Expert Insights

Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced $3.33 billion in grant funding for 132 projects. The revenue will flow from the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program and the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program. This funding is allocated for projects...

Here’s a fact that may be surprising – it surely was to me. The construction or renovation of buildings accounts for approximately 39% of the total global energy-related carbon emissions each year. Embodied carbon contributes another 11%. That category refers to the...

In February of 2024, additional federal funding was announced for water and wastewater infrastructure projects. The funding is part of the government’s effort to ensure reliable water resources and safe drinking water throughout America. Almost $6 billion is now...

A federal program with a long name is in the process of allocating $5 billion to states for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations. The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI), administered by the Federal Highway Administration, is...

Damage repairs from earthquakes in the U.S. typically cost taxpayers approximately $15 billion a year. Considering that, funding to stabilize or prevent as much damage as possible is a good and prudent effort. According to FEMA and a recent geological survey, the cost...

America’s fire infrastructure is very old, and government leaders are trying to remedy that situation. Approximately 20,000 U.S. fire stations are over four decades old. That is an alarming statistic because the estimated useful life of a police or fire station is...

It is somewhat challenging to list all the components of water infrastructure. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines the term as “all man-made and natural features that move and treat water.” And because it takes all types of systems and networks to...

Congress appropriated an extremely large amount of funding for school projects, and the final round allocations totaled $122 billion. That’s a huge amount – about $380 per person in the U.S. This revenue came through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency...

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided approximately $11.3 billion for projects designed to rehabilitate land where old coal mines were located. Since Congress passed the law, funding has been allocated through the Abandoned Mine Land reclamation programs - about...

Following a near-total collapse of air travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, early 2024 marks a significant milestone as North American air travel is finally returning to normal. Normal, however, may not be the appropriate word because many airports are experiencing...

Federal research and development are critical to global competitiveness, so Congress is committed to supporting and encouraging both. Federal programs prioritize funding for almost every type of research. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated a...

Some people know about Public Facility Corporations (PFCs), but only a few, it seems. Public officials, however, are very familiar with PFCs because affordable housing and essential housing facilities are at the top of their priority list. PFCs are commonly involved...

There is no argument - everyone agrees technology is changing our world! Technological evolution and innovation trends are rampant. Changes are happening so fast that it’s simply not possible to keep up with everything. However, because taxpayer dollars fund much of...

Every $1 spent on flood mitigation before disaster strikes yields $6 to $7 in saved recovery costs, according to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA. Meanwhile, the number of properties in the U.S. that suffer from repeated flood damage is rising at...

Aging tunnels in America, coupled with the country’s continued growth, have created an extremely high demand for attention. The imminent repair and replacement will result in significant growth in the tunnel construction market in North America over the next several...

There is a sector of a federally funded program that I fear is not getting enough attention. This program supports many of the local projects I know public officials want to launch. The Facilities Grant Program, administered through the Treasury Department, is...

After working for the past 25-plus years to help companies be successful in selling to government, I get questions daily about what it takes to be successful in the public sector marketplace. This column’s objective is to provide some “Best Practices for Success”...

Large funding grants for surface transportation projects are available from the federal government’s Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program. This program, actively overseen by the U.S. Department of Transportation, is especially focused on funding projects...

It is shocking to realize that more than 42% of America’s 617,000 bridges are more than half a century old, and one-third of them are in dire need of repair or replacement. Even more sobering is the fact that 46,000 U.S. bridges are considered structurally deficient...

In the United States, there are over 6,000 hospitals, approximately 1 million hospital beds and thousands of small clinics. The physical healthcare infrastructure includes buildings, research labs, costly mechanical systems, leading-edge technology and medical...

The Federal Transit Administration has about $4.5 billion available in 2024 for transit projects of all types. This includes bus rapid transit projects, light rail and commuter rail initiatives. While most of the projects involve state departments of transportation,...

Here’s something that will be easily missed… but hopefully not by our readers. In December, the Federal Highway Administration announced $110 million in grant funding for 19 wildlife crossing projects in 17 states. That may sound like these projects will be small, but...

Last week, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced $8.1 billion in funding for passenger rail projects. The funding is a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act that Congress passed several years ago, but the funding now is flowing aggressively. This...

Two years after the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), an estimated $492 billion remains in federal funding for American infrastructure projects. However, it is crucial to note that...

Cities and counties throughout the U.S. are currently planning to launch new facilities to house fire and police stations. A significant number of these new projects will be designed to consolidate fire and police operations. Others will consolidate not only police...

Several years ago, government officials began investing in large projects designed to increase tourism, attract conventions and events to their region and monetize existing public assets. Economic vitality in every part of the country is a high priority, and the...

America’s coast hosts more than 300 ports, which are vital to the U.S. economy. Annually, the ports contribute more than $5 trillion to the country’s GDP. Although port traffic was disrupted significantly by COVID-19, it is greater now than ever. Before the pandemic,...

America has a waste problem – not only is it expensive, but it is a daunting issue for all. Public waste-management operations in many cities cannot absorb population growth, urban expansion and the overwhelming increase of industrialization. New systems, locations,...

The effort to electrify vehicles is a growing trend sweeping through America. The task is expensive enough to keep it from ever being quick. Still, funding is available from numerous sources and the commitment to accomplish what would once have seemed impossible is...

A new multi-billion-dollar funding program was created recently to support energy infrastructure projects that strengthen America’s power supply. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will oversee the $10.5 billion program, and the first round of funding has now been...

Airports nationwide either have major upgrades in progress, or such initiatives are being designed for a 2024 launch date. A significant decline in air travel related to pandemic restrictions has been dramatically reversed and recent studies now report that a majority...