- president's report march 2017

- President's Report- NACE Awarded SafetyGrant- New! Innovation Zone atNACE Show- NACE Testifies forProject Streamlining- Enroll Your Staff inNACE at No Cost- Pres. Trump OrdersRewrite of WOTUS- Working Together inStakeholder Partnering- State Success withFederal Aid Projects- Deaths Highest in 9Years- TransportationCommittee Resolutions- Bill to Fast Track RoadFunding- Free Rural RoadWebinars- Clay County SeekingEngineer- Rapid City Seeks PublicWorks Dir.

March 2017 President's Report

Time to Celebrate!!

By Brian Stacy, PE Pierce County, Washington

I’m sure most would think I’m talking about the fact I’m nearing the end of my presidential term andstaring intently at the finish line. Or maybe the fact that our Annual Conference is right around thecorner, featuring great opportunities to network, learn and grow professionally.

Although both are certainly noteworthy, that actually isn’t the focus of my article.

For anyone following NACE, you know first and foremost we stand for Safety. Most everything we dohas a Safety element to it, and rightfully so. With that in mind, remember when we shared with you ourdesire to pursue Safety grants as an association?

Well, the National Safety Council and U.S. DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration justannounced NACE is a Safe System Innovation Grant recipient! To my knowledge, this is a first for NACE and provides awonderful opportunity to make a difference in a field we are all passionate about.

The initiative we pursued is Advancing Local Road Safety Practices with State DOTs. This is certainly something worthy of aCELEBRATION!!

As a reminder of the 35,095 roadway fatalities in 2015, more than half of them occurred on rural roads mostly owned by localagencies. The fatality rate is 2.4 times that of rural roads. Yet given this discrepancy, most states allocate a fraction of theirfederal funds on locally owned roads. We believe it is impossible to achieve the Road to Zero vision without addressing this hugedisparency.

The few state DOTs that have allocated their resources based on fatalities have seen a significant drop. Counties in Minnesotahave seen a 25% drop in fatalities since implementing safety plans uses Highway Safety Improvement Program dollars.

NACE proposes to strategically identify 5 key states to facilitate a gathering of key stakeholders as described below. Thisemulates a successful meeting conducted with FL DOT that resulted in improved collaboration and adoption of proven bestpractices. The top 5 states represent 33% of all the fatalities. Of those, 5,451 were on rural roads which represent 16% of all ofthe US fatalities.

This grant will result in about a 12 month effort broken down into 4 components:

Data Collection & Analysis

Presentation Development

Collaborative Meetings

Reporting

With the new grant, state specific presentations will be developed to identify the issues and suggest practices for collaboratingwith locals to address local road safety. A meeting of key stakeholders will be organized to meet with the state DOT. As in FL,stakeholders will include NACE, our state affiliate, LTAP, FHWA and other locals as appropriate. The goal is to improvecollaboration between the state and local agencies, adopt “new” proven practices, and change the behaviors on how statesallocate resources to locals.

The grant will be the impetus for what we hope will be one of many future Safety-related opportunities for NACE to make thecountry a safer place to drive!

Congratulations to the Safety Committee and NACE staff for their successful grant application!

http://www.countyengineers.org/Pages/default.aspx

The Annual Conference is only days away. Looking forward to seeing you all in Cincy!!

Visit our NACE Corporate Partners by clicking on their ads!

©2017 National Association of County Engineers25 Mass. Ave, NW, Suite 580Washington, DC 20001Phone: (202) 393-5041 | Fax: (202) 393-2630 | E-mail: [email protected]

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March 2017

NACE Awarded Safety Grant to Help Advance Local Road Safety Practices

NACE is pleased to announce that we are a Safe System Innovation grant recipient! The specificinitiative is Advancing Local Road Safety Practices with State DOTs.

The grant is 1 of 7 awarded jointly by the National Safety Council and US DOT’s NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration. 62 grant applications were reviewed and rated.

Specifically, NACE will evaluate local road fatality data and strategically identify 5 key states tofacilitate a gathering of stakeholders. The top 5 states represent 33% of all the fatalities. Ofthose, 5,451 were on rural roads which represent 16% of all of the US fatalities.

State specific presentations will be developed to identify the issues and suggest practices for collaborating with locals to addresslocal road safety. The goal is to improve collaboration between the state and local agencies, adoption of “new” proven practicesthat other states have used successfully, and changing the behaviors on how states support locals.

Of the 35,095 roadway fatalities in 2015, more than half occurred on rural roads mostly owned by local agencies. The fatalityrate is 2.4 times higher. Yet given this discrepancy, most states focus their programs on the state owned network. It isimpossible to achieve the Road to Zero without addressing the local component.

The few state DOTs that have evaluated their programs and allocated their resources based on fatalities have seen a significantdrop in fatalities. Counties in Minnesota have seen a 25% drop in fatalities since implementing safety plans using HighwaySafety Improvement Program dollars.

The Stakeholder Group is proposed to include representatives of NLTAPA (National Local Technical Assistance ProgramAssociation), NACE affiliates, FHWA Division office, and state DOTs.

The grants are part of the Road to Zero initiative, of which NACE was an original steering committee member when it waslaunched in October 2016. The goal is to eliminate roadway deaths within 30 years. NHTSA committed $1 million in annualfunding for the next 3 years for the Safe System Innovation Grants, and the National Safety Council is managing distribution ofthe grant funds and the selection process.

Stay tuned for further details.


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March 2017

New This Year - Innovation Zone!

All Day Monday, April 10

Come to learn about new solutions to help minimize your day-to-day challenges. Talk specifics with the vendors in a small groupsetting to receive personalized advice.

Featured Solutions Providers

Acrow BridgeCaterpillarBig R BridgeAZZ Metal CoatingsAsphalt Pavement AlliancePortland Cement Association / American Concrete Pavement AssociationCDR BridgesSoftree Technical SystemsPrecision PipeWheeler

Thanks to the County Engineers Association of Ohio (CEAO) for planning a memorable event.

Take a look at the NACE 2017 site for everything you need before planning your travel.

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http://www.countyengineers.org/events/nace17/Pages/NACE17.aspx



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March 2017

NACE Testifies before Congress in Support of Project Streamlining

On March 1, on behalf of NACE and NACo, County Engineer Richie Beyer ofElmore County, Alabama, testified before a joint subcommittee hearing of the USHouse Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Specifically, the hearingexamined federal environmental regulatory impediments to infrastructuredevelopment.

Thanks and congratulations to Richie on an incredible testimony and engagingdialogue with members of the subcommittee.

View the Testimony.

Richie’s opening remarks are at time 18:55 and responses to questions occur at47:00, 1:13:20 and 1:19:20. Also, a special thanks to Kevan Stone and NACo staff for all of the support and guidance inpreparing for this event.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to bring project delivery and streamlining to the forefront. For several years, this has been apriority of NACE. Many in the Congress aren’t aware of the day-to-day infrastructure operations that lag behind in time ofcompletion or run over budget due to the Federal regulatory burdens.

Richie provided examples where the ongoing struggle between levels of government increase the chance that counties’ limitedresources aren’t utilized in the most effective manner.

Roads and Bridges

An example in Elmore County, placing a treatment on a road would entail a 1.5” thick wearing surface and new traffic stripes andmarkers. The road is wide enough to handle the traffic volumes, and there are no apparent safety issues. The work takes acontractor less than 30 days to complete.

The county spends 12-15 months in advance preparing the required federal documentation, over 13% of the allocated funding.

After the contractor completes the project, Elmore County will have: - A project file 20 times thicker than the overlay that was placed; - Paid on average 2 times the cost of a similar project funded solely with local funds ($160,000 per mile federal vs $80,000 permile local only); - Spent 9-12 months longer to get the project to construction;

Emergency Work

On Christmas Day 2015, Elmore County was impacted by floods. A 50+ year old, 14’ equivalent diameter plate arch pipe failedwhich created a chasm in the roadway, sending several hundred yards of roadbed downstream. Within days the hydraulicanalysis was completed and the appropriate size structure was ordered.

Within 2 weeks, the department learned that Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) was not recognizing aprovision in the 2015 FAST Act to exempt emergency work from environmental reviews.

On day 23, the county learned that the information sent to the state and federal emergency management administrations,regardless of the prior approvals received, was going through a full FEMA review. No work could proceed without the countyrisking reimbursement for what would be roughly a $250,000 to $300,000 repair.

On day 53, the approval to move forward was received and a project worksheet was finalized 8 days later at a cost ofapproximately $378,000. The county completed all of the work in 57 days with its own force at a final cost of near $225,000.

Beyer Provided2 Recommendations

Exempt from all federal requirements projects that receive less than $5 million in federal funding.

https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/examining-environmental-barriers-infrastructure-development/


Exempt from all federal requirements emergency repairs to any transportation facility damaged by a disaster.



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March 2017

Enroll Your County Staff as NACE Members

By now you've visited the new NACE site and updated your profile!

One feature we encourage your county to use is the addition of yourstaff to our NACE membership. We're pleased many of you have doneso.

As you know, under our restructured membership your county may add asmany members as you choose.

Staff who will learn and benefit from NACE's activities andcommunications include assistant county engineers, other engineerpositions, and operations and maintenance supervisors / managers.

We've created a short video to guide you through the process.

Instructions for Adding NACE Members Before entering have available their names, email addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses. 1) Log into the NACE website. Member Login found at the top right. Your Username is FirstNameLastName.Example TomBrady 2) When on the welcome screen with your personalized name badge, Select My Profile. 3) Toggle over a second My Profile, and select Your Organization on the dropdown menu. 4) Click on Individual Profiles. 5) To add new members, select Create Linked Profile. 6) Add the name and email address, then click Save. You can enter multiple individuals. 7) Back in the contact list, click Edit by individuals to add addresses, then Save. Visit our Corporate Partners by clicking on their ads!

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March 2017

President Trump Signs “Waters Of The US” Executive Order

Surrounded by County Officials

Surrounded by county leaders from across the country, on February 28 President Donald Trump signed an executive order torevamp the Obama administration’s controversial “Waters of the US” rule under the Clean Water Act. It directed theEnvironmental Protection Agency and the US Army Corps of Engineers to come up with a new definition.

Under the order, the EPA and the Corps are to restart and rewrite the rule to enable more common-sense local implementation.Since the rule was originally proposed, NACo consistently requested the agencies withdraw and revise the rule to include stateand local government concerns.

“We are encouraged by the president’s action and look forward to a renewed dialogue with the EPA and the Corps to developmore workable rules at the local level,” said NACo President Bryan Desloge. “Since counties play a critical role in implementingand enforcing federal water policies, it is crucial that the agencies work with us to develop rules and regulations that work at thelocal level. “Our nation’s counties support clean water, and we support common-sense environmental regulations,” Desloge said.“Counties are on the front lines of preserving local resources, strengthening public safety and fostering economic growth, whichall contribute to vibrant communities across the country.

“Throughout the rule-making process, we repeatedly called for collaborative intergovernmental engagement, greater certaintyand a pragmatic rule to advance clean water goals without hindering counties’ vast public safety and infrastructureresponsibilities.”

Counties own and manage public safety infrastructure including 45 percent of the nation’s road miles and associated ditches, 40percent of bridges, as well as flood control channels, drainage conveyances and culverts used to prevent flooding, all impactedby the rule.

Read the Executive Order.


https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/02/28/presidential-executive-order-restoring-rule-law-federalism-and-economic




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March 2017

Working Smarter, Together

By Kevin Chesnik Applied Research Associates, Inc. Michael Smith, FHWA Resource Center

Partnering for more effective project delivery can produce innovative ideas for using Federal aid. Read on to see how States andlocal public agencies overcome barriers.

Stakeholder partnering serves as a platform forlaunching improvements to local Federal-aid programs,which help local agencies fund projects such as thisnew bridge along Natural Bridge Road in Leon County,FL. A collaborative effort by Leon County, the FloridaDOT, and the Florida Park Service replaced a 70-year-old, one-lane bridge with a safer, two-lane structurethat blends with the historical and natural significanceof the area.

Today’s Federal-Aid Highway Program represents a unique Federal,State, and local partnership that is fundamental to building,maintaining, and rebuilding the Nation’s highway and bridgeinfrastructure. The Federal Highway Administration and Statehighway agencies have cooperated in implementing the Federal-aidprogram for more than 60 years, and during that time it has grown toinclude local governments and involve additional Federal agencies.

Federal-aid program funds come with guidelines from Congressregarding how they may be spent, and Federal-aid projects mustmeet not only Federal, but also State and local road-buildingrequirements. Although these high standards have helped createthe best transportation system in the world, they may cause projectsto take longer to deliver and add to project costs. These increasedtime and cost issues can make Federal-aid projects a challenge forthe cities, counties, and other local public agencies that own themajority of the Nation’s roads and half of its bridges.

“Federal aid can support local public agencies in keeping local roadsand bridges, as well as public sidewalks, walking trails, and bikingpaths, in a state of good repair, but only if it’s cost effective for themto use,”

says Brian Roberts, executive director of the National Association of County Engineers. “Complying with the various regulationstied to Federal aid can require significant time and resources from local agencies, as well as the State departments oftransportation tasked with monitoring those projects.” One tool that States are using to help save time and money on locally administered Federal-aid projects is stakeholderpartnering. This method involves creating a committee composed of representatives from the State, local, and Federal levelswho can work together to identify inefficiencies in the delivery of Federal-aid programs and create practices that can improveprogram results and maximize transportation dollars. The many benefits of stakeholder partnering include better communication, lower project costs, reduced administrative burden,and greater compliance with road-building regulations. Stakeholder partnering creates open channels of communication thatimprove relationships and build trust. As a result, local agencies have a greater say in their projects as they move forward andgreater control over their project delivery schedules. State and Federal agencies are able to leverage their programs andmaximize the use of limited staffing resources. Project-Level Issues, Program-Level Solutions State DOTs develop processes meant to help local agencies navigate the Federal-aid program’s requirements in areas such asconsultant advertisement and selection, rights-of-way, the National Environmental Policy Act, Buy America, and DisadvantagedBusiness Enterprise goals. The challenge is developing processes that are helpful while avoiding burdening staff at the State orlocal level with administrative requirements that may increase time and costs unnecessarily.


In addition, some local agencies use Federal-aid funds only occasionally, so they may not be up to date on the most applicablelaws or regulations. Another consideration is agency turnover, as occurs in any place of business. These types of issues are tobe expected, but the effects can be mitigated through improved procedures that streamline and bring consistency to projectdelivery and that stakeholder partnering committees can target. “The idea is to bring stakeholders together to discuss program-level issues and look for opportunities to resolve them,” Robertssays. “These partnerships give the State and FHWA a better understanding of local concerns--information they can then use tofind opportunities for streamlining processes, targeting training, and supporting project success in a way that benefits eachagency involved.” When issues are addressed at the program level via process and procedure improvements, it eliminates the need to handlethem repeatedly on a project-level basis. For example, one stakeholder group determined that many local agencies had minimalunderstanding of environmental requirements and were conducting unnecessary environmental reviews. By recommendingspecific changes to the State’s environmental manual, the stakeholder partnering committee found a way to accelerate simplebridge projects. FHWA’s Every Day Counts initiative promoted stakeholder partnering in round two as part of a focus on locally administeredFederal-aid projects and in round three as a specific practice. As with other EDC innovations, stakeholder partnering is alreadyin place and working effectively in several States and has the potential for successful implementation in many more.

Strengthening Partnerships In the Federal-aid program, relationships between local public agencies and FHWA occur primarily through State DOTs. WhenState, local, and Federal representatives sit down at the same table, however, it provides new lines of communication thatincrease understanding of Federal-aid and State requirements and each agency’s role, resources, and limitations.“One benefit of stakeholder partnering is good communication that can reduce conflicting responses and differing interpretationof regulations,” Roberts says. “It provides a setting from which discrepancies can be identified and then resolved. It reallysupports a consistent approach.”

Some States have had stakeholder committees supporting improved project delivery for many years, while others are just gettingstarted. The committee makeup and meeting arrangements vary by State, but successful partnerships have three commonelements: representation from key stakeholders at the State, local, and Federal levels; open communications through regularmeetings that promote a shared understanding of programmatic issues; and tangible progress on addressing issues identified bystakeholders. Read about how Stakeholder Partnering Works in 5 States. Where to Start Learn more about efforts in these and other States to use stakeholder partnering as a platform by visiting FHWA’s StakeholderPartnering Resource Library. Reprinted from FHWA Public Roads, March/April 2017 issue.


https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/edc-3/partnering_library/








March 2017

5 States Success with Stakeholder Partnering Ohio’s Local Public Agency Advisory Group

With a large local program that is continually growing in size, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) implemented astakeholder partnering group in 2014 as a venue for working on a programmatic level with local agencies to deliver Federal-aidprojects. The face-to-face communication inherent in stakeholder partnering has since produced a number of accomplishmentsand strengthened the overall working relationship between ODOT and the local agency community.

Shown here is construction underway at the HamiltonRoad improvement project in Franklin County, OH, oneof more than 250 projects administered annuallythrough ODOT’s local program. The project includeswidening the road from two to four lanes, adding turnlanes at several intersections, and constructing twomodern roundabouts to better accommodate motorists,pedestrians, and bicyclists.

“Our goal in implementing stakeholder partnering is to getfeedback and support from, and be an advocate for, the localsas they develop transportation projects,” says AndreaStevenson, administrator of ODOT’s Local Programs office. “Wewant to look at the process from the big picture point of view andsolve problems in a way that enables locals to get the mostbenefit from a broad, statewide perspective.”

When the Ohio group meets, the agenda items reflect thediverse interests of local public agencies, based on what thelocal members are seeing in the field as they advance throughthe State’s project delivery process. Before the meetings,Victoria Beale, assistant administrator of ODOT’s LocalPrograms office, solicits agenda items from the advisory groupand from the various disciplines across ODOT. Stevenson andBeale then fill in the agenda with any other updates or items thatthey think are important to share.

Priority concerns during the group’s first years includedstreamlining environmental and right-of-way processes andexpanding knowledge of funding opportunities for different typesof projects around the State. To increase awareness of existingand new funding opportunities, ODOT developed its ResourceGuide, which provides information on capital programs and howODOT funds programs for local agencies.

In addition, ODOT made revenue from turnpike tolls availablespecifically to small cities for use as local matching funds formunicipal bridges and for ODOT’s Transportation AlternativesProgram, which provides funds for projects that advancenonmotorized transportation facilities, historic transportationpreservation,

environmental mitigation, and vegetation management activities.

Finally, ODOT also conducted a “deep dive” survey of all local public agencies to identify opportunities for improving the processof administering local public agency projects, State DOT staff support to those agencies, and other areas critical to the successof local public agency projects. ODOT used the results as a foundation for its advisory group’s focus on project improvementgoing forward.

Missouri’s Advisory Committee


In 2010, the Missouri transportation agency (MoDOT) formed the LPA (Local Public Agency) Strategic Vision Team. Thepurpose was to develop a statewide vision for the local program and define the steps needed to implement that vision.

One outcome was the formation of an advisory committee in 2011 to serve as a continuous improvement team. The committeecurrently includes 15 members with representatives from local public agencies and consultants from cities, counties, councils ofgovernments, regional planning commissions, engineering firms, and the disadvantaged business enterprise community, as wellas members from MoDOT and the FHWA Missouri Division.

During the advisory committee’s first year, the primary objectives were to support MoDOT in implementing a statewide trainingprogram for local agencies and in rewriting sections of the agency’s training manual. After the first year, the variety of items thecommittee has addressed include goal setting for disadvantaged business enterprises, changes in construction oversight andthe right-of-way acquisition process, and the creation of an oncall consultant list.

Inputs from the committee helped MoDOT identify processes that cause costs to escalate on smaller projects. Identifying andmitigating these processes led to remarkable accomplishments for the State’s local Federal-aid program. “At the time we formedthe vision team, an FHWA review had found that Missouri’s local program was 15percent compliant on Federal law,” saysMoDOT Local Programs Administrator Kenny Voss. “By 2015, our TAP [Transportation Alternatives Program] review was 93percent compliant.”

He continues, “Also, we had a large balance of unobligated Federal funds in 2012. We were only obligating about 43 percent ofthe funds that the local entities were given. That has increased to 92 percent, and we hope to have it at 100 percent by the endof [the 2016] Federal fiscal year.”

Projects are being delivered faster as well. In 2012, the amount of time from project programming to construction award wasreduced from 1,100 days to 750 days. Voss said MoDOT has also seen significant improvements in the timeliness of projectcloseout.

“We significantly overhauled our local program about 5 years ago, and we are continuing to build off that,” Voss says. “Throughthe committee, we can explain what our goals are, with FHWA as a partner in the room, and show what we are trying to improveand how we are measuring improvement, and then find out, from their point of view, what types of things are holding us back.”

Florida’s Community of Practice

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency with 7 district offices that partner with more than250 local agencies to implement transportation projects. Its Local Agency Program Community of Practice is helping provide aconsistent, statewide approach to locally administered Federal-aid projects.

“The Community of Practice serves as a channel for receiving local input on FDOT processes,” says Chad Thompson, programoperations team leader for the FHWA Florida Division. “It gives local agencies the opportunity to question why the departmentasks for certain things, and it provides FDOT staff with the opportunity to explain to stakeholders the reasoning behind theprogram requirements.”

Thompson adds, “This communication has led to a better understanding among the groups. It has allowed FDOT to examineagency processes and identify areas where more flexibility in meeting Federal requirements can be provided. This has ultimatelybeen useful in several streamlining efforts.”

Stakeholder Partnering in Virginia

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) administers a well-established stakeholder partnering program that beganwith a group of municipalities managing their construction program under a programmatic agreement called the UrbanConstruction Initiative. In 2003, VDOT began an informal partnering process with this group as a way to work on program issues,and after that the partnership grew and developed.

Russ Dudley of VDOT’s Local Assistance Division says that, as an exercise during one of their meetings in 2012, members wereasked to describe the benefits of the partnering efforts. “From the localities, we heard that they like the opportunity to discussand identify issues together, because sometimes they find that what they thought was an isolated issue is more pervasive,” saysDudley. “Once an issue like this is identified, it gives us an opportunity to work on solutions as a group.”He adds, “Localities get to know each other and become resources for each other. Of course, they also like having a voice in theprogram and having input into its future. From my perspective at the Local Assistance Division, it helps us align our goals withour stakeholders’ needs.”

Following the success of the Urban Construction Initiative, in 2013 VDOT started another partnering group that represents theentire local public agency program statewide. VDOT assembled the Local Stakeholder Partnering Group to provide a venue forgaining more local input into the Local Assistance Division’s programs, to ensure the division’s efforts align with the needs andconcerns of the local governments in administering projects, and to gather input for major initiatives.

Arizona’s Stakeholder Council

Compared to some of the other State departments, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is relatively new tostakeholder partnering, choosing to pursue it as part of the second round of Every Day Counts. ADOT’s local public agencyStakeholder Council held its first meeting in December 2013 with representatives from local agencies, councils of government,metropolitan planning organizations, ADOT, and FHWA.

To identify prevalent issues and formulate a plan for addressing them, ADOT’s Local Public Agency section monitors anyconcerns brought forward by the group. Council members take information back to the regions they represent and communicateit through their networks. As they reach out to the broader groups they are involved with, they bring back information, examples,problems, potential solutions, and innovative ideas related to implementing local government Federal-aid projects.

Susan Anderson, ADOT’s local public agency process manager, says that small, incremental changes brought by sharingexperience with the Federal program through the council are adding up to create long-term improvement.

“Having all three sides--Federal, State, and local--at the table is really allowing us to better understand each other’s challengeswithin the Federal-aid program,” she says. “Whenever there is an opportunity to enhance our communications, we can learn agreat deal and improve. We are all working to achieve the same goal--the successful delivery of the Federal program.”

Where to Start

Learn more about efforts in these and other States to use stakeholder partnering as a platform by visiting FHWA’s StakeholderPartnering Resource Library.

Reprinted from FHWA Public Roads, March/April 2017 issue.











March 2017

Motor Vehicle Deaths Estimated to be Highest in 9 Years

Sharpest 2-Year Climb in 53 Years

For the first time in nearly a decade, preliminary 2016 data from the National Safety Councilestimates that as many as 40,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes last year. That marks a 6%increase over 2015, and a 14% increase over 2014 – the most dramatic two-year escalation since1964 – 53 years. The preliminary estimate means 2016 may have been the deadliest year on thenation’s roads since 2007. An estimated 4.6 million additional roadway users were seriouslyinjured[i] in 2016, and estimated cost to society was $432 billion.

A National Safety Council survey released February 15 provides a glimpse at the risky thingsdrivers are doing. Although 83% of drivers surveyed believe driving is a safety concern, a startlingnumber say they are comfortable speeding (64%), texting either manually or through voice controls

(4%), driving while impaired by marijuana (13%), or driving after they feel they’ve had too much alcohol (10%).

Motor vehicle fatality estimates are subject to slight increases and decreases as data mature. The National Safety Council usesdata from the National Center for Health Statistics, an arm of the CDC, so that deaths occurring within 100 days of the crash andon both public and private roadways – such as parking lots and driveways – are included in the Council’s estimates.

“Our complacency is killing us. Americans believe there is nothing we can do to stop crashes from happening, but that isn’t true,”said Deborah A.P. Hersman, President and CEO of the National Safety Council. “The U.S. lags the rest of the developed worldin addressing highway fatalities. We know what needs to be done; we just haven’t done it.”

With the upward trend showing no sign of subsiding, the National Safety Council is calling for immediate implementation of life-saving measures that would set the nation on a road to zero deaths:

Mandatory ignition interlocks for convicted drunk drivers and better education about the nature of impairment and when itbegins.The installation and use of automated enforcement techniques to catch speeders.Laws banning all cell phone use – including hands-free – should extend to all drivers, not just teens. States with existingbans need to upgrade enforcement from secondary to primary.Seat belt laws should be upgraded from secondary to primary enforcement and restraint laws should extend to everypassenger in every seating position, in all kinds of vehicles.All new drivers under 21 – not just those under 18 – should adhere to a three-tiered licensing system.Automotive safety technologies that have life-saving potential should be standardized and accelerated into the fleet.These technologies include blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and adaptiveheadlights.Motorcycle helmet laws should be passed or reinstated.Communities and municipalities should adopt comprehensive programs for pedestrian safety.

The National Safety Council has issued traffic fatality estimates since 1921. Supplemental estimate information, includingestimates for each state, can be found here.


http://www.nsc.org/NewsDocuments/2017/12-month-estimates.pdf






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March 2017

NACE Members Participate in Passage of NACo Resolutions

NACE members participated in the NACo Transportation Steering Committee meeting onFebruary 25 in Washington, DC. The Committee passed 5 resolutions, which were adopted bythe NACo Board of Directors by voice vote on February 27.

Resolutions passed at the NACo Legislative Conference are valid until the NACo 2017 AnnualConference this July.

Resolution in Support of Fully Funding Federally Mandated Local Airport Security

The National Association of Counties (NACo) supports increasing the federal funding allocated for the Transportation SecurityAdministration Law Enforcement Reimbursement Program so that the maximum reimbursement rate may be increased to coverthe local airport’s actual cost of (non-TSA) law enforcement officers employed by the local airport to fulfill federally mandatedairport security requirements.

Resolution in Support of Direct Funding to Local Governments for the Improvement and Maintenance of Local Roads inAmerica within the Proposed Infrastructure Spending Bill

The National Association of Counties (NACo) urges the president and Congress, through the proposed infrastructure spendingbill, to create dedicated funding allocated directly to local governments for the improvement and maintenance of localinfrastructure in America.

Resolution to Support Federal Pilot Program for the Remote Air Traffic Control Tower Program

The National Association of Counties (NACo) urges Congress to establish in the next Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)reauthorization or extension of the current FAA authorization law, a pilot program within the U.S. Department of Transportation(DOT) FAA that, in consultation with airline operators and general aviation users, oversees the installation and operation ofremote air traffic control towers.

Resolution to Continue Funding of Essential Air Service (EAS) and the Small Community Air Service DevelopmentProgram (SCASDP)

The National Association of Counties (NACo) urges Congress to continue to fully fund the Essential Air Service (EAS) programthat provides dollars to airlines that serve small communities. NACo also urges Congress to continue guaranteed funding of theSmall Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) that helps small communities address air service and airfareissues.

Resolution in Support of a Federal Infrastructure Package Which Contains Robust Dedicated Funding, InnovativeIncentives for Private Investment and Promotion of County-Friendly Financing Tools such as Tax-Exempt MunicipalBonds

The National Association of Counties (NACo) urges the president and Congress to support a long-term infrastructure package tocapitalize sustainable, dedicated funding sources (Highway Trust Fund, Airport and Airway Trust Fund, Harbor MaintenanceTrust Fund, etc.), promote an environment for public-private partnerships where appropriate and to promote the preservation oftax-free status for municipal bonds, among other instruments, to ensure America’s infrastructure keeps pace with the needs of agrowing economy and nation.




March 2017

Sen. Deb Fischer has a Plan to Fast-Track Infrastructure Funding

By Kyle Feldscher Washington, Examiner

Legislation mixing infrastructure funding with reform to the regulatory processes needed to approvemassive highway projects could be part of the solution to the nation's road improvement needs.

Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., is pushing her Build USA Infrastructure bill, a revamped version of a bill bythe same name she introduced in 2015, which aims to provide greater solvency for the Highway TrustFund while speeding up highway construction projects.

To do this, the bill moves $21.4 billion annually in fees collected by Customs and Border Patrol fromthe general fund to the Highway Trust Fund from 2021-26. Fischer believes this will cover a projected$107 billion shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund expected to come in 2026.

The bill also allows states to send back 10 percent of their Highway Trust Fund money to the federalgovernment in exchange for receiving control over designing a project, approving environmental permits and constructing theproject.

Fischer said the combination of sending more money into the fund and speeding up the construction process, along with the 10percent remittances to the federal government from states that take advantage of the regulatory controls, will ultimately save thetaxpayer money.

"It takes years and years and years to go from an idea for a road and completion for a project and the whole time ... materialcosts continue to rise," Fischer told the Washington Examiner. She added, "[The bill] will make [the Highway Trust Fund] whole,and I think that's an important first step, to make sure that we can fund the trust fund at the level that it's supposed to be fundedat."

The Highway Trust Fund is the primary way the federal government funds road improvement projects. It's funded by an 18.4cents per gallon tax on gasoline and a 24.4 cents per gallon tax on diesel fuel. The trust fund is split into two accounts, one forhighways and the other for mass transportation.

Currently, the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) is set to help fully fund the Highway Trust Fund until2020. Fischer's bill would take up the mantle of fully funding the trust fund after that law expires.

She said the Customs and Border Patrol fees would come from the approximately $46 billion collected annually from freight andpassenger fees at America's ports and borders. The agency uses about $2 billion of that money, and the rest goes into thegeneral fund.

Fischer said these are fees on transportation and could reasonably be directed toward infrastructure projects.Michael Sargent, a research associate at the Heritage Foundation, said this part of the bill is merely a bailout of the HighwayTrust Fund and ignores a long-term solution to fix shortfalls in the fund. "That's unacceptable by and large, and kicking the candown the road," he said.

Heritage wants the trust fund to get back into the business of solely funding highway construction projects, instead of dabbling inmass transportation, bike lanes and pedestrian walkways. Sargent said Fischer's bill largely ignores this issue.

Reprinted from the Washington Examiner, February 21 issue.




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March 2017

Free Monthly Webinars

Hosted by

Registration not yet open for upcoming webinars.

Check HERE for registration information.

Converting Paved Roads to Unpaved Roads

April 4 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EST

An overview of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 485 Converting Paved Roads toUnpaved.

Presenting the contents of the synthesis report which summarizes the state-of-the-practice of the road conversion process,including:

Tools that can be used to aid in the decision making process of whether to convert from paved to unpaved including availableresources and design guides

What has worked and what has not worked for those in the unpaving process, including public outreach and identified impacts

Incorporating Safety Data into the Planning Process at the Rural Level

May 4 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EST


http://ruralsafetycenter.org/training-education/safety-center-trainings/registration-for-safety-center-trainings/

http://ruralsafetycenter.org/training-education/safety-center-trainings/registration-for-safety-center-trainings/



March 2017

Clay County, Iowa, Seeking County Engineer

Clay County, Iowa, with a population of 16,507, is a rural county located in northwest Iowa. The County Seat is the community of Spencer, Iowa, and home to the World’s GreatestCounty Fair. The County is led by a five-person board of supervisors. The engineeringdepartment has approximately 30 employees.

The Engineer plans, coordinates, assigns, and supervises all engineering and construction work performed by the countysecondary roads department, as well as independent contractors. In addition, the Engineer will prepare and let contractdocuments for projects, present an annual budget, and a five-year construction program identifying future road improvementprojects, and work with union representatives on employment matters.

The ability to establish and maintain an effective working relationship with department personnel, other government agencies,other county departments, contractors, vendors, and the general public is absolutely essential. Previous county engineeringexperience is preferred.

Salary based on experience and qualifications.

Send Resume

Clay County Auditor300 West 4th StreetSpencer, IA [email protected]

Resumes will be accepted until the position is filled, with preference given to those who apply before March 13, 2017.



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March 2017

Public Works Director Position for Rapid City, S.D.

Starting Salary up to $125K DOQ/EPlus Excellent Benefits Job Description The City seeks an experienced public service professional that possesses exceptional leadership skills, has an ability toeffectively communicate, and can motivate and inspire a department of over 250 full-time staff. The Director reports directly tothe Mayor and is responsible for overseeing a budget of approximately $80M responsible for operating six divisions including:Engineering, Streets, Water, Water Reclamation, Solid Waste, and Rapid Transit. The ideal candidate will possess a record of success in leading an organization with similar functional responsibilities. Pastexperience providing outstanding customer service and strategic leadership with attention to detail will be an advantage. ThePublic Works Director must be a team player and collaborator with other departments and outside agencies. A history of effective service delivery, creative problem solving and the ability to make public presentations on capitalimprovements is essential. Strong project management skills, the ability to conduct cost benefit assessment, and recommendingcost effective solutions are important. The Director must be a leader that can effectively communicate to municipal elected officials and other departments theimportance for establishing a collective long-term vision for the City’s future capital infrastructure needs and the servicesprovided by Public Works to the community. Minimum Qualifications A BA degree in Civil Engineering, Public Administration (or related field) and 10 years’ experience is required; or a MA in CivilEngineering, Public Administration (or related field) with six years’ experience; or in some combination. A PE is preferred.

Deadline Submit a resume and cover letter by April 6. View Complete Job Posting.


https://waters-company.recruitmenthome.com/postings/1284



