Greetings!
12-30-15
John’s Soapbox:
End Of Year Bits and Pieces:
As we end another year, I decided to acknowledge a few key items for you and we will start the new year off with our newsletter in January with some special surprises for you! Here are a few significant “happenings” for 2015. Happy New Year!
2015 CONSTRUCTION FUNDING NEWS:
As I reported to you several weeks ago, the local representatives we have on MTC have done a great job thinking outside of the box and discovering that a possibility of an earmarked $20million for another County might be available for our Sonoma-Marin stretch of Highway 101 due to “shovel ready” problems in the other County. The preliminary vote went as expected on December 9, 2015, and the subsequent vote on December 17, 2015 got approval from the full board! Great work by Kathy Miller, David Rabbitt, Jake McKenzie, and SCTA’s Suzanne Smith. Click here for a nice article on this issue-
At the Federal level, a long awaited Transportation funding bill was passed by Congress on December 5, 20155 and subsequently signed by President Obama a few days later. In the article, it is interesting to note which electeds voted in opposition to the bill. You might want to follow up and contact them (as I am doing) to find out their reasons for opposing this $305 Billion bill that was much needed to fund Highways and Bridges in the USA. I know some of the “NO” votes were because of how the funding for the $305 Billion was set up. Rather than coming up with a firm budget solution, the Bill proposes to raid THE “RAINY DAY” fund and use “paper profits” from selling reserve oil sales to “smoke and mirror” the $70 Billion shortfall in the budgeted expenses. Article here–
California State Transportation Funding Bill continues to be mired in “partisan” squabbling after attempts to broker a deal by Governor Brown failed to win approval. One of the points of contention is the Republicans’ effort to eliminate 3500 Caltrans jobs that are redundant that would save California taxpayers $500 million a year. Doesn’t seem like that should be controversial does it? Here is an article on current status-
2015 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:
Congratulations go to Ghilotti Construction Company for winning the Caltrans Award for 2015 Top Infrastructure Project of the Year. The corresponding article is included here for your reading pleasure!
ENR California award for its top Highway Bridge project goes to Ghilotti Brothers for the installation of the Golden Gate Bridge Median Barrier! Congratulations GBI! Article here–
Have a safe and Happy New Year!
That’s All Folks!
John
