Author: Mary Scott Nabers

There are more than 300 seaports in America supporting trade and economic development. They contribute approximately 26 percent of the country’s total GDP and create millions of jobs. That’s why a historic amount of new funding is flowing to projects designed to upgrade, expand, and enhance ports. A recent infrastructure study reported that approximately $163 […]

There is great concern about America’s water resources. Throughout the country, public officials are focused on water resources and sound water management practices because of the scarcity of this resource. As of October 18, 2022, a total of 43 states were experiencing moderate drought or worse. Surface reservoirs have traditionally been the ‘go to’ solution […]

  Now that students are flocking back to university campuses, new initiatives to enhance recruitment competition are creating an abundance of contracting opportunities. New student housing projects are extremely common, but university officials are also launching other types of projects designed to enrich the campus experience. Recruitment competition is so extreme that the state of […]

There are 167 land ports of entry (LPOE) in the U.S. that provide border crossing security for both people and trade. Those crossings generate billions of dollars in goods and services for the country. Every year an average of 160,000 motorists, 72,000 pedestrians, and 34,000 commercial trucks pass through those ports of entry. That’s the […]

Airport operations throughout the U.S. have been chaotic in the past several years. Turbulent weather has created havoc along with other operational issues such as staff shortages and new federal mandates. Now, airports have also encountered frightening cyberattacks and upgraded technology has become a high priority. America’s rankings when compared to other top international airports […]

Federal programs that provide funding for state and local projects are so numerous it’s difficult to understand them all. A new program has recently been reopened and eligible projects are already being announced in numerous states. America’s Byways is an umbrella term that includes 150 diverse roadways that are now eligible for funding support. These […]

When Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, it allocated $102 billion for rail-related projects in America. Another $50 million was authorized for annual disbursement to incentivize smaller transit-oriented projects. That’s a lot of available funding making it obvious that Congress intends to make public transportation attractive, safe, and convenient. Mandates and rules for allocating the […]

Thousands of large public projects that will require private sector expertise are in final planning stages. When solicitation documents are released, these projects will grab the attention of private sector contractors and competition will be fierce. Regrettably, there are just as many smaller projects – some of them considered critical — that will get less […]

Public officials and contractors know about redevelopment districts, special tax benefits and alternative funding available through the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program. But the program has morphed somewhat, and the coveted funding and tax benefits are even more attractive now. That’s because of the innovative ways that some states are using the program. The TIF […]

Water that is clean, safe, and adequate is essential to human existence. It’s also a critical component of industry and economic development. And yet, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that 53 percent of river and stream miles, 71 percent of lakes, 80 percent of estuarine square miles, and 98 percent of the Great […]

Last week the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) disbursed $1.5 billion for upcoming projects designed to make highway, multimodal freight and rail infrastructure safer, more efficient and resilient. More will follow and it is important to note that while state transportation agencies will oversee most of the projects, the work will be done in cities […]

Congress has several funding programs designed to incentivize private sector firms to help preserve America’s history, but the historic tax credit (HTC) program is the largest one. This particular program has leveraged more than $102 billion in private investment to rehabilitate older public assets in exchange for tax credits. The doors are currently open for […]

Another $3 billion in federal funding is now available for state and local governmental entities. This funding was allocated in the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) legislation that passed in 2021 but it took this long to design the allocation process and the funding has only recently started flowing. The new revenue will soon create hundreds […]

School districts throughout the U.S. are launching initiatives to keep students safe in classrooms. Millions of dollars are being spent but, relief is not coming quickly enough for most parents, students, teachers, and administrators. Campus comfort is hard to find currently. Teachers and administrators are focused on security, threats, incident attempts, cybersecurity breaches, and other […]

A deadline is looming for an important announcement by the federal government. On September 30, state leaders throughout the country will learn whether or not their electric vehicle infrastructure plans were approved. If the news is good, funding will be immediately available for planned projects. If the news is bad, those state officials will go […]

The federal government recently made large amounts of funding available for street projects that are designed to make roadways safer. The funding is available now for public entities throughout the country. The Complete Streets Program is a federal initiative that was created to reimagine transportation infrastructure and make streets safer. It is part of an […]

Hundreds of millions in federal funding flowed to bus rapid transit (BRT) systems last month…and there is more to come. Expanding and improving rapid transit systems in America is a high priority for members of Congress and also local government officials. The goal is to make public transportation more convenient and attractive, and the hope […]

‘Bridging the Digital Divide’ initiatives are being launched throughout the country and as projects are completed, America will be forever changed. The connectivity efforts will result in thousands of new opportunities, more efficient government, better education, enhanced healthcare, and greater public safety. Ultimately, millions of Americans will benefit. It is difficult to grasp how costly […]

Public officials about to launch large infrastructure projects need to know as much as possible about Regional Infrastructure Accelerators (RIAs). Private sector companies interested in participating in infrastructure projects should also understand this relatively new federal program because there were only two objectives when it was created–to incentivize collaborative initiatives and ensure success for infrastructure […]

Here’s something worthy of note. The federal government has awarded over one billion dollars to a nationwide slate of resilience projects since the start of August this year. FEMA’s recent grants—totaling $1.2 billion—are available for communities ready to launch projects designed to guard against the ravages of future natural hazards. The objective, of course, is […]

Just months ago, the U.S. Senate authorized the largest five-year research and development budget in U.S. history. The $250 billion investment marks a monumental increase in federal support for projects that deploy smart city technology. To no surprise, state and local public officials are enthusiastic about launching these types of projects. Technology that is especially […]

Bike trails and greenway projects no longer represent inconsequential amounts of funding. In fact, these types of projects now represent a spending impact that exceeds $10.6 billion annually. Data indicates trail development projects that encourage hiking, biking, and walking result in numerous benefits and can be credited for about $20 billion in health cost savings. […]

As construction, engineering, and development firms consider the impact of inflation and the increasing cost of capital, some are beginning to embrace projects designed to provide tax incentives. These types of projects fall into the category of ‘adaptive reuse’ and a federal program grants attractive tax incentives when private sector firms work with public officials […]

We are living in historic times, and we are fortunate to be able to participate in the rebuilding of America’s infrastructure. The funding that has been made available and the projects that are being launched will be written about and studied for decades to come. All of the country’s infrastructure networks are getting attention and […]

Libraries are critical public assets for communities and a recent study confirmed that most are funded locally. Currently there are hundreds of modernization, expansion, and technology upgrade projects occurring in libraries throughout the country. This is a very defined and strong trend. In Deschutes County, Oregon, voter-approved bond funding will cover a new Central Library […]