The not-so Golden State

A new study by CBS Marketwatch shows the widening gap between the haves and have nots among California municipalities. 

Five cities within the state’s Central Valley – Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Fresno and Bakersfield – are big enough to be included among the nation’s 100 largest metro areas.  That’s the good news. 

The bad news:  all five also appear in the bottom 10 of Marketwatch’s Top Cities for Business Growth in 2012.   Also on that list, the city of Riverside, making California a dominant force in lack of business growth last year.  

Of course, San Jose (#4) and San Francisco (#7) counterbalance this somewhat by appearing in the top 10 (with Los Angeles and San Diego just outside).  But, still, six cities in the bottom 10?  What does that say about our state?

One thing the study does say is that cities that tend to do well in the overall analysis attract and retain people.  One thing that makes cities like San Francisco, San Jose and others on the top 10 list able to attract and retain population is having the infrastructure in place to create jobs and adequately support industries as they grow.  If our Central Valley cities are to make it out of the bottom 10 and provide the opportunity for business growth, they clearly need more resources for infrastructure building.  

New York State Embraces P3's

Wanna buy a bridge? No, but we’ll build it for you…

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is the latest public agency to see the wisdom of a public–private approach to major infrastructure projects. 

Last week, the Authority announced that the NYNJLink consortium -- led by Omaha-based Kiewit Corp and Australia’s Macquarie Group -- will design, build, finance and maintain a $1.5 billion cable-stayed bridge designed to replace the 84 year old Goethals Bridge linking New York’s Staten Island to Elizabeth, New Jersey and Interstate 95.

An article in the April 25 Wall Street Journal outline’s key elements of the structure of the deal which sees the Port Authority retain ownership and control of the new bridge while paying off its construction over a 35-year period.  NYNJLink will assume the construction risk over the first five years of the deal and then the day-to-day operational risk until the end of the 40-year contract.

Here’s another example of a design build/P3 deal making a lot of sense.  The Port Authority of NY/NJ operates all of the bridge crossings between New York and New Jersey as well as all the airports in the metro area.  It also owns and operates the bus terminal in New York, the PATH train system and is responsible for the World Trade Center redevelopment in Lower Manhattan.  The authority has an annual budget of more than $2.5 billion and is almost $20 billion in debt. 

Spreading the cost and risk, of what is the region’s largest public transportation project, over 40 years rather than five years of construction will be much easier on the pocketbook in both the short and long term.  In fact, in its 2011 budget report, the authority admitted that it could not afford the $1.5 billion cost of replacing the bridge.  How many similar situations do we currently have here in California? 

San Francisco Based T.Y. Lin International Wins Engineering Excellence Award

 T.Y. Lin International has received an Honor Award from the California Chapter American Council of Engineering Companies for their work on the Taijiang Bridge in Sanmin, Fujian Province, China.

 Completed in December 2010, the Taijiang Bridge in Sanming, Fujian Province, China was designed based on the concept of the partially cable-supported girder bridge. This design concept fully utilizes the capacity of both the cable-stayed system and the bridge girder, in contrast to the conventional design concept that neglects the capability of the girder in a cable-supported structure to carry global loads. This unique and aesthetically pleasing new signature cable-stayed bridge with a steel arch-shaped tower was constructed to provide a signature landmark for residents and visitors to admire. In addition, the Taijiang Bridge elevates travelers’ experience and enhances the unobstructed, 360o views of its beautiful Sanming environs.

 T.Y. Lin International has received an Honor Award from the California Chapter American Council of Engineering Companies for their work on the Rose Creek Bikeway and Pedestrian Bridge in San Diego.  

Completed in April 2012, the 360’ clear‐span bridge fills a gap in the existing regional Class‐I bicycle network. The project is a vital link for cyclists and pedestrians, as it provides safe and convenient access between the beach communities to the west, to the residential and business districts to the north, east and south. The design of this cast‐in place prestressed cantilevered box girder bridge is unique to California and provided San Diego with a landmark structure.

 

Escondido’s Palomar Medical Center Wins Engineering Excellence Award

M-E Engineers, Inc. has received an Honor Award from the California Chapter American Council of Engineering Companies for their work on the Palomar Medical Center in Escondido. 

M-E Engineers performed full infrastructure master planning for the new complex and completed all mechanical/electrical/plumbing design services. The $956 million facility consists of an 11-story inpatient tower with 288 single patient rooms, an attached diagnostic and treatment center, and a power plant on 17 acres. A Green Guide for the Healthcare Pilot Project said the M0E Engineers design created for the Center produces significant energy and water savings, a sophisticated building management system, and a purposeful combination of the latest in modern technology with natural healing elements.