutions in the future.

Federal investmentmust beused to complement, encourageand lever-

age investment from state and local governments as well as from the pri-

vate sector, and users of the infrastructure must be willing to pay the

appropriate price. Further, all levels of government, owners andusersmust

renew their commitment to infrastructure investments in all categories.This

includes developing and authorizing innovative financing programs that

not only make resources available, but also encourage the most effective

and efficient use of those resources.

The nation’s once great infrastructure is failing. If investments are not

made now, the consequences and the cost to the American people will be

exponentially higher in the long run. However, with the right kind of vision

and leadership, the challenges facing US infrastructure are solvable. �



Correctly installing a fire system and

ensuring that it is properly main-

tained has never been a simple task

– even for the most experienced fire

specialist. This problem has slowly evolved

over the years. As technology advanced and

features expanded, the time to install, test,

troubleshoot and maintain fire systems has

increased dramatically. Advanced Fire Sys-

tems Inc. (AFSI) has recently introduced the AX

series of fire controls and accessories and the

technology built into this new line of products

has taken great strides in reducing the time re-

quired to design, install and test systems. AFSI

has also introduced innovative tools to aid in

routine system maintenance and service.

When installing a fire system, it is criti-

cal to prevent overloading of a circuit – es-

pecially those circuits that power smoke

detectors, pull stations, annunciators,

elevator controls, air handlers, sounders,

bells, sprinkler sensors and speakers. AFSI

fire panels contain built-in intelligent volt-

age and ammeters that monitor circuits

24/7, even during alarm condition; they

insure that the mission-critical circuits and

devices are operating within functionally

safe parameters; and can

be easily accessed by

service technicians at

any time on-site or from

remote locations.

With the advancement

of fire system technology,

circuits support intelligent

smoke detectors and I/O

modules as well as utilizing

alternating voltages and

currents during communi-

cations. This type of circuitry has made the di-

agnosis of circuit problems extremely difficult.

However, AFSI’s built-in intelligent meters

compensate for the alternating voltages and

currents to provide technicians with highly ac-

curate readings. These intelligent meters also

monitor and properly adjust the charging cur-

rent to the system battery, which is dependent

upon temperature readings and helps prolong

battery life. In addition, the battery cells are

supervised to determine if they can sustain

system operation during an AC power failure.

If they cannot, a service alert message to re-

place the batteries is generated.

One more feature supported by these in-

telligent meters is the triggering of a system

‘booster’ circuit during the loss of AC power.

This ensures that power to the smoke detec-

tors and other critical devices is sustained at

the appropriate levels and helps to prevent

false alarms as battery voltage decreases.

The AX series of panels also provide an

IP interface along with powerful tools that

allow instant system status review, remote

diagnostic interrogation and programma-

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Protection built-inMichael Troiano discusses the need for innovative solutions for fire systems and mass notification.

ble email alerts when the system requires

service or there is a trouble or an alarm con-

dition. Today’s fire systems require custom-

ized cause and effect programming for each

application. Advanced tools are provided to

perform design checks on these programs

and to flag any errors that would be time

consuming and costly to find manually on

the job site.

Fire detection systems are a vital ele-

ment in providing life safety protection and

solutions. The increasing demand to provide

mass notification systems presents yet an-

other critical element. Here at AFSI, we see

the two working hand in hand and following

successful product trials, AFSI will soon an-

nounce the introduction of IPX, an innovative

mass notification solution. IPX will interact

with IP infrastructure and take full advantage

of internet communications as a solution to

this complex life safety challenge. n

AFSI is a member of the Advanced Group of companies with offices in the UK and UAE. AFSI products meet both the NFPA/UL864 and EN54 Standards and are currently sold in over 40 countries.

Michael Troiano is a 32-year veteran

of the fire and security industries.

He has held leadership positions

in technology, operations and

business management for premier

companies in the US and Europe.

He has received awards for product

innovation, manufacturing operations

and business growth while serving on

industry advisory councils.

“Fire detection systems are a vital element in providing life safety

protection and solutions”

AFSI_INDINS.indd 100 15/6/09 12:26:43

AFSI AD P101.indd 101 12/6/09 11:51:34


At NFPA, we have a compendium of codes and standards as well

as various public education resources available that address

any number of infrastructure concerns – regardless of your

perspective or your particular interest. One area of interest to

NFPA relates to the availability and use of resources in the personnel

category. NFPA standards provide a series of personal protective equip-

ment criteria for the nation’s first responders – those very individuals

that we expect and rely on to come to our aid and support during any

number of emergences. Whether it is a fire, a hazardous material inci-

dent or an anthrax attack, our requirements set the bar for protecting

those who put themselves in harm’s way in order to help the rest of us.

Safety and resiliency of building systems and features is another

critical area of interest to NFPA. Many of our codes and standards

establish the requirements and protection measures for everything

from building exits, electrical systems and components, fire alarm

systems and automatic sprinkler systems. This collection of require-

ments makes the stock of buildings in the US as well as in many other

countries where NFPA codes are used, safe, secure and functional on

a day in and day out basis.

A third area of concern at NFPA relates to the disability commu-

nity. In the last 18 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act was

signed into law, tremendous progress has been made at increasing

and improving upon the accessibility to, and barrier free use within,

the nation’s stock of buildings. NFPA codes have worked to integrate

the federal accessibility criteria as promulgated under the Americans

with Disabilities Act/Architectural Barriers Act (ADA/ABA) Guidelines

that were published in 2004. These guidelines, which are at this

moment being updated, establish the level and criteria for accessible

use in buildings. Although not perfect, the ADA/ABA Guidelines are a

dynamic set of rules that are subject to interpretation and change.

While providing access to a building is important, the critical need

to provide a means of egress for persons with disabilities (PWD) is a

responsibility that cannot be overlooked by those entities which own,

operate and manage the buildings that we all live and work in. Evacu-

ation and relocation of occupants during a building emergency is a

fundamental action and any emergency planning component should

account for that eventuality. In very recent years, we have also been

paying more attention to the need not only to evacuate buildings, but

Disability evacuation planning is a key infrastructure component, says James Shannon, President of the National Fire Protection Association.

ACCESSALL AREAS

BUILDING SAFETY

JamesShannon.indd 102 15/6/09 12:29:12


to await rescue and assistance. All of

the actors are responsible for plan-

ning. Lack of planning and aware-

ness will easily make a bad situation

worse and can be catastrophic and

possibly deadly.

At present, many federal govern-

ment organizations including the

Department of Homeland Security

(DHS), the US Access Board and the

Federal Emergency Management

Agency (FEMA) as well as private

sector organizations including NFPA

are working to formalize and stand-

ardize the need to include the popula-

tion of PWD in their planning strategy.

In 2007, NFPA published and issued

the Emergency Evacuation Planning

Guide for People with Disabilities.

This guide, available as a free down-

load from the NFPA website, provides

information on the fi ve general cat-

egories of disabilities and the four

elements of evacuation information

that occupants need. The guide also

includes a checklist that building

services managers and people with

disabilities can use to design a per-

sonalized evacuation plan.

This past November, the US Access Board heard a report from a

federal advisory committee dealing with Emergency Transportable

Housing issues for the disability community. It is anticipated that

these recommendations will be put forth into the federal rule making

process and allow for changes to the ADA/ABA Guidelines. This will

help to insure that temporary housing arrangements for those indi-

viduals with disabilities who have to be evacuated and relocated as

the result of a natural or manmade disaster will be provided with use-

able living accommodations.

In February of 2009, the ANSI Homeland Security Standards

Panel-HSSP-hosted a workshop to review the current needs of the

disability community with regard to evacuation planning. Themes

of the workshop addressed what standards are already in place,

what standards need to be updated and what standards need to be

developed in order to codify the planning and preparation needs of

the PWD population. The scope of the workshop objectives discussed

the evacuation of buildings, campus environments, large geographic

spans and everything in between.

Infrastructure cannot always be limited to bricks and mortar,

steel and concrete, or roads and bridges. Proper and adequate evacu-

ation planning for those with a disability or special need must be part

of the infrastructure planning process, and if we all do our job, it will

be much easier to manage those unlikely but foreseeable events that

we all may face.

also in extreme cases to evacuate localized and

even wide spread geographic regions during

large scale events such as the September 11th

terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina.

That planning component must also account

for individuals with a disability and it is impor-

tant to remember that disabilities come in a

variety of forms. Mobility, sight and hearing are

the ones we think of most often. Cognitive and

speech impairments can also present special

challenges and will require that measures be

taken to address those needs as well. Since the

historic legislation that promulgated the ADA in

1991 was signed into law, we have seen an ever

increasing level of change to codes, standards

and other regulations that make buildings easier

to use. Detectable warnings at edges of subway

and train station platforms, level fl oor surfaces

and use of ramps to transition between eleva-

tion differences are the types of architectural

features that help to provide a more independ-

ent living approach for PWD.

The use of a visible signaling component

(strobe) that is activated when the building fi re

alarm is triggered is another safety feature that

is of benefi t to those individuals who are hear-

ing impaired. Modern era buildings are also

designed with features that we all use or pass

by but that we seldom notice. In some buildings,

stairway landings at exit doors from each fl oor may be slightly wider.

This is done in order to allow two wheel chairs to be staged side by

side until the occupants can be safely brought down in the elevator or

with a stair descent device.

In most countries, the elevators in a building are not kept in service

during a fi re event. While that restriction is being reconsidered in the

US, these same elevators that all of us rely on day in and day out have

been a key component in the evacuation strategy for individuals with

mobility impairments. These elevators can be used by fi rst responders

to evacuate individuals who otherwise could not negotiate the stairs.

Such features and procedures broadly fall under what in code parlance

is referred to as the accessible means of egress. The disadvantage asso-

ciated with this approach is the reliance on assistance that is necessary

when a building emergency occurs. While other occupants can freely

move down stairs, those occupants with mobility impairment are forced

“Evacuation and relocation of occupants during a building emergency is a

fundamental action and any emergency planning component should account for

that eventuality”

Individual with disability

What is the nature of the disability;

what are the limitations of

evacuation; what special equipment

is needed?

Building owner or manager

Who and where are the PWD in my

building; what is the nature of their

disability; what special equipment

and planning procedures do I have

in place?

First responders

Who is the contact at the building

for any special assistance or

evacuation procedures; who

are the team members that will

be assigned to this task; what

equipment or systems are available

for this task?

Key factors in disability evacuation planning

THE BIG QUESTIONS

Building owner or manager

Who and where are the PWD in my

building; what is the nature of their

disability; what special equipment

and planning procedures do I have

Who is the contact at the building

for any special assistance or

evacuation procedures; who

JamesShannon.indd 103 15/6/09 12:29:14


Following the attacks of September 11.2001, the National

Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States

(9-11 Commission) underscored the importance of interoper-

able communications during response activities. “High-risk

urban areas such as New York City and Washington, D.C.

should ensure communications connectivity between and among civil-

ian authorities, local fi rst responders, and the National Guard. Federal

funding of such units should be given high priority by Congress.”

The August 29, 2005 landfall of Hurricane Katrina along the Louisi-

ana coast made clear that interoperable communications were needed

well beyond the confi nes of “high-risk urban areas.” Consequently, to

address these issues, Congress established the Offi ce of Emergency

Communications (OEC) within the US Department of Homeland Secu-

rity (DHS). Congress created the OEC to be the federal focal point for

improving emergency communications operability and interoperability

across the nation.

OEC’s charge is both vital and complex. Estimates are that over

50,000 emergency response agencies exist across the nation, working

in diverse disciplines, geographical locations and under various juris-

dictions.

To complicate matters further, 90 percent of the emergency com-

munications infrastructure is owned at the state and local level with the

vast majority of emergency responders being state and local employ-

ees. This means that improving communications interoperability is im-

possible absent the cooperation and consent of local fi rst responders.

As a result, OEC takes a ‘stakeholder-driven’ approach to its mission.

Rather than issuing mandates, OEC supports states and localities by

providing the tools, guidance and coordination necessary for them to

enhance emergency communications.

The cornerstone of OEC’s efforts is the National Emergency Com-

munications Plan (NECP), issued in July 2008. The NECP is the fi rst-ever

national roadmap for improving emergency communications. The NECP

provides a comprehensive strategic plan for emergency responders

and government offi cials at all levels, and is designed to guide them in

making measurable improvements in emergency communications.

Developed with input from more than 150 emergency response

experts and government offi cials, the NECP truly is a national plan.

OEC created the NECP using information gleaned from the statewide

communication interoperability plans of all 56 states and territories,

national-level disaster after-action reports, and feedback from stake-

holders from numerous disciplines and jurisdictions.

The plan outlines three goals (see Key Objectives), supported by

seven objectives that are further broken down into related initiatives

and milestones. Together, the goals and objectives comprehensively

peaking the same languageA strategic plan for interoperable emergency communications. By Chris Essid, Director, Offi ce of Emergency Communications, Department of Homeland Security

ChrisEssid.indd 104 15/6/09 12:27:36


communications governance. Coordi-

nators act as point people and cham-

pions for emergency communications

interoperability efforts in their state or

territory. To support the coordinators

in their work and share best practices,

OEC created the Statewide Interoper-

ability Coordinators Council (SICC) as

a forum for information exchange and

collaboration.

To help fund state and local ef-

forts, OEC also provided grants co-

ordination through the Interoperable

Emergency Communications Grant

Program (IECGP). The IECGP provides

funding to states for implementing

key activities in the NECP including

governance, common operational

protocols, standard operating proce-

dures, training and exercises. Also,

OEC helped develop the SAFECOM

grant guidance that provides the

guidelines necessary to align federal

grant programs with NECP initiatives.

The NECP also calls for cross-border emergency response collabo-

ration. To accomplish milestones in this area, OEC is working closely

with Mexico and Canada to improve cross-border communications and

interoperability through a variety of initiatives, including workshops

and working groups.

For example, in May 2009, OEC partnered with Public Safety

Canada to co-host the inaugural US-Canada Cross Border Interop-

erable Communications Workshop in Niagara Falls, New York. The

workshop is part of OEC’s ongoing efforts to assist law enforcement,

border protection, customs enforcement and emergency management

agencies along the northern border to more effectively share informa-

tion and coordinate. OEC also co-chairs the Security Communications

Task Group (SCTG), part of the US and Mexico High Level Consultative

Commission on Telecommunications (HLCC) that works to improve

cross-border communications to combat border violence and improve

border security.

By supporting state and local efforts

and enhancing federal coordination, OEC is

working hard to ensure that the NECP is a

living document that can periodically be up-

dated and revised. Moreover, in these chal-

lenging economic times, it is more important

than ever that emergency communications

efforts are focused, unifi ed and coordinated.

The NECP provides the framework so that,

working together with a shared vision, fed-

eral, state, local and international partners

can move emergency communications to the

next level of interoperability.

address the primary issues affecting

emergency communications operability

and interoperability.

OEC developed the NECP with the

awareness that communications gaps

can exist for a wide variety of reasons.

Sometimes the issue is technology-related

– agencies use different radio frequencies,

or have incompatible proprietary com-

munication systems and infrastructure.

But just as often, the roadblock is a lack

of coordination and peer-level working

relationships that prevent the develop-

ment of standard operating procedures

and cross-jurisdictional, cross-disciplinary

collaboration.

Recognizing this, the NECP addresses

the full range of emergency communica-

tions capabilities needed by emergency

responders and maps those to the SAFE-

COM Interoperability Continuum. NECP

milestones range from the development

of technology standards, to developing a

catalog of federal level technical assistance and establishing best prac-

tices for emergency communications coordination with international

partners.

Over the past year, OEC has worked diligently, along with its part-

ners at all levels of government and the private sector, to complete the

NECP milestones in several areas. One key initiative is the establish-

ment of governance structures that provide the necessary leadership,

coordination and accountability for emergency communications efforts.

OEC accomplished this milestone by sponsoring workshops, work-

ing groups, technical assistance and grant funding. As a result, more

states now have a comprehensive statewide interoperability governing

body that brings together offi cials and emergency responders across

all levels of government to collaboratively enhance interoperability

throughout a state or territory.

OEC also has supported the establishment of statewide interoper-

ability coordinators as an important element of effective emergency

Chris Essid was appointed in December

2007 as the fi rst Director of the Offi ce of

Emergency Communications, within the

Department of Homeland Security. In

his position, Essid guides OEC policies,

programs and activities promoting emergency

response communications for federal, state,

local, and tribal governments, including the

implementation of the National Emergency

Communications Plan. He previously served

as the fi rst Interoperability Coordinator for the

Virginia Governor’s Offi ce of Commonwealth

Preparedness.

The National Emergency Communications

Plan outlines three goals:

By 2010, 90 percent of all high-risk urban

areas designated within the Urban Areas

Security Initiative (UASI) can demonstrate

response-level emergency communications

within one hour for routine events involving

multiple jurisdictions and agencies.

By 2011, 75 percent of non-UASI jurisdictions

can demonstrate response-level emergency

communications within one hour for routine

events involving multiple jurisdictions and

agencies.

By 2013, 75 percent of all jurisdictions can

demonstrate response-level emergency

communications within three hours of

a signifi cant event, as outlined in the

department’s national planning scenarios.

KEY OBJECTIVES

, 90 percent of all high-risk urban

areas designated within the Urban Areas

Security Initiative (UASI) can demonstrate

response-level emergency communications

within one hour for routine events involving

, 75 percent of non-UASI jurisdictions

can demonstrate response-level emergency

communications within one hour for routine

events involving multiple jurisdictions and

, 75 percent of all jurisdictions can

demonstrate response-level emergency

communications within three hours of

a signifi cant event, as outlined in the

department’s national planning scenarios.

ChrisEssid.indd 105 15/6/09 12:27:39


How can public private partnerships assist in the development of

effective emergency communication systems? What are the benefits

that these partnerships can bring?

Tanya Lin. Public and private partnerships are extremely important and

it’s vital for private industry and public sector agencies to partner up

before an actual disaster event. This way you know what your addition-

al communications resources are, know how to contact your vendors

when you need them, and that we’re here to help in these times of crisis

as well. Understanding all the assets that you have and creating those

partnerships before the actual disaster emergency is critical.

A tremendous amount of the infrastructure of the United States

is owned by the private sector; to truly be able to efficiently and ef-

fectively communicate at critical

times it is important for industry

and public sector to work to-

gether.

How do you go about building

these relationships? What are the challenges for a company like

Sprint in working with the public sector?

TL. It is important to always stay in the forefront of the technology,

and at Sprint we rely heavily on our front line sales and solutions en-

gineering teams to showcase our capabilities to our customers and

to gather the customers’ needs and communication gaps so we can

find solution sets to fill those needs. I think one of the challenges is

really in the understanding of all the tools and resources that are out

there and available for communication, and the role that the private

sector plays in that. Sometimes parochialism gets in the way. It’s also

important that there is an understanding of the technology and the

role that the technology can play on a daily basis. Then, when an event

occurs it’s not a new problem.

How important is it that emergency communications be standardized

and interoperable?

TL. Standardization is very important. The P-25 initiative is actually

going to bring a lot of benefit to the public sector community. It means

that you’re not going to have all of these disparate radio and communi-

cation systems trying to talk to one

another in a large, regionalized-

type event like a Hurricane Katrina,

where you saw multiple agencies

traveling in from multiple different

states to assist in the response

and recovery effort. So these standardization initiatives are extremely

important in order for us to move forward and improve communications

during incidents.

What are the technical challenges for you in terms of making these

things work and be interoperable?

TL. Technically we already have products that are interoperable,

Crisistalks

When disaster strikes, the ability to communicate can mean the difference between life and death. US Infrastructure speaks to Sprint’s Tanya Lin about the role private companies have to play in public safety.

“Understanding all the assets that you have and creating those partnerships before the

actual disaster emergency is critical”

EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

Sprint.indd 106 15/6/09 12:30:00


We have what are called SatCOLTS, which are satellite cell and light

trucks which utilize a satellite backhaul capability, microwave and

terrestrial T-1 to connect back to our network. The SatCOLTs are fully

self-contained, with mounted generators for power, and they’re built

on an F-650 chassis. So really you get in, you drive it to where you

need it to go, and then you set it up. You can use the satellite T-1 in

order to download the site load so that that truck actually knows what

cell site it is, and it can operate as an existing cell site. We also have

what are called fl yaway kits. These fl yaway kits are portable satellite

dishes and equipment that we can connect to an existing cell site. So

when a local telco cannot either provide a T-1 out there or the T-1 con-

nection has been severed, these satellite fl yaway kits provide the T-1s

that will operate that cell site and allow that cell site to connect back

to our national network. We have used these fl yaway kits for multiple

response events including Hurricane Ike. In fact, nearly a year later, on

Galveston Island we still have a satellite fl yaway kit attached to one of

our cell sites because they still cannot run the telco out to that site. So

it’s very important to be able to have these types of assets to restore

communications quickly.

Also, at Sprint, we have what’s called an Emergency Response

Team (ERT), of which I’m the manager. We assist and partner up with

fi rst responders. We actually have an emergency operations center

reservist program. So when there’s a large-scale type disaster – wild-

fi res or Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike – and they open those emer-

gency operations centers, we have bodies available to staff those

EOCs so that we can act as liaisons for those public sector agencies.

If they need any information on Sprint towers or we need to pass any

information from our network people to these public sector agencies,

such as to help facilitate access so they can get a site on air, that’s

what we do. We provide personnel, equipment and infrastructure

assets. We work with our network teams to ensure that we can put up

coverage in a certain location. We work with our sales teams to talk to

those customers, so we know where we need that augmented com-

munication. We also have over 25,000 handsets in inventory that we

loan to state and local agencies during times of crisis and disasters so

that they have those extra communication devices when needed.

and that we are using, such as audio cross-connect devices and ACU

devices, which allow our Nextel Direct Connect product to be P-25

compliant. From a Sprint standpoint we are able to interoperate with

multiple disparate radio systems and P-25 compliant radio systems to

bring interoperable communications to the fi eld for everyday use and

during disasters or times of crisis.

What are the technologies that are currently driving the communica-

tion space, and do you see any major game-changing innovations

coming along in the near future?

TL. The technologies are constantly evolving and changing. There are

multiple different technologies out there that use both the existing

infrastructure and new infrastructure. Right now a lot of technologies

are utilizing voice-over IP, operating over satellite systems and SMS

technologies for mass public notifi cations. There are a lot of different

technologies out there, so it’s all about les-

sons learned. You have a disaster, you go

back and look at what worked, and what

didn’t. The Santa Barbara wildfi res are just

now wrapping up in California, and they are

providing us with a lot of real-world experi-

ence. It’s about communicating with the

community itself, with emergency services

and between fi rst responders so that they

can work to resolve the crisis quickly with

minimal loss of life and property. At Sprint,

it is important for us to complete our own

internal after-action reviews. We ask our-

selves what worked, what didn’t, and how

can we make our program better? The public

sector agencies do the exact same thing as well. So you’ll fi nd after each

emergency or disaster that technology will evolve to fi ll in the gaps.

Technology plays a big part in these communications, but what role

does the human side of the equation play in building these reliable

and secure systems?

TL. I think the human factor plays a big role in it because what we’re

talking about is leadership. Look at what George Foresman would say

when he was with the Department of Homeland Security. He would

tell you the technology existed; it was the human factor that really

played a big role in terms of making the decisions and ensuring that

there was that effort there to really look to bring the different disci-

plines together. It was down to people to ensure that they could talk

to each other and that they would get out of their own way and really

focus on the task at hand.

You mentioned the California wildfi res as a situation where these

communications have been successfully deployed. Are there any

other examples you could give me where your technology has been

successfully deployed?

TL. From a Sprint perspective we have multiple assets that we can

deploy to augment our current existing coverage, or to supplement

a tower that may have gone down due to disaster or emergency.

Tanya Lin is the Manager of Operations for the

Sprint Emergency Response Team (ERT).

In this role, she has national responsibility

for the operations and direction of Sprint

ERT, a one-of-a-kind elite rapid response

communications organization that provides

interoperability and communication

augmentation for Federal, State

and Local Public Safety, Law

Enforcement, Military agencies

and Enterprise clients.

For further information, please go to www.sprint.com/ert

Sprint.indd 107 15/6/09 12:30:03

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State of emergency

to a CAD system in another PSAP, then they’re potentially not as

effective as they could be, so we’re seeing some CAD systems

that are starting to tackle this simply by incorporating other com-

ponents into a basic CAD system.

We are making progress in this area. We’ve just had a stand-

ard published through, the American National Standards Insti-

tute (ANSI) that deals with CAD systems communicating with

external systems, primarily alarm monitoring companies. To put

it as simply as possible, when the alarm company gets an alarm

activated at a business or a residence, they can push the data

out through the system into a PSAP without actually ever having

to pick up the telephone and call the PSAP. On the PSAP end, it

will actually display on the dispatcher’s screen as a call already

input into their system, which eliminates a lot of the processing

errors that could take place, such people being unfamiliar with a

particular area, certain colloquialisms or how street names are

pronounced. It also speeds the process up because you aren’t

wasting time looking for a number, trying to dial it and calling

the PSAP.

There are more standards being proposed and developed to

deal with CAD systems doing the same thing. Once the technol-

These are interesting times in the emergency response

space. Some of the current computer aided dispatch

systems are starting to add things that in the past

were optional bells and whistles into their base

models. We’re seeing computer aided dispatch sys-

tems that are coming standard with AVL systems with

mapping and GIS components, even with some level of records

management, whether it’s a typical law enforcement records

management or a jail or corrections records management system.

We’re seeing more case systems now that are all encompassing.

Things that have been done in the past as bits and pieces are now

becoming part of the basic package. It’s a good thing because

it’s more cost effective for the Public Safety Answering Point, but

more importantly, it streamlines the operations.

You have fewer worries about interfaces and making one

system communicate with the other. One of the biggest hurdles

that we’re challenging right now is interoperability when it comes

to computer aided dispatch systems and data overall. We’ve had

people beating the drum for radio interoperability for years, but

people are just starting to realize that data interoperability is just

as important as radio interoperability. If a CAD system can’t talk

The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials’ Bob Smith explains the technological and human challenges facing emergency responders.

BOB SMITH ED P110,111,113.indd 110 15/6/09 09:43:30


tion crisis in public safety communications. In the United States,

the shortage of nurses and teachers is fairly well known. Ironically

enough, this shortage is factoring in about 15 to 17 percent turno-

ver rate. By contrast, the public safety communications industry is

experiencing a 19 percent turnover rate. We are in an even greater

crisis, but fewer people know about it. The problem with that is that

there are PSAP’s across the country and around the world training

people that may not stay with them more than a year or two. A tre-

mendous amount of time and money can be

invested in this person just to see them turn

around and leave. But more importantly, the

greater impact, is you’ll have PSAP’s that

have an entire staff with less than two to three

years’ experience in their position.

There are many reasons why these staffing

problems are happening. Obviously you have

the typical shift work issues, working midnight

shifts, weekends, holidays, being away from

your family, all of the things that come with

shift work. But the situation of understaffing

makes these problems even worse. You have a

tremendous amount of overtime because the

fewer people on staff, the greater the need for

it. You have people that are working a tremendous amount of over-

time to compensate for the fact that they are so shorthanded, so it’s a

pretty vicious cycle. Everyone is short staffed, so the people they do

have start to burn out faster. And then they leave.

There’s also the inherent nature of the job, and there is a huge

amount of stress that comes with dealing with people for up to 12

hours a day, who are in life or death situations and knowing that a

single number key pushed wrong could potentially be an error that

could cost someone their life. There’s a high amount of stress involved

ogy is in place it would enable a of improvement. An example would

be, you are in PSAP A and you take a wireless call from someone on

the interstate who actually happens to be in the next county, but

because of the technology of cellular telephones, the call bounced

into you. Rather than taking their information and calling the other

PSAP or transferring that caller, you can actually enter the data into

your CAD system and push it out to the correct PSAP. It would im-

mediately display as a call already logged into the system.

Another example would be if you are in

PSAP A and you have an incident where you

need mutual aid from a neighboring PSAP,

whether it’s another law enforcement agency,

or another fire agency, or another ambulance.

Rather than taking the time to call that other

PSAP and say, “We need this fire truck or

this ambulance or this many police officers

to go here and this is what we’ve got going

on,” they can push that data out to the other

PSAP, straight into their CAD system. Again

this populates the field on the dispatcher’s

end as a call already in their system and then

they just dispatch it, just as they would if a

call taker took the call on their end. With that

standard out there, and other standards being developed, I think it’s

just a matter of time.

I think we’re looking at no more than a couple of years before we

achieve this because as CAD vendors improve their systems and put

their new products and newer versions and additions on the market,

they’ll start to incorporate these things that the public safety side at

least has determined that we need. It’s a proactive approach versus

reactive, where we’re pushing out to them saying, “This is the kind of

thing we need you guys to develop and work on,” rather than them

coming to us and saying, “Here’s what we’ve built and

we will sell it to you.”

This change is really important. For years it’s

always been the commercial side of the industry, the

CAD vendors who have been pushing things. They

had a baseline concept of what PSAP’s needed and

they had historical data they’d collected and put into

a system. Now the roles have shifted. There are more

CAD vendors on the market now and everyone is striv-

ing to come to the top. In order to do that, they’re get-

ting much more intimate with the PSAP’s and learning

more about what we need and what we are doing. The

result of that is the PSAP’s are starting to dictate what

CAD systems should and shouldn’t be able to do. The

roles have reversed because now we’re saying, “I need

a CAD system that can do X, Y and Z. Yours can do X and

Y, but you can’t do Z, so I’m going to the next guy.”

In truth, some of the most significant chal-

lenges we’re currently facing aren’t technological,

but human. The biggest thing right now is bodies

in seats. We have a tremendous staffing and reten-

“In truth, some of the most significant challenges we’re currently facing aren’t technological, but human”


KENWOOD AD P112.indd 112 12/6/09 11:58:37


especially in the current economic climate. But there are a lot of things

that are much simpler and some that are relatively cost effective and

some that are even free. For example, little things like employee rec-

ognition. Every year in April, we run National Public Safety Telecom-

munications Week. This event is recognized by most states and has

received presidential and congressional declarations. It’s just about

taking time to appreciate public safety telecommunicators. As well

as making people in the job feel respected, it publicizes that there

this entire industry of highly dedicated, professional public safety

communications personnel who are there day in, day out, to protect

you whether you’re calling them with an emergency or you’re a police

offi cer making a traffi c stop. Things like that cost next to nothing but

they can have a big impact on morale.

Beyond that, it’s reaching out and explaining to people exactly

what the 911 telecommunicator does so that it becomes a more at-

tractive career option. You would be hard pressed to fi nd a kid any-

where in the country that says, “When I grow up I want to be a 911

dispatcher.” Educating them to what we do and how we do it is really

important. Then we get more qualifi ed candidates applying for these

positions so that we can rely on them to make it through training,

become an effective part of the staff and ultimately stay with us for

a decent amount of time.

in that, and there’s stress just from answering the phone. Nobody ever

calls 911 because they’re having a good day.

There are also issues with the industry overall. Public safety com-

munications personnel are typically very low paid. The salaries are not

commensurate with the workload. They are not very well respected in

the public safety industry because for years the telecommunicators

were simply secretaries, answering the phone, taking messages and

passing it on.

We’re starting to overcome that prejudice with certain levels of

certifi cations and standards and professionalism within the industry,

but there’s still a hint of that around, Beyond that, 911, 999, 112, wher-

ever you are in the world, the problem behind it is that the commu-

nications component of public safety is transparent to the end user.

We don’t have the big red fi re trucks and the fl ashing blue lights. We

don’t have the medical bags and the kits. You never see us. You talk

to us, but the people that actually come out help you are the people

you identify with. We’re completely transparent, so there’s obviously

a public education campaign there as well. All of that factors into a

high turnover rate, the inability to get those highly effective people

and to keep those people once you have them.

There are a few things that we can do to improve the situation.

The easiest is just raising salary levels, but that’s not always feasible,

About a year ago, APCO International partnered with IJIS

Institute, which is a nonprofi t organization for commercial

information technology corporations. We received a grant from

the Department of Justice and launched something called the Public

Safety Data Interoperability Initiative. The concept is to bring the

commercial providers together with the public safety professionals.

This allows them to be more proactive so that, as they’re developing

the systems of tomorrow, they’re incorporating our needs.

It’s a large project and we’ve put

out 11 standards already that deal with

data interoperability between basic CAD

systems, records management systems,

databases and GIS systems. Everything

data interoperability-wise is being

looked at by this project. It includes

public safety personnel, fi re service

personnel, EMS, law enforcement

personnel. We brought everybody that

could be potentially affected by data interoperability together. The IJIS

Institute brings the value of having the Microsofts, the Ciscos, the Sun

Microsystems and all the big IT providers out there to the table with them

as part of their membership. We bring the public safety side of things to

the table with our membership.

We’ve been in it for almost two years now, so we’re starting to

see the results of some of the work being done by this group. The CAD

vendors are opening their arms and embracing a lot of these standards

that we’re developing, so it may even speed up the process of having a

higher level of data interoperability on the public safety side.

“Nobody ever calls

911 because they’re having a good day”

STANDARD ISSUE



Resilience is more than a buzzword used to describe the

strength of community. When considering the subject of

infrastructure protection, we ignore many other crucial as-

pects of securing the nation and its critical infrastructure.

Infrastructure resilience addresses the development and implemen-

tation of exercised measures and policies to reduce the disaster and

devastation impacts of all types of hazards to manageable effects.

The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP) is working with all

levels of government to make infrastructure resilience a long-term

priority. “Our next step is to also work with the private sector owners

and operators of the 85 percent of our nation’s critical infrastructure

to educate them on importance and practicality of resilience,” says

Bill Anderson, TISP’s new Director.

According to Donald Bliss, a member of the TISP Committee on

Critical Infrastructure and Regional Resilience and President and

Chief Operating Officer of NI2 Center for Infrastructure Expertise,

“The security and resiliency of the nation’s infrastructure is frag-

ile at best. While some sectors have made measurable progress

toward improving their resiliency and security, the overall dete-

rioration and poor condition of our infrastructure means that it is

particularly susceptible to natural disasters and terrorist attacks.”

TISP agrees that of particular concern are those very important

critical infrastructure assets and key resources whose loss would

have a devastating impact on our nation’s economy or our way of

life.

There are two fields that touch all 18 Critical Infrastructure/Key

Resources sectors where the industry and government need to place

more emphasis. One is research in resilience policies and practices

and development of technologies support redundancy and resilien-

cy. The other is cooperative investment strategies. Bliss sees TISP

as “a unique private-public consortium that can provide an impartial

forum for developing ideas and strategies to strengthen the security

and resiliency of our nation’s critical infrastructure. TISP has the

demonstrated experience to provide thoughtful, effective solutions

to the complex challenges that our nation faces as it tries to improve

infrastructure protection.

“Facilitating public and private sector discourse regarding R&D

and investment strategies is essential to the TISP mission to lead

collaborative effort that advances the practice and policies of infra-

structure security and resiliency. We established three new commit-

tees to support our events, and have scheduled the Summer Forum

to address Enhancing Infrastructure Resiliency through a Planned

Investment Strategy to be held on July 29, in Washington, DC,” says

Anderson. Investment strategies that take into consideration the re-

duction of risk, stabilization of the workforce, improved efficiencies

(such as improvements to the road and rail transportation system

that result in faster cargo supply chains), redundancy, business

continuity and quick recovery from a catastrophic event will real-

ize significant returns to stakeholders and

investors. Infrastructure operations, safety,

maintenance, protection and resiliency are

so closely intertwined in today’s world that

they must all be part of any investment

strategy if it is to be cost-effective and long-

lasting.

The TISP strategy utilizes public- and private-sector col-

laboration to address broad issues including: creating institutional

agreements to achieve safety, security and operational benefits;

modernizing aging infrastructure; ensuring security is considered

and built into the design of new infrastructure; working to create a

National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank; and facilitating coordi-

nation among state, local and federal governments and the private

sector to improve emergency response, advance evacuation plan

guidelines, ensure prompt federal assistance to emergency zones

and increase medical surge capacity.

The 2009-2014 Strategic Plan outlines thematic goals and

prominent objectives the TISP Board of Director and staff will pursue

to execute our responsibilities regulated by our mission and vision.

The TISP Strategic Plan will be reviewed annually by the Board of

Tough talkHow The Infrastructure Security Partnership is driving the move from protection to resilience.

“The next step is to work with the private sector owners and operators of the 85 percent of our nation’s critical infrastructure

to educate them on importance and practicality of resilience”

SECURITY

BillAnderson.indd 114 15/6/09 12:27:04

STABOLIC AD P115.indd 115 12/6/09 12:02:40


Contribute to benchmarking and development of performance measures

TISP will develop partnerships with standard-setting organiza-

tions to support the setting of performance measures, the develop-

ment of industry standards and benchmarks for homeland security,

the promotion of guidelines and the implementation of training pro-

grams. TISP will work within its partnerships to develop a performance

assessment network for sharing information on tools and practices.

Directors to ensure that it remains relevant to TISP members and

industry. Strategies have been developed to ensure progress toward

achieving goals and objectives.

Provide leadership in infrastructure resilienceResiliency, as it relates to community expectations of the nation’s

infrastructure and resources, is confi dence in availability, continuous

operations and effi cient restoration of operations when disrupted.

TISP formed an action team of not-for-profi t

organizations, contractors and government

agencies to begin drafting a working defi ni-

tion of “infrastructure resilience” and related

terms. This project will help create a common

set of terms applicable to all sectors and sup-

portive of cross-sector collaboration.

TISP will improve its unique position as the

national leader in infrastructure resiliency and

disaster recovery by facilitating dialogue on

infrastructure security and resiliency, includ-

ing offering technical support and resources

for education on public policy related to the

security and resiliency of the nation’s built

environment. It will also develop programs

and resources to sustain TISP as an authority

for infrastructure resilience; assisting federal,

state, regional and local agencies and owners

and operators of private-sector infrastructure

in carrying out their missions in support of the

National Security Strategy and the National

Infrastructure Protection Plan. Finally, it will

launch a collaborative communication and

marketing network to raise awareness of the

importance of and efforts aimed at achieving

national and regional disaster resilience for

critical infrastructure.

Serve as a clearinghouse for knowledge, skills and education

Working with stakeholders, TISP will

create a knowledge management center to

collect, share, organize and promote knowl-

edge on critical infrastructure resilience and

disaster preparedness. Additionally, TISP will

develop a peer-mentoring and resource da-

tabase. Experts needing information about

specifi c policies, technical devises, research

results, or program activities may use the

peer-mentoring program to achieve their

needs and grow as knowledgeable experts. A

resource database will include profi les, lists

of available services and resources and 24-

hour points of contracts for homeland secu-

rity and emergency response practitioners.

Fostering public and private sector coordination and collaborationTISP pledges to lead collaboration that advances the practice and policies

of infrastructure security and resiliency to sustain the nation’s resources.

Through the dedication and focus of TISP members, the partnership will remain

responsive to the safety and security needs of the nation. The TISP Steering

Committee is responsible for the planning and coordination of various mission

subcommittees.

The Critical Infrastructure Resilience Committee is a forum for interested public,

private, non-profi t and other organizations to focus on critical infrastructure resilience

and related organizational and regional risk mitigation and management challenges and

cost-effective solutions to address them.

State and Local Security and Emergency Management Agencies Committee promotes

and enhances nation-wide collaboration on strategies, policies, exercises and interagency

programs addressing private and public sector infrastructure security and resilience at the

state and local levels.

Certifi cation, Academic, Research and Education Programs Committee brings

together academic and research institutions to collaborate and share information on

reach, technology development, and education and training programs related to making

infrastructure and resources more secure and resilient. The group helps to identify and

fi ll gaps in education, training, and technology transfer programs, inform members of

professional development and certifi cation programs, promote research and development

activities and serve as a resource and advisor to homeland security agencies.

Engineering, Construction and Architecture Committee brings together leaders in

the design, construction and management of commercial, federal and military facilities to

collaborate on the implementation of safety and security measures, to facilitate discussion

of safety and security standards harmonization and collaborate on security design criteria

for new construction and modernization projects.

Communications and Networking Partnerships Committee serves to expand the

knowledge base of critical infrastructure resilience through cultivating information-sharing

relationships between our partner associations, agencies and companies tasked with

providing support to the homeland security initiative.

TISP Membership and Awards Committee greets new members and sponsors with

valuable information as to how to earn full benefi t of membership and administers the

presentations of the annual TISP Public and Private Sector Awards for Service.

UNITED WE STAND

BillAnderson.indd 116 15/6/09 12:27:05

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Is the economic environment affecting public

safety communications?

TimFuller.When thegoinggets tough, the tough

get going. During thesedifficult economic times,

we are all living out that old adage. The public

safety market is certainly not immune from the

continuous challenge of funding resources, nor

the operational need to stretch the value of a

dollar. Yet we must all still provide the highest

level of service possible to the public, whether

as anemergency service agencyor a vendor par-

ticipating in the industry.

EveryoneatPlantCMLandEADSunderstands

theseverityof thesehardtimes,aswellas theeco-

nomic impact. But, at the end of the day, our col-

lective commitment toour customers is todeliver

operational benefit to their agency. This is the

valuewe bringwith our E9-1-1, emergency notifi-

cation andprofessionalmobile radio solutions.

How is technology evolving in public safety?

TF.Advancements in technology are coming at a

rapid pace, and budgets are tighter than ever.

How do you move your call center into the next

generation of public safety communications

both affordably and assuredly? You trust the

knowledge, expertise and experience of an in-

dustry leader, PlantCML, whose solutions are

deployed in two out of three Public Safety

Access Points (PSAP’s) in North America.

The PlantCML team is continually research-

ing and developing new technologies. We are

also actively participating in key organizations

like NENA, APCO and the 9-1-1 Industry Alliance

(9IA) to design and implement new crisis com-

munications standards. We are listening to our

customers as they offer invaluable insight into

the real-life demands, both economic and oper-

ational, of public safety.

We understand the need to make purchas-

ing decisions wisely.We also know the world of

technology is a complex and ever-changing one

and our suite of solutions is uniquely designed

to provide a full-and open-migration path, help-

ing every Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)

achieve the highest level of efficiency possible.

What is Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1)?

TF.Aswe all know, technology is evolving and is

now more mobile than ever. First cell phones,

and now Voice Over IP (VoIP), text messaging,

imagery and video have changed everything,

from how the general public makes an emer-

gency call, to the way in which PSAPs field the

calls and respond.NG9-1-1 addresses the evolu-

tion of emergency call taking in a technology-

saturated world centered on Internet Protocol

(IP). IP will be the staple of NG9-1-1 for years to

come, however, we must not lose sight of the

present. Every PSAP has unique needs and

some are able to transition to full IP solutions

now, while others will start this new chapter at

their own pace.

How is thepromiseof improvedpublic safety re-

alized in the NG9-1-1 PSAP environment?

TF.NG9-1-1will provide the foundation for theevo-

lutionary improvementofpublic safety. PlantCML

solutionsmeet theneedsof today and tomorrow

throughacommon IP infrastructurepromoting in-

teroperability;NextGenmodules facilitatingnon-

traditional communications handling; the

advantage of open standards and most impor-

tantly, flexible solution design architecture

We know technology, in and of itself, does

little to augment public safety. Yet other ele-

ments considered key to improvement, such as

operations and ergonomics, are not receiving

sufficient attention. Little consideration is

being given to vital subjects such as avoiding

sensory overload (intelligent data display),

Standard operating Procedure (SoP) modifica-

tion, telecommunicator training (technolo-

gy/data utilization) and operational

collaboration (true interoperability).

The answer is that NG9-1-1 is only achieved

through a balancedmarriage of technology and

operation, and next-generation solutions must

be selected and implemented in such a way as

to enhance thepublic safety agency’s overall op-

erational effectiveness. �

Honoring the commitment


Tim Fuller tells us why public safety needs to be at the forefront of allindustry players’ plans.

EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

Tim Fuller is CEO of PlantCML, an

EADS North America company, where

he oversees all aspects of the

business and maintains professional

relationships with public safety

industry associations, channel

partners, customers and key

suppliers. He, in concert with the

Executive Management Team, sets

the long-term vision of the entire

organization, providing strategic

direction, issue resolution and

familiarity to PlantCML’s 600+ North

American employees.

“Advancements intechnology are coming ata rapid pace, and budgetsare tighter than ever”

PlantCML ed:may09 15/6/09 13:21 Page 118

PLANT CML AD P119.indd 119 12/6/09 15:58:35


The United States is home to vast quantities of clean

energy resources – wind, solar, geothermal and hydro-

power. Yet it lacks a modern interstate transmission

grid to deliver carbon-free electricity to customers

in highly populated areas of the country. The Obama

Administration has called for a national energy policy

that calls for the United States to double the produc-

tion of renewable energy in three years and to obtain 25 percent

of its electricity from renewable resources by 2025. Achieving this

objective will require a cohesive effort from local, state and federal

officials – including Congress – and significant new investment in our

transmission infrastructure. But it is necessary.

The massive deployment of renewable generation envisioned by

the Obama Administration cannot occur without a renewed invest-

ment in our country’s transmission infrastructure. The US Depart-

ment of Energy (DOE) has identified

transmission limitations as the great-

est obstacle to realizing the enormous

economic, environmental and energy

security benefits of obtaining at least 20

percent of our electricity from the wind.

Currently, almost 300,000 megawatts

(MW) of wind projects, more than enough

to meet 20 percent of our electricity

needs, are waiting in line to connect to

the grid because there is not enough

transmission capacity to carry the elec-

tricity they would produce.

To promote the expansion of renew-

able energy, the transmission grid should

be built to link areas with vast potential

to generate clean electricity to the areas

that have significant demand for electric

power. ‘Green power superhighways’ is

a term used to describe the power lines

that would be carrying electricity from

remote to populated areas. While differ-

ent build-out plans can be envisioned for

green power superhighways, the key to

any cost-effective plan is the use of high-

voltage transmission lines in place of the low-voltage lines common

in the US today.

EfficiencyOutdated policies – not technical or economic barriers – are the

chief factors impeding the construction of green power superhighways.

However, some grid operational reforms could make better use of our

infrastructure. The present patchwork transmission system makes it

very difficult to move large amounts of renewable power around the

country. A solution is to use the existing grid more efficiently through

technology and new operating protocols. This is not a replacement for

green power superhighways, but undertaking a set of reforms would

allow more wind and solar energy to be integrated with the grid at

lower cost. Increased efficiency would provide greater flexibility for

changes in electricity supply and demand and would improve economic

performance of the grid even without renewable energy.

Building a new transmission infrastructure will save consum-

ers money. A robust transmission grid will give consumers access to

lower-cost electricity. On a severely constrained transmission grid, as

now exists in many parts of the United States, consumers are forced

to rely on local power plants even though plants in other regions can

produce power more efficiently and at lower cost. The effect of this

squeeze goes beyond financial hardship for residential consumers:

businesses pass higher electricity costs on to their customers, and

electricity-intensive industries have a strong incentive to relocate to

regions with lower electricity costs, taking jobs with them. New trans-

mission infrastructure would increase competition in wholesale power

markets. Just as consumers in a region with a single retailer and with-

American Wind Energy Association CEO Denise Bode offers the case for new transmission infrastructure.

Transmission proposiTion

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Denise Bode.indd 120 15/6/09 12:01:37


out high-quality roads to other regions would be at the mercy of the

prices charged by that retailer, a weak grid makes it possible for power

generation owners in constrained sections of the grid to raise prices

beyond what they would be in a competitive market.

recovering the costs Studies have consistently found that the costs of transmis-

sion investments needed to integrate wind power and other re-

newables are significantly outweighed by these consumer savings.

For example, according to a recent study, a $50-60 billion invest-

ment to significantly reduce congestion

and integrate 240 gigawatts (GW) of wind

in the eastern US would reduce electricity

costs by enough to fully offset the cost of

the investment. Meanwhile, according to

studies by the Electric Reliability Council

of Texas (ERCOT), the benefits of an invest-

ment in new transmission infrastructure

for renewables in Texas would grow to be

larger than the costs of the investment in

less than three years. According to a recent

analysis by Charles River Associates Inter-

national, an investment in a high-voltage

transmission overlay to access wind re-

sources in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas

would provide economic savings of around

$1 billion per year, more than twice the

$400-500 million annual cost of the trans-

mission investment,

Although the benefits of transmission

easily exceed its costs, few private firms

have stepped forward to invest in trans-

mission infrastructure. Why? Because the

benefits are not adequately reflected in the

incentive structure offered to transmission

investors. In other words, the existing regu-

latory structure often gives companies little

or no economic incentive to invest in trans-

mission that will make consumers and soci-

ety as a whole better off. State regulators,

who in many areas have primary jurisdiction

over what transmission gets built and who

pays for it, are often required to weigh only

the benefits that will accrue to residents of

that state, thus ignoring a major portion of

the benefits of a new system that also serves other states.

Most state regulators have little authority or incentive to require

ratepayers to help pay for an interstate network. Another major obsta-

cle is that regulators in a single state can effectively veto a multi-state

transmission network by refusing to grant the permits needed if they

feel that their state would not receive an adequate share of the benefits.

These regulatory barriers to new transmission can and must be

overcome if we are to undertake a major investment in new transmis-

sion infrastructure. Federal legislation is needed to provide new mis-

sion statements, adequate resources and specific timelines for action

for federal agencies, such as DOE, the Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission (FERC) and federal lands agencies. In particular, reform is

needed in three broad areas.

The first step in building green power superhighways is to develop

a comprehensive plan. This requires both the Western Interconnec-

tion and the Eastern Interconnection to develop regional transmission

plans that identify where new or expanded transmission capacity is

necessary to connect renewable energy resources to the grid and, ulti-

mately, to load centers.

Facilities identified in the inter-

connection-wide plan as necessary

for the development of green power

superhighways should be eligible for

broad, regional cost allocation. Spe-

cifically, FERC should allocate, based

on electricity usage, the capital and

operating costs of these transmission

lines across all load-serving entities

on an interconnection-wide basis. In

regulatory terms, the ‘determination

of need’ would be made in the regional

plan, approved by FERC.

In addition to regional planning

and cost allocation, substantial reform

of the transmission-siting process

is required to meet national renew-

able energy goals. The most effective

model is the siting authority that was

given to FERC over interstate natural

gas pipelines. For green power su-

perhighways, the extra-high-voltage

facilities defined in the regional plans

would be subject to FERC approval

and permitting. Separate siting ap-

proval at the state level would not be

required. FERC would act as the lead

agency for purposes of coordinating

all applicable federal authorizations

and environmental reviews with other

affected agencies.

The road forward Modernizing America’s outdated

transmission infrastructure will not be easy. It will require bold, forward-

looking action from leaders who recognize that addressing America’s

economic, energy and climate challenges must be a top priority in the

coming years. All three require new, innovative ways of thinking about

energy policy at the local, state and federal level. And all three will re-

quire a modern transmission system that is able to deliver clean, abun-

dant renewable energy to homes and businesses efficiently and reliably.

These are challenges that we can and must address now. n

“regulatory barriers to new transmission can and must be overcome if we are to undertake a major investment in new

transmission infrastructure”

Denise Bode.indd 121 15/6/09 12:01:38


From rudimentary machines relying

on crude mechanical adjustments

for controlling pump capacity in the

1940s to the vast improvements

of handling diffi cult liquids and reduced

operational costs of today, the evolution

of technologies used in metering pumps

demonstrates how changes have driven the

industry to better control functions.

Applications where precise metering of

liquids is important include the dosing of

chemicals into water for pH adjustment or

disinfection; addition of chemicals in proc-

ess applications; and the metering of colors,

fl avors, or vitamins into foods, drugs or per-

sonal care products.

The fi rst commercial metering pump,

developed in the late 1930s by Milton Sheen

and son Robert used a packed plunger, driven

through a gearbox by a foot mounted motor

and a slider crank mechanism. The Sheens

added a method of changing the plunger’s

stroke length by adjusting the crank arm to

vary the pump’s capacity. Later, Sheen added

check valves to fi t onto the pump head, and

the fi rst dosing pump was born.

Packed plungers used on all metering

pumps typically leaked around the packing,

reducing the pump’s accuracy so in the 1960s

diaphragms were introduced. To actuate

the diaphragm, designers applied a closed

volume of hydraulic oil between the plunger

and the diaphragm. PTFE diaphragms made

the pumps leak proof and chemical resistant.

A variation of this metering pump per-

mitted control of capacity by adjusting the

amount of hydraulic fl uid activating the dia-

phragm, and eliminated mechanical linkages

associated with stroke length adjustment,

thus reducing metering pump cost.

A less costly alternative to the hydraulic

system, mechanically actuated diaphragm

pumps were developed which mechanically

attached the reciprocating plunger to the

diaphragm. This reduced the complexity and

cost, especially for relatively low-pressure

applications.

The 1970s introduced solenoid drive

technology. The diaphragm was actuated by

energizing and de-energizing a solenoid, and

with only a few moving parts and an electron-

ic signal, accurate dosing of chemicals was

achieved at a much lower cost. Despite short-

comings of the solenoid pumps – reduced life

caused by diaphragm stress and increased

intensity of pressure pulsations – the sim-

plicity and lower cost resulted in exponential

increases of the number of applications of

diaphragm metering pumps.

In the 1980s, another low cost alterna-

tive to the solenoid metering pump em-

ployed a constant speed synchronous AC

motor and a mechanically actuated design.

Throughout the 1990s, variable frequency

drives, stepper motors and servo motors

were incorporated, permitting the pump’s

capacity to be controlled by varying the

stroke length and pump speed. This provid-

ed increased capacity range for a metering

pump which broadened a pump’s applica-

tion capabilities.

Introduced next were automatic stroke

length adjustment mechanisms, but due to

the absence of software controls, switching

back and forth between stroke length and

speed adjustment was cumbersome. Also,

confi rming the capacity setting of the pump

being achieved was still elusive.

In recent years, a new generation of

diaphragm metering pumps, incorporat-

ing digital technology to improve accuracy

and process control, saves users money by

lowering the amount of chemicals used, and

reduces the number of pump sizes required.

Using stepper or brushless DC motors

and software for improved electronic con-

trol, achieves consistent full stroke length,

allowing for huge turndown ratios (such as

1000:1), easier priming and more accurate

handling of diffi cult liquids.

Key innovations incorporated into digital

dosing pumps include precise and continuous

monitoring of pressure, fl ow and amp draw

on the motor. If the pump’s accuracy is being

compromised due to air or gas bubbles, cavi-

tations or leaking check valves, the pump can

be set to self-adjust to compensate for these

effects. Flow monitoring allows pump speed

adjustment as system conditions change. By

combining dosing, measuring and regulating

into the pump means that the user doesn’t

have to calculate to determine the fl ow set-

ting, but merely inputs the desired fl ow rate.

New generation metering pumps allow

for more concentrated chemicals to be used,

eliminate the need for other accessories and

signifi cantly reduce costs.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Pump it upKlaus Müller explains the history behind metering pumps and details how digital dosing enables their full potential.

Klaus

Müller is a

mechanical

engineer with

Grundfos

Alldos Pumps

and has

worked with

the company’s

research and development of metering

pumps from 2001 to present. Prior to

this, he had worked with Alldos Pumps

since in 1983, until Grundfos acquired

the company in 2005.

“Flow monitoring allows pump speed

adjustment as system conditions change”

Grundfos_INDINS.indd 122 15/6/09 12:28:43

GRUNFOS AD P123.indd 123 12/6/09 11:56:57

So what does Bastiat’s thinking have to do with today’s US

water and wastewater infrastructure and, more specifi cally,

the stimulus plan put into place to jump start the economy?

Well, everything!

When President Obama signed in the American Recovery and Re-

investment Act (ARRA), there was renewed expectation that the US

would fi nally take serious steps to reinvest in its water and waste-

water infrastructure and re-energize its manufacturing base, which

has been the engine that has driven the US economy while giving

its citizens access to the world’s safest water supplies and most ef-

fective wastewater treatment systems. What wasn’t understood by

most when this legislation was enacted was that it contained two

words, which while on face value sounded reasonable, in fact could

ultimately undermine the gains to be achieved by this historic $787

billion plan. Those being, ‘Buy American’.

Before waving your American fl ag in patriotic protest, as is the

typical reaction when one suggests that ‘Buy American’ is anything

short of motherhood and apple pie, take a moment to refl ect on its

implications – not only to our industry sector, but to America’s stand-

ing as a world leader. No one would argue that creating American

jobs is not an imperative during these times of rising unemployment,

but in the haste to speedily enact legislation to stop the hemorrhag-

ing of an economy in free fall, we have chosen a short-sighted path

of protectionism that could actually cost more US jobs in the long run

and put our nation’s infrastructure at further risk.

Let’s fi rst look at the current situation. ARRA provided $6 bil-

lion to the US Environmental Protection Agency for the Clean Water

and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs to fi nance

municipal water supply and wastewater treatment projects. Another

$1.38 billion was given to the US Department of Agriculture for its

rural development water, waste loan and grant program. Projects

receiving stimulus funds through these programs must comply

with ‘Buy American’ requirements, meaning that all steel, iron and

manufactured goods used for these projects must be produced in

the US, the exception being if the item can’t be found in the US or if

it is inconsistent with the ‘public interest’ (as in the case of national

security).

A common misconception is that the international trade agree-

ment provision contained in the ARRA will allow municipalities to

continue doing business with suppliers based in countries that are

signatories to our international trade agreements, such as Canada

and Mexico in the case of the NAFTA. That is not the case. Since

municipalities are not party to these agreements, they are not

bound by their terms. Therefore, they can only buy US-produced

manufactured goods for projects receiving stimulus funds through

the above-mentioned programs. Though the components and sub-

components of these US-produced manufactured goods can come

from any country (China, for example), the fi nal product must be

‘produced in the US’.

Here is the rub. First, the defi nition of ‘produced in the US’

remains extremely vague. The Offi ce of Management and Budget

defi nes it as having been ‘processed into a specifi c form or shape; or

combined with other raw material to create a material that has differ-

Frederic Bastiat, The Law (1850)

Frederic Bastiat came of age during the Napoleonic wars, during a time of extensive government intervention in economic affairs. The central theme of his ideology was that all economic decisions should be made with the consumer in mind, and that tariffs serve no purpose but to negate the gains provided to society by technology, labor, ingenuity, determination and progress.

By Dawn Christof Champney

Frederic Bastiat, The Law (1850)

“Where goods cross borders, armies don’t”

FREE TRADE


WWEMA.indd 124 15/6/09 13:07:41


Instead of protecting domestic jobs or industries, it destroys them

by eliminating export potential to other geographic markets and

cutting off imports of products our municipalities have come to rely

upon.

Exports of US water and wastewater equipment have grown dra-

matically during the past two decades as a result of fair trade poli-

cies, with 30 percent of US production be exported. US worldwide

exports of water and wastewater equipment almost doubled from

$13.26 billion in 1998 to $24.85 billion in 2008. This tremendous ac-

complishment, which has contributed to a positive US trade balance

in this sector and increased US employment significantly, may be

short lived when retaliatory forces come into play.

In fact, it has already begun. The Region of Halton in Ontario,

Canada, encompassing the towns of Oakville, Burlington, Milton and

Halton Hills – total population 470,000 –

passed a ‘fair trade’ resolution stating it

will trade with any country that does not

discriminate against Canada (namely,

‘Don’t Buy American’). This same resolu-

tion is going before the Canadian Fed-

eration of Municipalities this month. If

passed, it will cut off export trade access

for US companies to 1700 municipalities

across Canada covering 90 percent of its

total population.

But why is this important to US

jobs? Well, because Canada is our larg-

est trading partner, with the US having

exported $6.18 billion in water and

wastewater equipment to Canada in

2008 alone. What little one-time gain

in US jobs may occur from the $6 billion

injection in stimulus funds for water and

wastewater projects could be lost year-

after-year from retaliatory measures taken by our most favorable

trading partners.

The European Union may not be far behind in taking similar

action. John Bruton, European Union’s Ambassador to the US,

wrote a scathing editorial in Politico titled ‘Protectionism Doesn’t

Protect Anyone’ where he noted that “this Buy American provi-

sion is considerably more severe than previous versions” and that

“the US stands to lose 6500 jobs for every percentage of exports

decreased.”

Let us hope sounder minds prevail before this train to protec-

tionism derails the US water and wastewater equipment industry. Or

we could follow the advice of Frederic Bastiat, that society would be

best served if it were to regress to a cave-man state where supply of

goods was at a maximum scarcity. Then people would have to work

as hard as possible for as little as possible and never have to fear

outside competition. The choice is ours.n

ent properties than the properties of the individual raw materials’.

But exactly what does that mean?

Secondly, US companies are being shut out of their own domes-

tic market, unable to bid on US municipal water and wastewater

projects if they own companies located outside the US that sell and

ship directly to municipalities. A majority of US companies that sell

products to municipal water and wastewater utilities have some

degree of offshore sourcing in keeping with providing its customers

with the best products that improve performance and reduce life-

cycle costs. It’s a global economy, and their municipal customers

have benefited from the global supply chain that has brought both

innovation and savings to their facilities. Now these companies are

being asked to sign certificates when bidding on stimulus-funded

projects stating that their products are ‘produced in the US’, even

though they don’t know for certain what

that means. They bear enormous liability

if found to be in non-compliance due to

a misinterpretation of these vague rules.

Do they take the risk or remove them-

selves from this market? After all, we

are talking about some of the most well

known and respected US suppliers in the

business.

Finally, municipalities have the option

of seeking waivers from this requirement

in hopes of getting the products best

suited for the job, but the test for getting

a waiver is rigorous, time-consuming

and potentially costly if rejected, not to

mention subject to public scrutiny when

published in the Federal Register, as is

required by this new law. Municipalities

face a small window of opportunity to use

or lose their funding, thus limiting their

options and reducing their access to preferred suppliers. This provi-

sion has had a stifling – not stimulating – affect on the US municipal

water and wastewater market as the lawyers work through the inter-

pretation of this complex rule.

Some would argue this is a short-term fix for the US economy

and will work itself out in time. It brings to mind a quote by the 17th

century English poet Robert Herrick: “None pities him in the snare,

who warned before, would not beware.”

The ‘Buy American’ rule is starting to appear in a number of leg-

islative proposals on Capitol Hill. One of particular concern is the

Water Quality Investment Act of 2009, recently passed by the US

House of Representatives that would impose ‘Buy American’ on all

future water and wastewater projects receiving assistance through

the SRF programs. This is not a short-term fix. It is intended to be

a standing practice on all future projects receiving assistance from

the federal government.

This is bad public policy. Our nation has worked too hard and

too long to break down barriers to trade and open new markets for

US goods and services to resort now to such protectionist practices. Dawn Christof Champney is President of the Waste Water Equipment Manufacturer’s Association

“What little one-time gain in US jobs may

occur from the $6 billion injection in stimulus

funds could be lost year-after-year from retaliatory

measures taken by our most favorable trading

partners”

WWEMA.indd 125 15/6/09 13:07:41


Common challenges facing water utilities include

rising costs, aging infrastructure, increasingly strin-

gent regulatory requirements and a rapidly changing

workforce. Systematically applied effective utility

management programs can help water systems suc-

cessfully address these challenges. A new framework

– the Attributes of Effective Utility Management (Attributes) – has

become a powerful tool for utilities across the country.

The 10 Attributes were identifi ed in 2007 by a blue-ribbon panel

of water and wastewater executives commissioned by six major water

and wastewater associations and the US Environmental Protection

Agency. Since introducing the Attributes, EPA and the six collaborat-

ing groups have been active in promoting them among the nation’s

water and wastewater utilities. The AMWA aligned its annual per-

formance awards criteria to the Attributes, and winners of its most

recent Gold Awards for Exceptional Utility Management and Platinum

Awards for Utility Excellence refl ected high performance on all these

key reference points. A look at how the Attributes are being supported

by the some of these organizations puts them into a utility manage-

ment perspective.

The hit list

PRODUCT QUALITY

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

(LADWP) voluntarily established an internal arsenic

standard of 5ppb (half the federally allowed level)

in its Los Angeles Aqueduct supply, which has high

levels of naturally occurring arsenic. LADWP also established a

conservative disinfection byproducts (DBP) compliance monitoring

plan involving all maximum locations throughout its water

distribution system to assure that its water will be well below

regulated limits for DBPs.

At the City of Norfolk (Virginia) Department of Utilities

several initiated enhancements to product quality were made,

including a change in coagulants at its largest water treatment

plant that resulted in reduced turbidity and a 20 percent reduction

in disinfection byproducts.

1

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer

Authority’s water usage tracking and alert system

integrates its automated meter reading technology

with a web-based program that lets customers

track their water use and even alerts them of water usage spikes.

The High Use Notifi cation Alert technology notifi es customers about

unusually high water use by email or telephone. The technology also

helps customer service representatives assist customers in diagnosing

causes for higher than average bills.

How water utilities are applying a top 10 of effective utility management ‘Attributes’. By Brian Ramaley, President of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies & Director of Newport News Waterworks.

2

BrianRameley.indd 126 15/6/09 11:59:50


4 OPERATIONAL OPTIMIZATION

Northern Kentucky

Water District employees

are actively involved in

operational optimizations including chemical

savings by plant operators, increasing

inventory accuracy by customer service field

workers and increasing energy efficiencies

with a team from accounting and pump

maintenance. A plant operator team worked

together to test different coagulants and

mixtures of coagulants, changed and added

chemical application points and successfully

optimized the chemical feed to save

significantly on chemical costs.

The Prince William County (Virginia)

Service Authority regularly performs leak

detection surveys using correlators and

acoustic diagnostics to locate underground

leaks before they present problems. The

Authority surveys its entire system every

two to three years and acts on the findings

to pinpoint and repair leaks. The process

has also provided trend information about

leaks that is used in performing predictive

maintenance.

3EMPLOYEE LEADERSHIPAND DEVELOPMENT

Columbus Water Works in Georgia targets

workplace learning through its Personal

Opportunity Program, fosters in-service training

and offers a tuition assistance plan to employees for continuing

education. Succession and supervisory programs include 18

months of classroom instruction and extracurricular activities. A

cross-section of staff members participate in six strategy teams,

and all employees have incentives directly linked to both individual

and agency performance.

The Prince William County Service Authority uses electronic correlation equipment and

acoustic diagnostics to detect leaks in underground infrastructure as part of its

Predictive Maintenance Program.



OPERATIONAL RESILIENCY

Massachusetts Water Resources

Authority began in the early 1990s

to develop a culture of preparedness

and skills of coordinated response, identifying points

of failure and training on response plans for critical

events. Over time, all hazards plans were developed,

and supplemented with Incident Command System (now

NIMS) training for line and management staff. A key

element of capital planning over the past decades has

been improving redundancy, including a $728 million new

parallel transmission tunnel.

7

FINANCIAL VIABILITY

The Contra Costa Water District’s rate policy requires

that rate increases be held to levels at or below the

rate of infl ation, a constraint that provides incentive to

aggressively pursue outside funding opportunities and

pursue partnership arrangements in order to maximize

benefi ts to customers at the lowest possible cost. In

2007, for example, 30 percent of the District’s annual

expenditures were funded by non-rate payer revenues.

Fairfax Water in Virginia is one of only a handful of

water utilities in the country to have received a AAA rating

from the three top fi nancial bond rating services. The

utility’s strategic fi nancial model uses historical trending

as well as current infl ation assumptions to project its

operating requirements. In addition, annual internal cost

of service studies are performed to ensure customers

are paying appropriate fees for services and an external

evaluation is performed every three to fi ve years to

validate its rate methodology.

5

INFRASTRUCTURE STABILITY

The City of Salem (Oregon) Public Works Department is

developing databases necessary to support its ongoing asset

management program, including fi nancial, GIS and CMMS.

Various performance measures related to its assets are tracked to assess

system reliability and stability. In addition, planned maintenance events

are being expanded from traditional assets (such as pumps, valves, etc.)

to incorporate all components in the system, and the results can be seen

directly in the planned maintenance ratio performance measure. Currently,

90.4 percent of maintenance performed is planned rather than corrective.

6



9WATER RESOURCE ADEQUACY

Proactive long-term water supply initiatives for Chesterfi eld County

(Virginia) Utilities Department included completion of a water

audit that found its distribution system sound; adoption of building

codes requiring the installation of low fl ow fi xtures; and adoption

of an ordinance for voluntary, mandatory and emergency water restrictions during

drought and/or emergency conditions. The department has been innovative in

preserving water supplies through its water reuse agreement with Dominion

Virginia Power, the largest reuse project in the commonwealth.

8 COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY

As part of a recently completed

project to increase reservoir

storage volume, Spartanburg

Water installed a 108-inch cone valve which

serves multiple purposes: allowing precise

control of downstream water releases to

reduce the probability of fl ooding; serving as an

aeration device to help maintain downstream

aquatic life; and assuring minimum downstream

fl ows to meet the needs of downstream uses.

The utility also participates in a Powershare

program to generate its own power during

periods of peak electrical demand using on-site

hydroelectric or diesel generators.

Green Bay Water Utility’s 10 major water

users (who use more than 40 percent of its water)

are a key component of the city’s economy. The

utility regularly interviews these largest customers

in an effort to help them stay healthy and

competitive. By providing a high quality product

and stabilized rates, the water system contributes

to the sustainability of the community.

10 To align and balance the interest of key constituents,

Tualatin Valley Water District in Oregon uses

methods such as making all Board meetings

‘public meetings’ including time for public comment; conducting open houses

and stakeholder meetings; including fi ve members of the public on the budget

committee in addition to fi ve commissioners; soliciting feedback through regular

customer attitude surveys, focus groups, the utility’s website and customer

services calls; and participating in the Tualatin River Watershed Council, which

brings together the interests of land, water and people in the local watershed.

Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority also works closely with all its

stakeholder groups. It is a founding member of Florida Keys Green Living and

Environmental Education, an organization bringing government, business and

individuals to create solutions to sustainability challenges, and participates in

the Keyswide Sustainability Project, presenting new initiatives in sustainability,

conservation and operations effi ciencies to stakeholders throughout the Keys.

Utility management serves on the South Florida Water Management District

Water Resource Advisory Council, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Water Quality Improvement Steering Committee and the New Water Supply

Coalition, among many other key community roles.

STAKEHOLDER UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT

Tualatin Valley Water District was awarded a Leadership

in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver

certifi cation for the remodel and expansion of its headquarters.



Throughout the years, I have been

asked where our nation is headed

in regards to replenishing our

water supply, especially given

our seemingly shifting weather

patterns leading to isolated drought situa-

tions. Having only been in this business a

relatively brief period of time (over 30 years)

compared to our climate changes, I have

seen a major shift in how we view this most

precious commodity, our potable water

supply. Now more than ever the old saying

of “whoever has the water rules” could not

be more accurate.

Having started my career in the South-

western United States, I saw fi rst hand the

struggles over water. When our water sup-

plies were stretched to their limits the almost

unspeakable topic of recycling our waste-

water was born out of the necessity. Reuse

emerged in several geographical areas but

it seemed most predominate in more arid

regions: Southwestern and Southeastern

United States. Until recently, the rest of

our nation seemed to have plentiful water

supplies and the need to recycle our water

seemed unnecessary.

Today, we would be hard pressed to not

read or hear about something regarding our

dwindling fresh water supplies. Even areas

of the country that typically have high levels

of precipitation and are lushly vegetated are

now turning to recycling our most precious

commodity.

In many places throughout the country

there has been a movement to develop reuse

regulations. Such is the case in Virginia, with

the adoption of reuse regulations in the last

year. While this concept is not new to Virginia,

it was not fully accepted until the normally

drought resistant area was struck by such

conditions. Hence, local leaders came to the

rescue with new regulations.

One such farsighted leader is South-

ampton County, Virginia. Several months

ago the County commissioned Timmons

Group and Mid-Eastern Builders (MEB) to

use a design-build approach to construct a

1.25 million gallon per day (mgd) (ultimate

3.75 mgd) Water Reclamation Facility (WRF)

in preparation for their growing demand for

water. This approach is founded on the prin-

ciple of utilizing potable well water supply

for drinking, and exploring the use of reuse

water for such things as greenbelt irrigation.

For decades reuse has been used in many

locations throughout the country and is now

being used in Virginia.

ASK THE EXPERT

REUSE: where is it headed?By Jim Christian

As effective a solution reuse is to offset

our potable water supplies, as our population

grows, so will our demand for potable water.

In several progressive areas throughout our

nation reuse recharge is becoming more preva-

lent. Recharge is the process of taking highly

treated reclaimed water and allowing it to per-

colate into our depleting groundwater supplies,

thereby replenishing dwindling groundwater.

In some of our country’s most stressed

areas, decades of ongoing work to monitor

groundwater supplies has been done through

Active Management Areas (AMA). Water sup-

plies have been monitored to ensure that

potable water does not run out. Many AMA’s

require major cities to update their plans on

an on-going basis to assure a rolling 100-year

water supply.

While reuse water offers some unique

challenges, such as the acceptance of such

water by the general population and the need

for additional energy consumption to create

safe potable water, the future is clear. Reuse

water is becoming a greater necessity in our

country due to changes in weather patterns,

population growth and the depletion of natural

water sources. We must promote reuse when-

ever we can. Like many ‘green’ concepts today,

reuse is here to stay. Education will be the key

to its acceptance.

“Recharge is the process of taking highly treated reclaimed water and allowing it to percolate into our depleting groundwater supplies, thereby replenishing dwindling groundwater”

With more than 30 years experience,

Jim Christian brings a wide range of

reuse projects to his clients including

crop and golf course irrigation,

aquifer recharge and industrial

applications such as tower water

cooling. His experience spans the

entire US, ranging from less than one

MGD to 1000 MGD and comprises

engineering, permitting and public

relations aspects of reuse.

TimmonsATE.indd 130 15/6/09 12:30:26

TIMMONS AD P131.indd 131 12/6/09 12:05:22


I recently read an article entitled, Bridging the gap between

geomatics and surveying, and my inference from this was that

there must be those who perceive geomatics and surveying to

be two completely separate endeavors that somehow must be

unified.

Perhaps a good place to begin is by exploring definitions.

One of the more precise definitions of geomatics comes from the

Department of Surveying and Spatial Information Science at the

University of Tasmania. It states, “The science of Geomatics is con-

cerned with the measurement, representation, analysis, manage-

ment, retrieval and display of spatial information describing both

the Earth’s physical features and the built environment. Geomatics

includes disciplines such as: surveying, geodesy, remote sensing

& photogrammetry, cartography, geographic information systems

(GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS).”

In addition to including the word ‘surveying’, this definition

encompasses several disciplines, the activities of which have

been carried out by surveyors since long before the tools of new

technologies made it possible. In fact, surveyors have been using

geodesy for centuries to determine position, only the remote

elements for GPS that these surveyors employed were celestial

bodies such as the sun and the stars, whereas today the celestial

bodies that make up the GPS constellation are those of man-made

satellites. And before remote sensing and photogrammetry as we

define them today were the processes used for mapping, surveyors

were creating maps and charts (cartography) using ground-located

data. In fact, they still do that today when appropriate. Further,

the geographic information systems (GIS) of the surveyor have for

centuries been the collection of deed records, field notes, maps

and plats stored in file cabinets or on digital media, and while the

comparisons noted herein are somewhat simplistic, they do illus-

trate the fact that surveying and geomatics are undeniably linked.

Other evidence of the links between surveying and geomatics lie

in the fact that many of the college and university educational pro-

grams that are intended to prepare graduates for careers have the

word ‘geomatics’ in their name, and a primary reason for this is to

demonstrate that graduates should be prepared to pursue a career

in all aspects of the profession, from traditional land boundary sur-

veying to those activities included in the definition of geomatics.

But if the perceived gap cannot be determined by definition,

where would one look to find it, and what does it have to do with in-

frastructure? In my experience as a professionally licensed surveyor

By Curt Sumner

Tackling the geomatics/surveying gap

SPATIAL INFORMATION

CurtisSummer.indd 132 15/6/09 12:28:07


sell the surveyor as a geomatics expert and he consequently offers

that the ‘construction site data manager’ will be a more marketable

commodity, with the surveyor being perceived to be out of step

with the new technology, and on the wrong side of the gap.

Warner agrees that data preparation is a critical element in

construction, but contends that this has always been true. Even in

the days of the hand-drafted plan, someone had to check the plan

as data was being extracted from it for construction. This skill, he

says, is not one gained from sitting in a class for

a few hours or days, nor is it inherent. It is only

achieved through the knowledge and experience

that develop expertise. Even surveyors, with their

grasp of geometry, may not make good data prep

providers if they haven’t prepared themselves to

understand the intricacies of the data, and the

computerized equipment used for both survey

control and earth movement in today’s construc-

tion environment.

An example of the types of issues involved is

one’s understanding of the difference between the

grid coordinates utilized to construct the plan (digital design file)

and the ground coordinates that must be used in the construction

process. If this difference is not considered, Ward’s assertion of

“building an incorrect model very accurately” will certainly take

place, and result in some feature being built in the wrong place.

My conclusion is that there really isn’t a gap between surveying

and geomatics, but rather there is a lack of understanding for how

the two are intertwined. Clearly, one cannot always simply accept the

data that is included in a digital design file, and expect that convert-

ing it directly into a data prep model for GPS units mounted onboard

grading equipment will

result in a correctly con-

structed site. Likewise,

one cannot expect that

anyone (including some

surveyors), without

knowledge of the issues

associated with such

situations, will be able to

identify where the plan-

related problems lie.

With regard to the

matter of whether or

not surveyors are rec-

ognized only as field personnel versus being recognized as data

analysis professionals, there certainly is some truth to such per-

ceptions by the general public. However, the creation of new titles

will not necessarily create a more marketable profile. The solution

I have always espoused for surveyors who wish to be recognized as

the true professionals they claim to be lies with the behavior of the

surveyor, regardless of whether they are referred to as surveyor or

geomatics expert. n

for almost 30 years, and as the executive director for ACSM, I believe

any gap between geomatics and surveying is one of perception.

I posed the question to a couple of friends with diverse experi-

ences in the infrastructure field: Harry Ward heads up Harken-Rei-

dar, Inc., a recently formed company that provides infrastructure

and land development solutions in civil design, surveying and

construction, comprising implementation, training and education;

Jeff Warner owns Jeff Warner Land Surveying, a small business

with extensive experience in

transforming the data pre-

sented on approvable but not

buildable design plans into

data from which construction

can be accurately and cor-

rectly performed.

Acknowledging that the

design goals of plan approval

are different from the goals of

construction, Ward notes that

the data models created for

machine control (without the preparer having the proper understand-

ing of those diverse goals and the requisite skills to address them)

can result in ‘building an incorrect model very accurately’. What he

means by this is that machine control (or traditional stake-out pro-

cedures for that matter) has the capability to build infrastructure in

a very precise location, but if that location is not the intended one,

there is a problem. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the

attention once given to ensuring that design plans incorporated the

required 3D geometric accuracy is rare in today’s world of digital plan

preparation. Among the many issues raised by this circumstance is

the one of liability. If a data model for machine control

is created from a digital design plan that has 3D ge-

ometry flaws, but the data prep practitioner does not

have the ability to identify the flaws, who is liable for

any damages resulting from construction?

Ward realizes that the surveyor has traditionally

been the ‘buffer’ between design plans and correctly

constructing what is intended by the plan. During the

annual meeting of the National Council of Examiners

for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) last summer,

Ward stated that the ‘new buffer’ will be the ‘con-

struction site data manager’, and in reply to his defi-

nition of the expertise required, I retorted that the

person he described already has a name: Surveyor.

Of course, the challenge for the surveyor in maintaining that

role is one of perception, which Ward believes, consequently re-

sulting in his perception of the gap. He concludes that the percep-

tion of the surveyor is one of a field person, not of a professional

data analyst. Truly, he argues, the only frame of reference related

to surveying for many people is, ‘those guys standing on the side

of the road looking through something that looks like a telescope,

and blocking traffic.’ Therefore, Ward concludes, it is difficult to

Curt Sumner is a licensed surveyor in

the states of Virginia and Maryland. He is

a Past-President of the National Society

of Professional Surveyor (NSPS) and a

member organization of the American

Congress on Surveying and Mapping

(ACSM), for which he has served as

Executive Director since 1998.

“There really isn’t a gap between surveying

and geomatics, but rather there is a lack of understanding for how

the two are intertwined”

CurtisSummer.indd 133 15/6/09 12:28:09

Widely thought of as the father of the internet, Vint

Cerf’s contributions to the world wide web have

been recognized repeatedly, with honorary de-

grees and awards that include the National Medal

ofTechnologyand theTuringAward.But hismost no-

table recognition came in 2005, when, alongside re-

searchpartnerRobert Kahn, Cerf received thehighest civilianhonor that can

bebestowed in theUS, thePresidentialMedal of Freedom.ToputCerf’s (and

Kahn’s) achievements in perspective, they are not only responsible for the

design of theTCP/IPprotocol that governs data transfer across the net, but

also much of the internet’s fundamental architecture. Becoming recipients

of the Presidential Medal of Freedom marked both Cerf and Kahn “at the

forefrontof adigital revolution that has transformedglobal commerce, com-

munication and entertainment.” In other words, Vint Cerf is as close as you

canget to internet royalty.

“I’mnot the only father of the internet,” he says, reluctant to accept such

an eponymous title. “There are lots of peoplewho’ve contributed. This is very

much a collaborative effort, and if

you look at the history of the inter-

net, you’ll find that literally thou-

sands of people have contributed

over theyears: tensof thousands–

maybe by this time hundreds of

thousands. This is one of those

wonderful ideas where everyone

has an opportunity to contribute,

and they do. And that’s the real

magicandpowerof theinternet. It’s

an open environment that every-

one has an opportunity to share in

and to contribute to, and that’s ex-

actlywhat’shappening.”

Indeed, the idea of openness

andcollaboration–andof sustaining the internet asanopennetwork for con-

sumerchoiceand innovation– isasubject close toCerf’sheart. “Webelieve in

averyopen internetenvironment,”heexplains. “Onewhereeveryonehas the

opportunity to try out newproducts and serviceswithout discrimination.We

also believe that you have a right to know exactly what you are getting.

Suppliersof internetserviceneedtobeclearaboutexpectedperformanceand

what youarepaying themfor.”

InCerf’s view, the internet shouldbeanegalitarianentityusedbyanyone

and everyone, onewhere suppliers of the service are unable to discriminate

against a usermerely because of who orwhere that user is. “We are arguing

that the internet should be nondiscriminatory in terms of its access, although

weaccept theargument that for largercapacityyoumayhavetopaymore,”he

says. “Whatwe are after is an open environmentwhere both consumers and

suppliersof applicationsare treated fairly.”

He likens thesharedassetof the internet toa roadsystem–everyonedri-

vingon itwith the roadsbeingusedsimultaneouslyby lotsofdifferentusers.

This is exactly, heexplainsbyexample, howpacket switchingworks. “Packet

switchingmaybeaway, like the road system, to allowpeople to share com-

mon infrastructure,” says Cerf. “Frommy point of view, in order to create

broadbandaccess thereneeds tobeafinancial or other business incentive,

whether that’s R&D tax credits or credits related to revenue gained on new

investment. If there are ways of providing incentives to businesses for cre-

ating openly sharable infrastructures, then that’s a hint of the direction in

which onemight go in this current climate where at least the present legis-

lation is intending to provide a substantial amount of government support

for investment in infrastructureof all kinds.

“Creating incentives for industry and the private sector to build both the

underlying infrastructure and then participate in inventing newways to use it

is thedirection thatwewant tobeheading in.”

Butgiventhecurrentstateof the markets, are companies really in the

mood for investment in internet infrastructure? “We have a situation

where the incentives for companies providing internet access are dis-

torted by a natural desire to maximise their investment to the detriment

of innovation,” concedes Cerf. “I think we need to provide adequate in-

centives for all parties, those providing underlying facilities and those

providing value-added services, to have fair and nondiscriminatory ac-

cess to the underlying bit-carrying capacity of the internet.

Monopolizing provision of service

does not produce innovation; in

fact, it sometimes inhibits it.

People want to know why they

should invent a new, less expen-

sive solution when they are able

to charge more money for their

service by sticking with the old

way of doing it.”

Cerf instead sees innovation as

being paramount to any country’s

long-termprospects:“Thenextques-

tion then is, ‘What kind of incentive

will be there for creating the appro-

priate infrastructure?’ And not to

over-argue the point here, but aswe

lookat theAmericansituation today,perhaps there isanopportunitybecause

of thisfinancial crisisandresurgenceof interest in infrastructurereformtofind

newways to invest in internet infrastructure.

“Ibelievethatweneedtofindways – through consultationswith the reg-

ulators, with economists andwith business leaders, andmaybe evenwith

technologists – of providing the incentives that will cause this infrastruc-

ture to be created and invested in.”

AsanexampleheeludesbacktotheDepressionyears intheUnitedStates,

whenRooseveltdeliberately created a massive investment in physical fa-

cilities and infrastructure across the US. “We have a reasonable need

and opportunity to do something like that in this twenty-first century,”

argues Cerf. However, he also argues that it is very important that we

invest in the twenty-first century versions of those infrastructures. “We

don’t want to build the 1950’s versions of infrastructure. We want to

build the 2010 versions. We have to go back and ask ourselves, tech-

nologically, ‘What kinds of infrastructure could we build? What kind of

infrastructure would create more opportunities for businesses to in-

vent new products and services?’ Here we are on the edge of a very

chaotic environment and there are a lot opportunities that we could

take advantage of.” �


CERF’SUP

In an exclusive interview,

Vint Cerf explains why

information infrastructure

reform is just as important

as physical gains.

INNOVATION

Vint Cerfn ED:may09 15/6/09 13:31 Page 134


Vint Cerfn ED:may09 15/6/09 13:31 Page 135

136

WHY is it needed?While airport rail links have long been

popular in Europe and Asia, only eight

of the 20 largest US airports currently

offer rail services that drop passen-

gers within walking distance of their

terminals. However, all that is set to

change. As a result of their jammed

roadways, a growing number of do-

mestic airports are in the process of

building rail links that will connect

passengers from the terminals to

regional metro-rail systems.

ABOUT the Airport TRAX lineIn 1999, a 10-mile West-East Light

Rail Corridor was approved in

Salt Lake City; however, funding

was only available to build the

easternmost 3.75-mile portion. Now

a re-evaluation of the transit corridor

between downtown Salt Lake City

and the city’s International Airport is

underway. The study area includes

the western side of the city, North

Temple Street and then the access

road to the airport’s Terminal One.

CONSTRUCTION progessTo keep business and traffi c impacts

to a minimum, the project has been

separated into seven construction

‘reaches’ or segments, starting with

Reach 1 by the airport and ending with

Reach 7 on the eastern end. While

construction is currently not taking

place in either Reaches 1, 2, 4 or 7,

preliminary utility work is scheduled

to begin this month in Reach 3, and in

Reaches 5 and 6 crews have already

completed the fi rst phase of work.

PROJECT FOCUS: AT HOMELinked inJust a decade ago, Salt Lake City had no public rail. Since then, the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) has built a system that covers 150 miles, and now the Airport TRAX line, a six-mile downtown-to-airport connection, is under construction.


At Home_Salt Lake City2.indd 136 15/6/09 13:17:47

137

BUILDING bridges The rail line will now connect to North

Temple via 400 West Street – instead

of 600 West. UTA had considered

building the airport line on both

streets, and though the transit

company wanted to go with 600 West

– because it would have cost less –

residents did not want trains running

near their homes. Ultimately UTA

went with the other route, but in doing

so will now have to build a bridge to

take TRAX over a railyard where it will

connect with North Temple.

RIDERSExpected users of the line include

business and leisure travelers, airport-

area employees, park-and-ride

commuters and area residents. Salt

Lake City estimates there are nearly

75,000 workers in the western part of

the city, compared with about 60,000

workers in the downtown business

district. In addition, the residential

growth rate has been much higher in

western Salt Lake City than in the city

as a whole.

ENVIRONMENTAL issuesSalt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker

has also announced plans to recreate

North Temple as a ‘grand boulevard,’

a makeover that will feature four lanes

with the TRAX line running down

the center, a ‘refi nished’ viaduct,

the addition of two bicycle lanes in

each direction and new landscaping

features. He said, “I think it will be a

real boon in economic development

opportunities along North Temple

and through the west side of Salt

Lake City.”


At Home_Salt Lake City2.indd 137 15/6/09 13:17:49

138PROJECT FOCUS: AWAYEastern gripEarlier this year, Dubai’s real estate master developer, Nakheel, made 15 percent of its workforce redundant as the market slump bit into the emirate’s real estate market. What will this mean for its landmark projects?

138

WATERFRONTTwice the size of Hong Kong, Dubai’s

Waterfront development will transform 1.4

billion square feet of empty desert and sea

into an international community for an esti-

mated population of 1.5 million.

Status? Major civil works and infrastructure

for the fi rst phase is already underway, but

while work on Madinat Al Arab, Venetto,

Badra and Canal District is ongoing as

planned, other phases may be delayed.

PALM JEBEL ALIThe second island in The Palm trilogy, Palm

Jebel Ali is located in Waterfront and will

feature an array of luxury hotels, beachside

villas, shoreline apartments, dive sites and

leisure activities.

Status? With property prices having fallen

by as much as 40 percent in recent months,

infrastructural work on parts of Palm Jebel

Ali not due to be populated until 2011 and

2012 are now being scaled back.

ARABIAN CANALThe $11 billion project will create a 47-mile

waterway that will fl ow inland from Dubai

Waterfront, pass the new Dubai World

Central International Airport before turning

back towards Palm Jumeirah.

Status? Phase one involves excavating

200 million m3 of earth for the canal; phase

two involves a $50bn city covering 20,000

hectares. Developer Limitless is reviewing

the pace of development in response to

market conditions.


Focus_Away.indd 138 15/6/09 13:20:27

139

PALM JUMEIRAHLaunched in 2001, the man-made island in-

creased Dubai’s shoreline by 100 percent and

created a destination of world-class hotels,

retail, homes, leisure and entertainment.

Status? Palm Jumeirah’s fl agship Atlantis

resort opened in September, but projects that

will now be delayed include Frond N villas,

Gateway Towers and the Trump International

Hotel and Tower.

THE WORLD300 islands in the shape of the world’s

continents, offering a range of leisure,

residential and tourist developments, it

will add over 144 miles of new beachfront

to Dubai’s coastline.

Status? The fi rst phase – land reclamation

requiring 320 million m3 of sand dredged

from the sea and the creation of a break-

water surrounding the island group – was

completed last year and current projects are

going ahead.

PALM DEIRAThe fi nal chapter in The Palm trilogy, Palm

Deira is the biggest of the palm-shaped artifi -

cial islands in Dubai, a 16-square-mile project

located between the mouth of Dubai Creek and

Port Hamriya.

Status? Completion of a detailed master plan

was pushed back from late-2008 to spring

2009, but it has now been confi rmed that de-

veloper Nakheel has started receiving funds

from the Dubai Government. It is also talking

to its contractors and renegotiating payments

plans and contracts.


Focus_Away.indd 139 15/6/09 13:20:32


140IN REVIEWHot off the pressFrom megaprojects to transportation, to waste management and sustainability, the written word of our industry has it covered. we take a quick look at what some of the current books on climate change have to offer.

A whole heap of businesses claim to be ‘green’, but how much of this is true is anyone’s guess.

Slashing carbon footprint is about more than just switching to a few low-energy light bulbs – it’s

about changing your whole mindset. Author Chris Goodall, an expert on climate change solutions,

guides you through cutting carbon and costs, with advice on everything from ‘green’ computing and

data centres, to recycling and reducing offi ce travel. It also features scores of case studies to help

you learn from other people’s successes and mistakes.

US Infrastructure says: An informative book that illustrates how making a few simple changes

can have a massive impact on your carbon output. A good read.

The Green Guide For Businesses The Ultimate Environment Handbook for Businesses of All Sizes, by Chris Goodall

With Broecker as his guide, award-winning science writer Robert Kunzig looks back at Earth’s vola-

tile climate history so as to shed light on the challenges ahead. Ice ages, planetary orbits, a giant

‘conveyor belt’ in the ocean, it’s a riveting story full of maverick thinkers, extraordinary discoveries

and an urgent blueprint for action. Fixing Climate explains why we need not just to reduce emissions

but to start removing our carbon waste from our atmosphere. And in a thrilling last section of the

book, we learn how this could become reality, using ‘artifi cial trees’ and underground storage.

US Infrastructure says: A fascinating account of how we have arrived at a point where climate

change is no longer preventable. A compelling read for anyone wishing to understand the unique

challenge of climate change.

Fixing Climate The Story of Climate Science – And How to Stop Global Warming, by Robert Kunzig and Wallace Broecker

Thomas Friedman’s bestseller The World Is Flat has helped millions of readers to see globalization

in a new way. Now Friedman brings a fresh outlook to the crises of destabilizing climate change and

rising competition for energy – both of which could poison our world if we do not act quickly and

collectively. Friedman proposes that an ambitious strategy (which he calls Geo-Greenism) is not

only what we need to save the planet from overheating; it is what we need to make us all healthier,

richer, more innovative, more productive and more secure.

US Infrastructure says: Hot, Flat and Crowded is classic Friedman – fearless, incisive, forward-

thinking and rich in surprising common sense about the world we live in today. Here, Friedman

assesses the state of the world environment and what we should be doing to stop it getting much,

much worse.

Hot, Flat and Crowded Why the World Needs a Green Revolution by Thomas L. Friedman

Book Review.indd 140 15/6/09 13:19:19

InfrastructureInfrastructure provides insight on how developers can achieve critical objectivesby integrating leading-edge solutions across their operations – helping them tomake informed decisions about technology and operations solutions for all oftheir areas of responsibility.

gdsinternational www.gdsinternational.com

NextGen Power & EnergyA poll of 4000 utility executives posed the simplequestion: what keeps you up at night? The answers werecosts, new technologies, ageing infrastructure,congested transmission and distribution, viablerenewables and inadequate generation capacity.

NextGen P&E covers them all.

Available for: US

Find out more: www.nextgenpe.com

Next Generation PharmaceuticalApproximately 50% of new drug development fails inthe late stages of phase 3 – while the cost of getting adrug to market continues to rise.

NGP is written by pharmaceutical experts from thediscovery, technology, business, outsourcing, andmanufacturing sectors. It is committed to providinginformation for every step of the pharmaceuticaldevelopment path.

Available for: US, Europe

Find out more: www.ngpharma.com

Oil & GasCollaboration between Government and multinationalsto ensure the energy supply is developing on two fronts.O&G is the definitive publication for stakeholders andservice companies to read about the regional projects,technologies and strategies affecting their group.

Available for: MENA, US, Russia

Find out more: www.ngoilgasmena.com

Also available for:

MENA

Europe

MENA Edition

Europe Edition

US Edition

Your World. CoveredFrom the people you hire to the products you sell, if you’re in business, we’ve got it covered...

Find out more: www.americainfra.com

Oil & GasCollaboration between Government and multinationalsto ensure the energy supply is developing on two fronts.O&G is the definitive publication for stakeholders andservice companies to read about the regional projects,technologies and strategies affecting their group.

Available for: US, MENA, Russia

Find out more: www.ngoilgas.com

CATALOGUE PAGE USINFRA1:june09 15/06/2009 13:12 Page 141

FROST AND SUL AD P142.indd 142 12/6/09 15:40:43


143REBECCA GOOZEECrisis or opportunity?US Infrastructure’s Middle Eastern correspondent, explains how, despite business conditions being very different to what they were just a few months ago, there might be a silver lining after all.

companies will need to adapt in order to retain their current

customers and also emerge from the other side in a stronger

position. Secondly, with intense competition and tight liquidity,

service is next in line for improvement. While training, human

development and marketing are often the fi rst budget casualties

in a cash-strapped situation, this is an opportunity to upgrade

both the skills and capability of an organisation and make proc-

esses more effi cient.

Finally, with a fewer number of projects on board, it becomes

easier to focus on quality and execution as opposed to speed.

Focusing on the customer and their exact needs, as opposed

to working to get as much done as possible in a shorter time

as possible, is the order of the day. And those companies that

survive the meltdown will be those that look to improve their

customer service to the highest possible degree.

Combined with improved operations, cheaper materials and

the increasing availability of contractors mean that costs are

(fi nally) coming down. With the dramatic drop of raw materials,

fuel and contractor costs, it is possible to renegotiate old con-

tracts with the current market value in mind. It is key to make an

alliance with contractors and consultants and get them involved

in every step of the process.

While the storm of the recession rumbles on there are un-

doubtedly still challenges that have to be faced in the region’s

infrastructure industry, particularly around projects that are

on hold or even cancelled. However, there are also opportu-

nities to be had by concentrating on being in the right place

when the inevitable upturn arrives – by improving operations

and focusing on customer service, the region will be heading

in the right direction.

The arrival of the global economic crisis in the Gulf

proved more brutal than anyone could have expect-

ed, with the infrastructure industry taking the full

brunt of the impact. As projects were put on hold or

even cancelled, the days of fast growth and unparal-

leled expenditure were placed fi rmly behind us. But with that

comes the opportunity for intelligent and considered invest-

ment, as well as cheaper materials and available contractors.

Indeed, as the economic storm continues to batter the

region, the unexpected slowdown can be viewed as a time to

stop and take stock of the current situation. Now is the time

to look for new markets and opportunities that arise and take

them, no matter how small. Despite the slowdown, the GCC and

wider MENA region are still growing and, as such, companies

in the region are better placed than most to help continue that

growth. Now is the perfect time to step back from the pace and

intensity of the boom and look at areas to improve.

Firstly, evaluate the changes that have happened in the

industry and work out the lay of the land. Priorities will have

changed, and in order to fi t in with changing specifi cations,

Goozee.indd 143 15/6/09 13:22:05


144Final wordReady to Report?Jay Stinson explains how arra is putting the spotlight on asset management accountability.

when President Eisenhower championed the Federal

Aid Highway Act of 1956, it resulted in a network of

nearly 47,000 miles of limited-access interstate high-

ways. When you figure in the thousands of miles of city and

county roads, our nation’s transportation network is a complex

operation vital to most every facet of our daily lives.

However, highways and bridges wear out. Today, there are

multiple examples of roadway infrastructure problems across

the country. Thousands of miles of aging and deficient roads

and bridges need major overhauls and the National Surface

Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission,

created by Congress, last year recommended spending

between $225 billion and $340 billion annually on the

nation’s transportation system.

Consequently, President Obama and Congress

have made public works central to their $787 bil-

lion economic stimulus plan. During the next

18 months, the government expects to spend

nearly $30 billion to overhaul the nation’s

highway infrastructure. The aim is to

put Americans back to work, while also

rebuilding our highway infrastructure.

Approved in February 2009, the Amer-

ican Recovery and Reinvestment Act

(ARRA) will have an immediate effect

on transportation agencies across the

country. According to the American

Association of State Highway and

Transportation Officials (AASHTO),

more than 3000 highway and bridge

projects – worth $18 billion – could

begin within the next three months.

As an executive, you must de-

termine the best way for your transportation agency to spend

stimulus money. States must make spending obligations by

March 2010, or the money will be redistributed to other states.

Some agencies may choose to spend their funds on many small

projects that are important; others may focus on one or two

primary highway issues. But no matter how the money is spent,

planning is a crucial step to maximize job creation and eco-

nomic growth. In addition, the federal government will require

agencies to be accountable for how they use stimulus funds.

Intergraph’s Roadway Information Management Solution

can help transportation agencies efficiently manage volumes

of roadway data, respond quickly to questions, and make

better, more informed decisions. Intergraph has more than 40

years’ experience solving complex government and transpor-

tation asset data management challenges through geospatial

technologies and data integration best practices, regardless of

your existing geographic information system (GIS) or database

technologies in use today. Our solution enables the

integration of multiple systems so you can create

the reports needed to prove your accountabil-

ity to the Federal Highway Administration

(FHWA). These reports can bring you an

immediate ROI as they are crucial to main-

taining federal funding, the largest source

of revenue for transportation agencies.

As transportation agencies prepare

for the one-time infusion of cash through

the economic stimulus package, it’s im-

portant for you to determine the best way

your agency can spend that money for

short- and long-term benefits. Regard-

less of how you plan to use the funds,

accountability at the local, state and

federal levels will require accurate,

transparent reporting.

Intergraph can help agencies make

the most efficient use of stimulus fund-

ing. Intergraph’s Roadway Information

Management Solution for the transpor-

tation industry ensures dissemination

of accurate and timely information.

The company delivers products, serv-

ices, and consulting from experienced

transportation professionals to help its customers understand

and implement the best solutions for every aspect of data collec-

tion, management, analysis and reporting. From collecting infor-

mation in the field to visualizing roadway assets and congestion

on a screen, map, or via the web, Intergraph’s solutions help

hundreds of state, provincial and national governments solve

their asset visualization, management and reporting problems.

Intergraph is dedicated to helping keep people and products

moving safely and efficiently and leading the way in helping

transportation agencies gain the most from ARRA. n

Jay Stinson is the Vice President and General Manager of Intergraph’s utilities

and communications and local government and transportation divisions, responsible for driving the application of Intergraph’s

comprehensive suite of geospatial solutions to these specific markets.

FinalWord.indd 144 15/6/09 13:19:51

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