Daily News Briefs, June 23, 2017

IL Tollway Board Signs WSP USA as Its New Consulting Engineer, but AECOM Remains in the Lineup

Daily Herald reports, “A new consulting engineer will be advising the Illinois tollway as it charges ahead with a multibillion-dollar agenda. . . . Directors Thursday [June 22] approved an $84.5 million, 4½-year contract with WSP USA Inc., formerly Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc., for duties including inspections, preparing an annual report and reviewing projects.” The newspaper adds that any “differences” between the authority and AECOM, the previous and long-time holder of the contract, appear to have been resolved,” since “directors hired AECOM to continue as consultant at a cost of $8.6 million for six months, to assist with the transition and an upcoming bond sale. They also approved changes to a $78 million contract with AECOM to lead design work on the central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).”

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Joseph Lhota Returns as MTA Chairman

The New York Times reports, “Joseph J. Lhota, who led the Metropolitan Transportation Authority under Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo before leaving for a failed mayoral run in 2013, has been chosen by the governor to return as chairman. The surprise, after-hours announcement was approved late on Wednesday [June 21] by the State Senate after its Finance Committee voiced its support at an impromptu meeting in the Capitol. . . .” The article adds that the appointment comes after a week in which the governor attempted to gain more control over MTA’s board.

The New York State Senate confirmed seven MTA board nominees earlier this week, including Scott Rechler, a Cuomo pick, who previously served as vice chairman of the Port Authority board.

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Plenary Roads Denver Seeks Express Lane Toll Rate Adjustments to Ensure "Reliable Travel Times"

Daily Camera reports, “The cost of sailing briskly along the express lanes on U.S. 36 and Interstate 25 could soon be going up on average — although in some spots, rates may go down — if proposed rate adjustments announced Thursday are approved. The [Colorado] High Performance Transportation Enterprise . . . said Plenary Roads Denver is proposing the rate adjustments in order to manage congestion and ensure reliable travel times. . . .” The newspaper adds that the rate increase proposal will be discussed by Plenary Roads and considered by the HPTE board during a July 19 meeting.

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Major Traffic Jam Mars Opening of MTA's New HOV/Bus Lane on the Verrazano Bridge

SILive.com reports that some officials and motorists are blaming the bumpy opening of a new HOV/bus lane for “a hellish Thursday morning commute over the Verrazano Bridge.” MTA tells the newspaper an accident and a 15-minute lane opening delay caused backups that continued well past rush hour. However, other newspaper sources noticed solo drivers using the lane and motorists who were confused by the new traffic pattern. Governor Cuomo’s office, in an announcement about the HOV/bus lane earlier this week, predicted it would “streamline travel for commuters.”

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MDX Board Chair Stands by Proposal for Dolphin Expressway Extension

Today’s Miami Herald features an op-ed in which Miami-Dade Expressway Authority board chair, Louis Martinez, vigorously defends the agency’s proposal for an extension of the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836). “Recently, 600,000 residents who live or have businesses west of the turnpike were denied the possibility of expediting a game-changing solution to the traffic nightmare that the extension of State Road 836 can bring,” Martinez writes.

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BC Liberals Join Call to Make Vancouver Bridges Toll Free. Surrey Mayor Says the Pattullo Bridge Replacement Depends on Tolls.

Vancouver Sun reports that BC’s Liberal government, which faces a no-confidence vote next week, has decided to add its support to an opposition party’s call for the elimination of Metro Vancouver bridge tolls.

Meanwhile, Surrey Now-Leader reports that Surrey, BC, Mayor Linda Hepner says the Pattullo Bridge’s condition could force its closure as early as 2020, and she has concerns about a potential change in provincial funding for the planned replacement. “In the absence of tolls — or with a ceiling for tolls — that puts how that bridge will be paid for in question,” the mayor says.

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Concern for Marathon Runners' Safety May Cause Three-Hour, Partial Closure of Golden Gate Bridge in July

San Francisco Chronicle reports, “Safety concerns, including worries over terrorism, are prompting Golden Gate Bridge authorities to consider a proposal to close all northbound lanes of the iconic span during the upcoming San Francisco Marathon. . . . It would be the first such closure for the bridge in the history of the marathon, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary with the July 23 run that is expected to draw about 15,000 runners. . . .” The Golden Gate Bridge district board will vote on the lane closing proposal today.

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New HCTRA and TxDOT Safety Measures Protect Motorists against Highway Flooding Hazards

Houston Press reports that as Tropical Storm Cindy approached the Gulf Coast, Harris County and Houston emergency management officials prepared “dozens of barricades or gates” in case of flash flooding. After several people drowned in April 2016 highway floods, the Harris County Toll Road Authority and TxDOT joined county officials in making a “comprehensive review” of potential trouble spots and added or improved barricades and warning systems.

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Bill to Name the Tappan Zee Replacement Bridge after Mario Cuomo Fades in the Night

The Journal News reports, “A late-night push by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to name the Tappan Zee Bridge after his father fizzled out Wednesday after the Assembly adjourned without putting it to a vote. Cuomo took rank-and-file lawmakers by surprise Wednesday night [June 21] when he proposed a bill that would name the Hudson River span and its $3.9 billion replacement after former Gov. Mario Cuomo, his late father. . . .”

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Jersey Shore Toll Bridge Closed for Repair in April Reopens Today

Press of Atlantic City reports, “The county-owned Townsends Inlet bridge connecting Sea Isle City and Avalon will reopen [this afternoon] after being closed for more than two months, Cape May County Engineer Dale Foster said.” The article adds, “The 77-year-old toll bridge . . . was initially expected to open by Memorial Day weekend. Complications due to stones placed in 1962 around the piers at the Avalon end of the bridge made installing the new pipe piles very difficult. . . .”

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As Oregon Debates Congestion Pricing Proposal, London's Mayor Embraces Bold, New Road-Pricing Strategy

KUOW reports, “From light rail to commuting by bike, the Portland area has a long history of transportation experimentation. Now, the big transportation bill in the Oregon Legislature calls for another innovation beloved by traffic reformers: congestion pricing. The measure orders the Oregon Transportation Commission to move forward with implementing variable tolling in conjunction with major freeway projects on Interstates 5 and 205.”

The Financial Times reports, “Fourteen years after the pioneering introduction of a daily congestion charge on vehicles entering the [London] city centre, there is a growing realisation that new methods are needed to tackle worsening traffic problems,” According to the newspaper, Mayor Sadiq Khan wants pay-per-mile road pricing and a ban on car parking considered, citing the draft of his transport strategy released this week. Commentators call the proposals ambitious and politically sensitive.

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"The Economist" Surveys the Potential Rewards and Risks of US Infrastructure Privatization and Asset Recycling

“The Economist” surveys the “promise and pitfalls” of US public asset privatization in an article titled, “The Art of the Deal.” (Clever, eh?) It notes America’s new interest in asset privatization, and observes that proponents “envisage states leasing stretches of the sprawling interstate highway system to private tolling companies, raising vast sums for new investment. This has not happened much before, partly because a law from 1956 bans tolls on many interstate roads. But much of the system is now at the end of its intended lifespan and politicians are mostly unwilling to raise petrol taxes sufficiently to replace or upgrade it. So lifting the ban on tolls seems appealing.”

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Murder-Suicide of Vehicle's Two Occupants Witnessed by Chicago Skyway Toll Collector

Chicago Tribune reports on a murder and suicide that occurred around 4 a.m., June 21, at a Chicago Skyway toll plaza. A woman jumped from a car as it started to pull away from the tollbooth, pursued by the driver, her boyfriend, who left the car rolling. The man shot and killed the woman with a handgun, then turned the weapon on himself when confronted by a nearby police officer. The car eventually stopped when it hit a wall.

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Motorists Will Travel Free on Korean Government Expressways during National Holidays

The Korea Times reports, “State-run Korean expressways will be toll-free during national holiday seasons, starting from Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day) in October. The move also will allow drivers to use the roads free during the Lunar New Year holidays in February, according to daily newspaper Seoul Shimmun.” According to the newspaper, the country’s new president, Moon Jae-in, made a campaign promise to eliminate tolls entirely, but the government subsequently decided there was too much financial risk involved in making the expressways free.

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