Comments on: Congress Sending Wrong Signals to State DOTs in Stimulus Draft

By: Michaelangelo

Michaelangelo — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:48:41 +0000

Thanks Anon @ 9:51 for the link.

Kaja, nowhere was I implying corruption. The phrasing was “It’s like as if…”
In fact, I know contractors who buy off-brand paints or discounted colors in projects if the color or brand is not specified. That is common. It is just being economical. What is absurd is to assert that it is corruption, as you did.

By: Anon

Anon — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:51:36 +0000

Michaelangelo – there are guidelines for what colors of markings can be used for different purposes. Try googling, “MUTCD”. Red has a specific purpose, as does blue. There are few color options available for “non-standard” markings like colored bike lanes. That being said, I’d be curious how red was chosen for the bus lanes and green for the bike lanes.

By: Kaja

Kaja — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:46:37 +0000

> Is there something preventing MPOs or other planning agencies from de-funding all their current projects, winning stimulus money for those “shovel-ready,” newly moneyless projects, and using the local money they’ve saved to plan and prepare better projects outside the 90-day timeline?

Yes, the law. I don’t know how else to reply to this sentence.

By: Kaja

Kaja — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:45:33 +0000

Michaelangelo-

The DOT chose the green shade after testing six or seven different shades out around Brooklyn. I saw shades of blue, shades of red, and shades of green.

Incidentally the green color’s my favorite. Aesthetics are radically subjective; your aesthetic opinion is yours, and it’s sort of absurd to suggest that someone else must have been motivated by corruption, rather than surveys or taste.

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:44:09 +0000

Is there something preventing MPOs or other planning agencies from de-funding all their current projects, winning stimulus money for those “shovel-ready,” newly moneyless projects, and using the local money they’ve saved to plan and prepare better projects outside the 90-day timeline?

Here in CA, especially, we’re already seeing projects get de-funded for actual lack of cash. I can see other, more solvent DOTs and MPOs doing the same thing just to free up future money if it meant they could get stimulus money today.

Perhaps if they fast-tracked the projects with the extra money, it wouldn’t have the effect of a shell game. I can think of many local projects that are drawn out because the money is trickling in, a little each year. If the stimulus could pay all that upfront it would free up the local money from future budgets, and probably save some extra costs associated with inflation, interest, etc. plus, we’d finish them faster.

By: Michaelangelo

Michaelangelo — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:10:11 +0000

Thanks Paco for the opinion, but I think white or red or zebra-striping would be more noticeable and effective. It’s like as if the painting contractor got a discount on a thousand gallons of jade paint that no one else wanted.

Maybe someone from DOT who is reading this can respond. Thanks in advance.

By: n'at

n'at — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:53:20 +0000

Adding to the difficulty is the expiration of the multi-billion dollar transportation bill (SAFETEA-LU) in September of this year. Much planning is invested to attain long term surface transportation goals through the allocation of federal tax dollars in these SAFETEA bills. The unfortunate circumstance is that many in Congress will not want to drop $40 billion dollars for moribund “shove ready” infrastructure projects in the spring, and then debate on spending even more money later in the year.

But they will have to. The “shovel ready” projects will not satisfy any of our goals for “green” or “smart” transportation initiatives. They are simply a means to jump start the economy.

Additionally, the use of federal dollars in local and state projects adds a considerable length of time to the planning and design process. So many hoops to jump through, the paperwork, the reviews, etc. The process is quite pedantic compared to private construction.

By: Paver

Paver — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:11:25 +0000

Why can’t they just double, quadruple or whatever their repaving, lane marking, guardrail, impact attenuator and bridge painting work until they spend all the money? It cannot be that hard. Not being able to absorb the money reflects how calcified and moribund these agencies are, and how ossified and asinine their contracting procedures and laws are.

By: paco

paco — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:58:58 +0000

michaelangelo,
i agree it’s not the prettiest… but its damn noticeable. an off shade of green on the ground is better than blood stains and busted bike parts, no?

By: Rhywun

Rhywun — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:52:27 +0000

This looks like a repeat of last year’s banking bailout.

I am shocked–shocked!–at this. Or not.

By: Michaelangelo

Michaelangelo — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:29:43 +0000

Anyone know why DOT chooses the ugliest tone of green, some kind of weird jade – for bike lanes?