More Dollars Means More Sense Needed in Running Projects

After a long wait for passage of the $286.5-billion Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the reality means corporate owners must look at new levels and different types of investment. This article describes how owners plan to manage construction projects more wisely and discusses how federal funding has affected various state departments of transportation. Public private partnerships, bond financing, and innovative delivery methods will all have bigger roles in highway and transit construction projects. Missouri was a big SAFETEA-Lu winner, receiving a $200-million yearly increase in addition to the $1.7 billion brought in by its voters. The state's construction program now totals $7.3 billion--the largest road and highway program in state history with some 800 construction projects planned over the next five years. Florida's funding increase, however, has provided new challenges for its Department of Transportation, as there is a shortage of contractors. The article also discusses how mass-transit officials are adopting new ways of doing business. The $52.6 billion allocated to transit through 2009 will significantly boost light rail and bus rapid transit (BRT) construction. Included in the article is a map of the total highway formula funding for 2005-2009, with funding amounts shown for each state.