Dodge Data & Analytics and Autodesk are collaborating on a project to develop key performance indicators, or KPIs, for the construction industry. Dodge has found that perceived time and cost constraints prevent about 50% of professionals surveyed from using and collecting data on KPIs for more than half their projects.
Buildings are responsible for 50% of greenhouse gas emissions in cities, but updated building codes could help reduce their effect on climate change, say Karen Weigert of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Jennifer Scanlon of USG Corp. They note that building codes have not been implemented in many areas that are likely to see new construction, creating urgency and an opportunity to implement and enforce new codes.
Consultant Scott Rubin says SCE&G in South Carolina "bet the farm and lost" when it tried and failed to build a nuclear power plant. Management had several warning signs that the project was in trouble but moved forward anyway, he says.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is to begin construction on a 2.75-mile section of the Southern Beltway, and the entire 13-mile toll road should be completed in 2022. Trumbull Corp. was awarded a $116.2 million contract to perform the work on the section.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board is expected to approve toll increases on the Dulles Toll Road in a final vote at its Wednesday meeting. Tolls have not been increased since 2014, and the money will be used to fund construction of the Silver Line.
The North Carolina Turnpike Authority is planning to build a new $489 million toll bridge to the Outer Banks, but there have been delays in the release of environmental impact documents and documents detailing construction dates and financing. The 7-mile Mid-Currituck Bridge would be the third bridge to the Outer Banks, and a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Turnpike Authority says construction could begin in 2020.
The New York State Thruway Authority said it plans to convert the Yonkers plaza in Westchester County to open-road tolling Friday. This is part of a statewide plan to move to open-road, cashless tolling and away from gate-controlled lanes.
Transurban wants to allow the addition of high-occupancy-toll traffic on a high-occupancy-vehicle lane exit ramp on Interstate 395 in Alexandria, Va., and the organization is looking to study the idea. The Alexandria City Council opposes the plan, saying it would encourage cut-through traffic.
Kirk Steudle, former head of the Michigan Department of Transportation, said cities must align community goals with mobility initiatives and have a clear end goal in mind. "Don't deploy for technology's sake," he said, adding, "You should deploy only to solve a problem."
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has awarded Conduent a new eight-year contract to modernize the ExpressLanes tolling system. The system will use enhanced analytics capabilities, with the goal of reducing congestion and improving safety.