Illinois Supreme Court Accepts Illinois Chamber Amicus Brief
The Illinois Supreme Court has accepted an amicus, or friend of the court, brief from the IL Chamber supporting the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association and several others in their suit against Cook County.
The Chamber’s brief argues that the existing system of roads in Cook County are overcrowded, underfunded and in a state of disrepair. We argue that this disrepair has been the result of Cook County’s mismanagement and their system for funding infrastructure improvements is untenable. Finally, we point out that the County’s interpretation of the Chamber’s Safe Roads Amendment encourages the same capricious use of vital resources that predated the amendment’s enactment.
Take a minute to read the full brief here.
Senate Transportation Hearing on Design-Build
On Thursday, the Senate Transportation Committee held a subject matter hearing on SB 2905, Design-Build legislation sponsored by Chairman Senator Villivalam. Stakeholders spoke on the merits of the design-build concept and its implementation in other states. Illinois and North Dakota are the only two states without the design-build option.
SB 2905 creates the Innovations for Transportation Infrastructure Act. It is not intended as the final language. Instead it will serve as a starting point for a bill to pass this spring.
IDOT testified during the hearing that Design-build will speed-up projects and ensure cost savings.
Listening to the concern of some Senators, IDOT representatives said that they believe Design-build will increase the “innovations” used to encourage minority participation and contracts. IDOT says they will research what other states do in this area. Overall, the department says they are supportive of having design-build as a resource in their “toolbox.”
Former IDOT Secretary Kirk Brown said that Design-Build will best help Illinois take advantage of federal infrastructure dollars.
ACEC Director Kevin Artl acknowledged that a decade ago design-build legislation was new which made Illinois hesitant to adopt the procurement process. However, he noted that design-build has been successful in other states over the past decade and the bill under consideration addressed some issues encountered by other states.
As a result of this legislation, the state will have a better estimate of total construction cost when the designer and contractor are under the same contract. There is also a 6-10 percent cost savings which will yield new construction jobs in the state. 6-10 percent may not sound like much, but we are talking billions in savings which can be rolled into additional projects.
The Chamber supports design-build legislation. I spoke with Senator Villivalam and he intends to move forward with this legislation in the early 2022. We look forward to partnering with him on this important initiative.
Bill Signing of Interest
HB 396 (Moylan-Murphy) - Creates a new class of weight limits for vehicles with a distance between 8 and 9 feet between the extremes of any group of 2 or more consecutive axles, with a maximum weight of 38,000 pounds on 2 axles and 42,000 pounds on 3 axles. Two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry 34,000 pounds each if the overall distance between the first and last axles of these tandems is 36 feet or more. The additional fee for certain gross overweight loads is for each additional 45 (instead of 60) miles traveled. An applicant shall pay $120 (instead of $40) per hour for an engineering inspection or field investigation.
US EPA Seeking Nominations to Mobile Sources Technical Review Subcommittee
The United States EPA (USEPA) is seeking nominations from representatives of nonfederal interests to serve on the Mobile Sources Technical Review Subcommittee (MSTRS) by August 2, 2021. Interests include, but are not limited to:
- Community and/or environmental justice
- State, tribal, and local government
- Environmental advocacy groups
- Future transportation options and shared mobility
- Transportation and supply chain shippers
- Marine and inland port interests
- Mobile source emission modeling
MSTRS members are appointed by the EPA Administrator for three-year terms with the possibility of reappointment to a second term. Through its expert members from diverse stakeholder groups and from its various workgroups, the subcommittee reviews and addresses a wide range of developments, issues and research areas such as emissions modeling, emission standards and standard setting, air toxics, innovative and incentive-based transportation policies, onboard diagnostics, heavy-duty engines, diesel retrofit, and fuel quality.
The MSTRS, a federal advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, provides the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee with independent advice, counsel, and recommendations on the scientific and technical aspects of programs related to mobile source air pollution and its control. The subcommittee’s website is at https://www.epa.gov/caaac/mobile-sources-technical-review-subcommittee-mstrs-caaac.
For more information on how to submit a nomination, please see the Federal Register Notice announcing the request for nominations. Nominations must be received by August 2, 2021. If you have any questions, please contact: Julia Burch, burch.julia@epa.gov, Designated Federal Officer.
Articles of Interest
Until next time,
Clark
