Budget impasse delays transportation projects
Thursday, Jun 11, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a member e-mail sent by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois…
To: ACEC-IL Members at Transportation Firms
Good morning.
This morning, I was notified by IDOT Secretary Randy Blankenhorn that the bonded projects scheduled for tomorrow’s letting will be removed.
The Secretary indicated that given the lack of a budget agreement for FY 16 he would not start any new projects that could not be finished due to budget constraints.
This will impact about $100 million from this letting. There will be no impact on design work for now, but possibly some phase 3 work associated with these projects.
The Secretary will be speaking today at our North East regional luncheon where he will provide a more information.
- Stones - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 11:18 am:
I believe the Governor has said words to the effect of crisis creates leverage. He’s been begging for this fight. It’s on his shoulders.
- Macbeth - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 11:26 am:
He wants to burn it down. Here it is. Enjoy, Rauner.
- Wordslinger - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 11:27 am:
It’s worth it that everything should grind to a halt so the governor can immediately get those things he wants, whatever they are.
- FIRED! up - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 11:28 am:
Hmmmmm…what’s the economic impact of this latest move? Not very “business friendly”
- Anonin' - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 11:29 am:
Opps TeamBngle loses a construction season. Darn that Madigan and Cullerton for cancellin’ the bids.
What? Huh? they didn’t hire DandyRandy the Illiana Killer? Who did?
Opps. TeamBungle
- Macbeth - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 11:30 am:
Rauner assumes that Madigan will cave as soon as everything is burnt.
Cullerton, Madigan — they’ll just be begging Rauner to outlaw unions. Please. Please. Anything you want, Rauner.
- AC - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 11:37 am:
Who said Rauner wouldn’t be successful? He’s burning bridges literally and figuratively.
- Keyser Soze - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 11:40 am:
Never let a good crisis go to waste.
- Biker - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 11:47 am:
Does this effect train tracks to the Quad Cities?
- Norseman - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 11:47 am:
Let me guess that the message sent out about the halt includes a sentence or two blaming the evil Chicago Machine dominated corrupt insider Cullerton/Madigan cartel for the action.
- Huh? - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 11:58 am:
So much for being business friendly.
Ruiner just demonstrated the best way to bust a union - have all the members sitting in the hall and not working.
Oh wait, what about unemployment? Too bad the State is going to shell out even more for unemployment because of the union members are sitting in the hall.
What about all of the on-going projects that won’t be finished by the end of the month? Do those projects get put on hold because of not having a budget? Talk about screwing up traffic and irritating the traveling public driving through idle construction sites.
Pulling these projects is a red herring. IDOT has 45 days from bid opening to award a project. It takes a couple of more weeks to get the signatures on the contracts.
This is all about pressuring the GA.
- Lefty Lefty - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:05 pm:
There are almost 250 projects in the letting, many of which total millions of dollars each. The contractors I know are proceeding with the bidding as of this moment–$100 million could be only a small part of this letting.
- A guy - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:40 pm:
And to think….Mike and John were simply powerless to do anything about this. They did everything in their power to avoid it. They simply…had no choice. Barf.
- A Raunette - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:41 pm:
$92 million of the $104 million are in Democrat House Districts. Curious how THAT could happen. That’s right. No more politics as usual with ol’ Bruce.
- Arizona Bob - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:45 pm:
How many of the capital projects from IDOT could be deferred or, in some cases, cancelled altogether? I’m sure a number of these projects make safety sense like bridge repairs, but I’ve been seeing some really “premature” road resurfacing projects tieing up traffic this spring in Cook county.
The most galling thing is when IDOT planners take two parallel, adjacent routes out of service for construction at the same time. It ensures traffic tie-ups, and typically was unnecessary, except for the contractors who wanted the money now.
I’ve also noticed that many resurfacing projects aren’t fixing the subbase course under pothole locations, pretty much ensuring that major repair will need to be done in the next or two…AGAIN.
Of course if the projects are largely federally funded, moving forward usually makes economic sense, but unless repairs can be done rather than major renovation, and the project is completely funded by Illinois taxpayers, some deferrals and cancellations seem appropriate.
BTW, who took over Cellini and Kjellander’s roles for the cement manufacturers associations?
- A guy - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:17 pm:
=== A Raunette - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 12:41 pm:
$92 million of the $104 million are in Democrat House Districts. Curious how THAT could happen. That’s right. No more politics as usual with ol’ Bruce.===
I guess that would cover the Chicago metro area wouldn’t it? How does the ratio look otherwise? This looks like a great big “duh” to me.
- Wordslinger - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:27 pm:
Guy, what is it with Republicans like yourself whose only interest in governance is avoiding all responsibility and accountability for it and playing the victim?
It’s been like that for 12 years now. Get in the ballgame or go home.
- Arizona Bob - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 1:59 pm:
@Word
Rauner “got in the ball game” and has a plan and an agenda he’s trying to pass, and your only response has been to put all the burden on the taxpaying public to keep subsidizing the spending dysfunction in Springfield. You’re in the game, alright. Problem is that the game is “jeopardy”.
- A guy - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:08 pm:
Sling, I would say you’ve characterized the opposite. Rauner is looking for full accountability and responsibility. If there was ever a guy willing to stand ground, push back and deal with the Slings and arrows, it’s him. Not sure how that’s whining or being a victim, but since those are two of your favorite words, I know you gotta work them in somehow.
No budget; projects get put on hold. What’s your advice? Capitulate to the babies who are sitting their holding their breath?
They’re just as capable of ending this as he is. Hold them to account for once. He wants something different going forward. They want the same as they’ve always have. I guess that’s worked for you. And it is all about you, to you.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:10 pm:
The most galling thing is when IDOT planners take two parallel…
Written like a man blind to the post entirely - what the Governor is doing is “the most galling thing”.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:18 pm:
Bob, the only cement is in your head here. A career employee who is an engineer now runs the Asphalt Pavement Association.
- Wordslinger - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:32 pm:
AB, the governor’s proposed budget is short at least $3 billion in revenue, as is the Dems. How you find one virtuous and the other scandalous is a question for Dr. Freud.
The holdup is the governor’s need to put on a show for his donors before he signs the tax increase his proposed budget anticipates.
You’re just some of those people he can fool all the time.
- What? - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:52 pm:
“No budget; projects get put on hold.”
This is a failure to understand how IDOT projects are funded. Of all the State agencies, IDOT is most likely to be considered self funded via the motor fuel taxes and federal matching funds. IDOT will leverage additional funds with bonds.
- A guy - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 4:10 pm:
=== What? - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 2:52 pm:
“No budget; projects get put on hold.”
This is a failure to understand how IDOT projects are funded. Of all the State agencies, IDOT is most likely to be considered self funded via the motor fuel taxes and federal matching funds. IDOT will leverage additional funds with bonds.===
From the article 6 inches above:
This morning, I was notified by IDOT Secretary Randy Blankenhorn that the bonded projects scheduled for tomorrow’s letting will be removed.
The Secretary indicated that given the lack of a budget agreement for FY 16 he would not start any new projects that could not be finished due to budget constraints.+++
So there’s the name of the person who “fails to understand how IDOT projects are funded”.
Have at ‘em.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 4:22 pm:
Does this effect train tracks to the Quad Cities?
You must mean the IDOT project to bring passenger rail to the Quad Cities. There are federal matching funds to be used there, so it would be in IDOT’s best interest to keep things going. The Chicago-Rockford project, on the other hand…
- Kevin Highland - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 4:58 pm:
“IDOT is most likely to be considered self funded via the motor fuel taxes and federal matching funds.”
Nice concept until the Dome Dwellers borrow from the motor fuel tax funds.
- Paul Smyth - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 9:02 pm:
This just reminds me of Briar Rabbit! Prez and Speaker saying oh no, don’t shut down gov and don’t throw us into the Briar Patch and Gov is going to do just that. It’s going to end badly for Gov and he just doesn’t see it.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 9:22 pm:
Man, AB must be the greatest and most knowledgeable engineer of all time. Edison in the flesh, with experience in every field ever touched by public capital funds from highways to school HVAC systems.
A little hint, civil road guys don’t dabble in HVAC.
So, my guess is that AB is just regurgitating anecdotes he never experienced personally. Motivation unknown.
- Wordslinger - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 9:38 pm:
AB worked on the nuke in Clinton, too. Was not pleased with the moral fiber of the tradesmen he found there, if I recall.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 11, 15 @ 9:50 pm:
I think you’ve explained it, word. Obviously those naughty tradesmen played a cruel prank on AB at the reactor, and his mind hasn’t been right ever since.