Greetings!
1-27-15
John’s Soapbox:
SMART-NOT SMART
For those of you who regularly drive the Highway 80 stretch from the Carquinez Bridge to the Bay Bridge, you understand the pain that the 270,000 vehicles per day usage cause you. Relief may be on the way to ease some of that distress.
SMART (different from our SMART train), which stands for “Safety, Mobility, Automated Real-time Traffic Management”, is about to be installed and SMART is one of the most extensive Intelligent Transportation Systems in California, integrating communication technologies into the transportation infrastructure to improve safety and mobility.
Soon you will be seeing new signs and adaptive ramp metering techniques that will better control the flow onto and off of this crowded stretch of highway. The new 25 foot high signs (which will be activated in the spring of 2015), will be a huge improvement on the ability to navigate that stretch of Highway 80. The full description of the project is accessed here–
I have to travel this stretch and every time I do, my stress level elevates. I allow more time, but it is still not enough to have a relaxing trip due to the current stop and go nature of traffic currently being managed. I can only hope that this current $79 million project will ease my (and your) stress levels, and allow you to get to where you are going safely and more refreshed.
I bet you thought I was going to talk about the SMART train huh?
Happy Bidding!
That’s All Folks!
John Bly
Legislative Briefs:
From ACEC, latest CALSTA “white paper” on Transportation User Fee Concept for California-click here
From ACEC, latest CALSTA “white paper” on tolling fees for infrastructure funding in California- here
From ACEC, latest CALSTA “white paper” on Performance of Funding alternatives for transportation infrastructure in California-click here
Jared Huffman on Federal Transportation Committee here
No Free Roads – here
New Requirements for Firms Who Work On Public Works Projects
Senate Bill 854, a budget trailer bill that was signed into law last June made several significant changes to laws pertaining to the administration and enforcement of prevailing wage requirements by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).
Among other things, SB 854 established a new public works contractor registration program to replace prior Compliance Monitoring Unit (CMU) and Labor Compliance Program (LCP) requirements for bond-funded and other specified public works projects. The fees collected through this new program will be used to fund all of DIR’s public works activities, including compliance monitoring and enforcement, the determination of prevailing wage rates, public works coverage determinations, and hearing enforcement appeals.
Information from the office of the Labor Commissioner indicates that this brings in employers that traditionally may not consider themselves “contractors.” Bottom line, all “contractors” – as defined by Labor Code section 1722.1 – must be registered. This would include classifications for pre-construction, and post-construction activities; so among others, surveyors, soil testers, inspection, would need to be registered.
It is important to note that any firm subject to the provisions of Labor Code section 1720 through 1861 (not individual professional), needs to registered.
For additional information about SB 854, please click here
Local News Stories Affecting ECA:
Ross Valley Flood Project Moving Ahead-bridges are about to get rebuilt, and Ross Valley has kick started its flood control efforts in a big way recently. Read the article from the Marin IJ about new projects and the overall rehab plan here
Has Marin Highway 101 Traffic Gotten Better? Nope-but we are no longer rated 2nd worst commute by MTC because other Bay Area commutes have gotten even worse. To read the Marin IJ Editorial, click here
Up To Five Times As Much To Be Spent On Road Repairs Around Bay Area-Long deferred needs are being financed now. To read the article, click here
Should We Consider Outsourcing the $59 Billion backlog in Road Rehab work to private engineering firms rather than Caltrans? To read the Dan Walters opinion piece from the Sacramento Bee, click here
Marc Levine’s Proposal For Additional Lane on Richmond Bridge-Marc has been listening to his commuting constituents and has introduced a bill that could alleviate some of the long commute wait at rush hour by opening an additional lane. To read the story, click here
Flatiron Bridge Deck Concrete Pour Goes Terribly Wrong-a few days ago, falsework gave way and injured five workers during a bridge deck concrete placement. To read the Lost Post newspaper article, click here
ECA Installation & Awards Dinner
| Mike Gulley, Northwest General Engineering |
Be sure to join us at our
38th Annual Installation &
Awards Dinner
We will be Welcoming incoming President:
Mike Gulley, Northwest General Engineering
and the 2015 ECA Board!
We will be also honoring
Contractor of the Year:
Northwest General Engineering
Affiliate of the Year: Deanne Glover, Heffernan Insurance
The Hermsmeyer Hall of Fame Award
will be awarded to Jim Syar, Syar Industries
Posthumous – Henry J. “Babe” Ghilotti
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa
2777 Fourth Street
Invitation, click here
To sponsor, click here!
Thank you to:
Northwest General Engineering – President Sponsor
Syar Industries – Dessert & Coffee Bar & Awards & Gifts Sponsor
Team Ghilotti – Gold Sponsor
Advanced Stormwater Protection, Inc. – Co-hosted Wine Sponsor
CR Fedrick Inc. – Centerpiece Sponsor
Daniel O. Davis – Co-Hosted Bar Sponsor
Ghilotti Bros. Inc. – Co-Hosted Bar Sponsor
Ghilotti Construction – Co-Hosted Champagne
Heffernan Insurance – Co-Hosted Wine
Pace Supply – Co-Hosted Champagne
Peterson CAT – Co-Hosted Wine Sponsor
Pisenti & Brinker LLP – Port & Cigar Bar
RCX Inc. – Co-Hosted Bar Sponsor
R&S Trucking – Dinner Wine Sponsor
Soiland Inc. – Wine Dinner Co-Host Sponsor
Aaction Rents – Bronze Sponsor
Brelje & Race – Bronze Sponsor
Wheeler Zamaroni Landscape Supplies – Bronze Sponsor
