Yuma Council Mulls CIP Projects
By Mara Knaub for Yuma sun The Yuma City Council scrutinized the Capital Improvement Program plan for 2021 in a roundtable discussion. The CIP budget, at $51.4M, is more than last year, but the city expects 45 percent of the costs to be recovered through grants, reimbursements and private-public partnerships. City Engineer Jeff Kramer noted that the needs are greater than the available resources, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Deputy Mayor Karen Watts thanked […]
Mesa, QC Partner on Crucial Road Projects
By Gary Nelson for East Valley Tribune Faced with the prospect of further explosive growth in the Southeast Valley, Mesa and Queen Creek are hustling to build two major roadways that will connect with a future extension the State Route 24 freeway. The cities have agreed to design and build Meridian and Signal Butte roads […]
Valley Transportation Planners ‘Imagine’ Another Sales Tax Extension
By Adrienne St. Clair for Arizona Builder’s Exchange Transportation planners for Maricopa County are getting an early start on plans to extend Prop. 400 – a 0.5 percent sales tax increase approved back in 2005. Not only did they unveil their new “Imagine” proposition at the December APA/ASLA Networking Event Wednesday, Dec. 5, but they […]
FMI Releases Positive 2018 Growth Outlook
By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange Management consulting and investment banking term FMI, which is, “dedicated exclusively to engineering and construction, infrastructure and the built environment,” has released its, “Construction Outlook First Quarter Report,” and is forecasting a 7 percent increase in total construction and engineering spending across the U.S. in 2018. For comparison, […]
AZBEX Initial Forecast Event Surprises
By Peter Madrid and AZBEX Staff for Arizona Builder’s Exchange While it was nearly a given multifamily would be king of the hill in the 2017 commercial construction landscape, many other trends the Arizona Builder’s Exchange staff uncovered in preparation for its inaugural 2018 Construction Forecast event last Friday caught both them and several industry […]
Infrastructure Challenges and Opportunities
By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange The economy is strong on paper with excellent stats on stocks and employment, even if the benefits the average American usually enjoys in those circumstances, such as wage growth and competitive options, are still lagging. While investment abounds, the ongoing and increasingly rancorous battles between the President, Congress […]
Ducey Promises Not to Raid Roadway Funds
By Rebekah L. Sanders for The Arizona Republic Gov. Doug Ducey has promised to stop taking $30M in transportation money annually from Arizona cities and counties to balance the state’s budget. The promise is a win for local governments still smarting from revenue declines during the Great Recession. It came months ahead of the start […]
ASU Tackles Future of Transportation
Source: Arizona State University/The Arizona Republic Roughly 40 percent of the nation’s roads and major highways are not considered to be in good condition, and about 70,000 of U.S. bridges are structurally deficient. During the 2016 presidential campaign both candidates seized on our failing transportation infrastructure, each promising heavy investments to rebuild roads and bridges. […]
Budget Holds AEC Challenges, Opportunities
By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange The FY 2018 Executive Budget proposed by Governor Doug Ducey earlier this month maintains some ongoing challenges and offers up some interesting potential nuggets and for AEC efforts over the next few years. One sector that is, once again, not feeling much fiduciary love is the state’s highway […]
Transportation Evolution Brings Opportunity
By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange Even though Metro Phoenix is, arguably, second only to Greater Los Angeles as America’s most entrenched “car city,” the area and the state have made major strides in recent years to expand commuters’ options, create alternative-friendly systems and improve safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike. This has […]