People are on the move again, and many are relying on public transit. In fact, transit ridership is up more than 80 percent since 2020, according to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other grant programs have provided billions in funding for transit authorities nationwide. If Congress passes the infrastructure bill, billions more will flow to transit authorities. And finally, it is important to also note the many local bond elections throughout the country have provided even more funding for upcoming public transportation projects.

Government contractors of every type and size will find an abundance of contracting opportunities with transit authorities over the next several years A few examples follow.

The FTA recently announced funding awards from the Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program. The CIG provides funding for construction and expansion of new and existing public transit systems. The revenue can be used for light rail, bus rapid transit, commuter rail, streetcars, and ferries.

Seattle’s Sound Transit light rail expansion project received a CIG grant of $94 million. Another $158 million was received through ARPA funding. Seattle’s expansion project, however, had a cost estimate of $3.1 billion. That earlier estimate is now reset at somewhere between $4.8 billion and $6.2 billion.

In response to directives from the governor’s office to take steps to increase power generation capacity and ensure reliability of the Texas power grid, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) released a 60-point plan on July 13.

The “Roadmap to Improving Grid Reliability” addresses operational improvements to the Texas power grid, including legislative changes, objectives outlined in Gov. Greg Abbott’s letter issued July 6, and other reforms.

It includes initiatives such as:

The ERCOT team worked with the PUC, customers, former regulators, retired industry executives, environmental advocates, and market participants to develop the plan.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) soon will begin solicitations for the largest improvement program in its history.

AUS is set to advertise for bids this summer for a principal architect/engineer and start procurement for a project management/construction management consultant support in late 2021 as it embarks on its new Airport Expansion and Development Program (AEDP).

The airport revised its Airport Expansion Program following the effects of COVID-19 on air travel and public safety and adjusted for increased passenger activity.

Since March, the airport has experienced significant and consistent passenger growth. According to the latest available data, summer 2021 air travel activity at AUS is on track to match or surpass 2019 air travel activity.

The AEDP aims to increase capacity at the airport by optimizing the Barbara Jordan Terminal, preparing for a new midfield concourse with 10-plus new gates and two new taxiways, and building a new Central Utility Plant to support airfield and utility work.

Work on the Barbara Jordan Terminal will upgrade the existing baggage handling system, implement ticket lobby modernization technology, conduct environmental assessments, and increase interim gate capacity.

Subject to passenger activity triggers, the new midfield concourse will feature additional gates and concessions, a below-grade passenger connector, and a utility and baggage tunnel.

As part of the environmental review process, AUS will host a public scoping meeting in fall 2021 and a public hearing in late 2021 to seek feedback from the public on a range of environmental topics related to development construction projects.

The Calhoun Port Authority approved an agreement to enter a public-private partnership (P3) with a terminal operator to deepen and widen the Matagorda Ship Channel and add a turning basin.

Plans calls for expanding the channel to 47 mean low lower water (mllw) and a 300-foot bottom width. Improvements will be made from the port marine slips and existing Point Comfort Turning Basin in Lavaca Bay through Matagorda Bay and offshore into the Gulf and dredging of a new turning basin in Lavaca Bay.

Port officials will issue bonds to fund the project, and the terminal operator will act as a guarantor.

The widening and deepening of the channel will aid in the movement of crude oil, natural gas condensate, and other liquid petrochemical products. This project will allow both current and future port users to import and export products overseas in larger vessels, which in turn will decrease their transportation costs.

Vessels that require deeper drafts cannot come into the port fully loaded. Once complete in 2023, the expansion will allow the port to serve larger Aframax and Suezmax tankers.

Career highlights and education: After a 33-year career in NASA, I became chancellor of the UNT System in 2017. As the UNT System’s chief executive officer, I am responsible for all operational aspects of the multi-location system including UNT-Denton, UNT Health Science Center, and UNT-Dallas. I plan to retire in March 2022. Prior to my arrival at UNT, I served as NASA’s second-in-command and as chief operating officer – capping my career in aerospace. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Central Florida.

What I like best about public service is: I enjoy focusing on missions that make a difference and leading teams that similarly share my passion. I love being a part of something that’s never been done before, something that changes our view of the world. Although the missions of NASA and the UNT System are different, they are compelling. Being at the top level of both places has been directly applicable for me and similarly rewarding. Leadership is leadership. In both NASA and the UNT System, we are making a difference, we are changing knowledge as we know it, and we are changing lives with what we do.

The best advice I’ve received is: What will set you apart from others is your attitude. A positive attitude and an extra degree of effort have made all the difference in my career. For me it goes back to an old saying that I believe is credited to Henry Ford: “If you believe you can or if you believe you can’t … you’re right.”

My favorite way to de-stress is: Spending time with my family and traveling.

People might be surprised to know that I: Am the only electrical engineer in a family of engineers. My husband Ralph, NASA’s chief engineer, is a mechanical engineer. I guess the electrical engineering gene is recessive, because my three children all graduated from college with degrees in mechanical engineering.

One thing I wish more people knew about the UNT System is: We have inspiring and diverse students transforming their lives all across the North Texas region – at our flagship campus in Denton and its satellite campus in Frisco; at our graduate medical center in Fort Worth; and at our upstart university in Southern Dallas and its law school in the heart of downtown Dallas. Our University of North Texas System student body, inclusive of all three member institutions, is minority-majority, and I’m proud to note that UNT and UNT Dallas are both federally recognized Minority Serving Institutions. Our students are so much further along in diversity, equity, and inclusion thinking and culture, and they see the world as one of possibilities.

Plans are taking shape in Austin for several new public transportation lines that form Capital Metro’s Project Connect network with design work reaching the 15 percent milestone for the Orange light rail line.

After developing several proposed alternatives, Capital Metro planners released plans for the Orange Line that include six below-grade stops at Republic Square, Congress Avenue, Government Center/Capitol West, the Rainey Street/Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, Convention Center/Brush Square, and the Auditorium Shores stations.

Scoping for the Orange Line includes an underground tunnel and multi-modal transit hub at 4th Street in the downtown and Capitol area. Located at the northwest corner of Congress Avenue and 4th Street, the Congress Avenue station will provide access to all future rail lines.

Planners said the underground portion will now extend below Lady Bird Lake rather than over a bridge due to cost considerations in building a vertical climb in a short distance.

South of Lady Bird Lake, an underground station would be built at Auditorium Shores with two options for how the line will travel above-ground. A short tunnel option calls for a light rail portal at Nellie Street and Academy Drive and a surface station on South Congress, and a longer tunnel option would include an underground station on South Congress and a light rail portal at Leland Street and Live Oak Drive.

Updates to the Orange Line and other Project Connect initiatives are set to be presented to the Capital Metro board on July 19 and the Austin Transit Partnership on July 21. The Austin Transit Partnership, Capital Metro, and the Austin City Council are scheduled to approve a joint partnership agreement for Project Connect at a special meeting on October 29.

Kilgore councilmembers authorized the sale of certificates of obligation to help pave the way for an estimated $23 million medical center at the site of the former Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital.

The city will sell bonds in an amount not to exceed $15 million as its contribution to a partnership with Kilgore College, the hospital foundation, and a faith-based health system to build new teaching and lab space and provide more health care services.

Nursing, physical therapy, medical imaging, and other health science students will serve patients while being taught in a real-life, clinical setting in an estimated 45,000-square-foot expansion.

Plans call for preserving an existing emergency room and mechanical plant while demolishing the hospital building and remaining facilities.

Officials have been trying to repurpose the hospital campus for the past two decades, but the age, structural design and configuration no longer meet modern healthcare needs, they said. This new project will replace the original 1951 structure as well as the 1978 surgery center and 1993 women’s center with new construction.

The original hospital building served the Kilgore area until 2007. Since then, the campus has hosted a variety of tenants but also remained mostly vacant since 2018.

Wylie councilmembers evaluated several infrastructure projects at their July 13 meeting as they considered putting a bond election before voters on November 2.

The city’s bond committee identified $56.75 million in street projects, $78.2 million in parks projects, and $32.4 million in facility improvements for possible inclusion in bond propositions.

From that list, councilmembers identified these projects for further consideration:

McMillen Drive would be widened from two to four lanes from McCreary Road to Country Club Road with a six-lane bridge section. Park Boulevard would be expanded to four lanes from FM 1378 to Westgate Way with the potential for a future six lanes. Sachse Road would be improved to four 12-foot concrete lanes with a bridge widened to match the new road section.

Committee recommendations to improve and expand two city parks were not chosen for further consideration, and an estimated $25 million aquatics center complex did not receive support from a majority of councilmembers to be added to the potential bond package.

Councilmembers directed staff to work with the city’s bond counsel and develop wording for suggested bond propositions to review at the next meeting for a final vote in August. The City Council must call a November 2 bond election by August 16.

The city of Baytown is planning to issue procurements later this year and in 2022 for several water and wastewater improvements and road construction projects.

A solicitation for a $23 million project to rehabilitate the IH-10 Lift Station is set to be advertised in 2022. The project scope calls for the rehabilitation of an existing lift station and construction of a new force main.

As the city widens Garth Road, it will need to relocate water and wastewater lines. A $6.1 million procurement is scheduled for the first quarter 2022.

Another project going to bid in the first quarter of next year is a $3.3 million plan to make filter scour improvements at the Fritz Lanham Water Treatment Plant.

In third quarter 2021, the city plans to issue water and sanitary sewer solicitations for a $14.5 million project in the Barkuloo area and a $12.5 million project in the Sjolander area.

Concrete reconstruction of Narcille, Colby, Edgebrook, and Allenbrook roads for $4.5 million is scheduled for procurement in the third quarter.

Additional road projects will be let in the fourth quarter 2021 including a $3.9 million reconstruction of Fairway and Savell drives, and $1.4 million in drainage and paving improvements at Lincoln Cedars/Julie Ann Villa.

Cameron County’s project to develop a 39-acre nature park in Olmito is entering the design phase as the county prepares to contract for architectural and engineering services.

The county soon will develop a concept plan and preliminary construction schematics to be followed by a final design plan for site improvements that could feature nature trails, fishing piers, birdwatch overlooks, wildlife viewing areas, and a kayak launching area.

Other park amenities may include an indoor recreational/educational facility, concession areas for recreational watercraft rentals, educational pavilions, picnic areas, a nature scape playground, and parking.

Planning for the project began in 2011 when residents expressed a desire for a community park. County officials said it would be the only park of its kind in the area.

Construction is expected to take three years with the park opening scheduled for 2024.

The Edinburg Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is making plans to issue $23 million in bonds to help fund improvements in the downtown area.

One of the projects to be financed is the construction of a cultural arts and event center.

The city plans to issue $6 million in bonds for that project and $2 million in bonds for retail space in a parking garage structure. Another $1 million in bonds would go toward downtown revitalization projects.

Edinburg councilmembers are set to review the proposed projects and vote on the bond sale at their August 17 meeting.

Nearly 300 military and defense industry representatives convened in College Station for a three-day symposium focused on modernizing battlefield communications in the event the U.S. engages in conflict with a high-tech adversary.

Attendees discussed how every military branch would communicate instantly and effectively if fighting breaks out on the ground, in the air, at sea, in space, and in cyberspace — all simultaneously.

The July 12-14 event was co-hosted by the Texas A&M System and National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), a 100-year-old group of defense industry executives and military officers.

Almost one-third of the symposium participants toured the George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex on A&M’s RELLIS campus to learn about facility operations and other university system projects with government and industry.

The Little Elm City Council expressed a high level of support for two park projects at a recent council workshop.

Designs for the first phase of Cottonwood Park’s $5.75 million redevelopment and $2.8 million project to build “The Lawn” are underway.

Cottonwood Park’s phase under design includes road and parking lot expansion and improvements, signature pavilions, day-use pavilions with tables and grills, multi-purpose trails, a playground, restroom facilities, a kayak launch, boardwalk, and general site improvements.

A later phase in the project could include a lighthouse observation point, performance venues, a kayak launch, boardwalk, and other amenities.

The Lawn will include a grove area, signature playground, community amphitheater, grand lawn, and site improvements to accommodate special events.

City officials said they anticipate that Cottonwood Park will be bid in early 2022, with completion expected in spring 2023. The Lawn is scheduled to be bid in September and completed in late spring 2022. The city plans to utilize traditional bidding for procurement and delivery.

Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Sheila Faske and Stephen Lee and reappointed Alan Tinsley to the Texas State University (TSU) System board of regents for terms set to expire on February 1, 2027.

Faske of Rose City is the owner of a liquidation company in Beaumont. She serves as mayor pro tem for the city of Rose City and on several community advisory committees. She is a member of the Beaumont Founders Lions Club and the Orange, Beaumont, and Port Arthur chambers of commerce.

Lee of Beaumont is chairman, president, and chief executive officer of a bank in southeast Texas. He is a member of the Texas Bankers Association and a director for the Baptist Hospital System Foundation Board, Lamar State College – Orange Foundation Board, and the 100 Club of Southeast Texas Board.

Tinsley of Madisonville is an attorney in private practice. He was appointed by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization to the Probate and Estate Planning Commission, and previously served as chair of the District 2C Grievance Committee for the State Bar of Texas.

The Palestine City Council appointed Interim City Manager Teresa Herrera to the post permanently on July 12. She took over from former City Manager Leslie Cloer.

Herrera previously served as Palestine’s city secretary.

The town of Flower Mound selected Ray Watson as its new economic development director, effective August 23.

Watson is currently a partner with a national consulting company. Before that, he served as the executive director of economic development corporations in Kerrville and Windcrest and in the Louisiana cities of Ruston and Ouachita.

Kevin Starbuck has accepted a position with the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) as assistant chief of Region 1.

Starbuck currently serves as deputy city manager for the city of Amarillo. Prior to that, he was Amarillo’s assistant city manager and oversaw departments within the Community Services department.

The Coppell ISD board of trustees approved Dr. Dennis Womack as the district’s new chief operations officer (COO) on July 7. He will succeed Dr. Greg Axelson who is returning as principal of Coppell Middle School North.

Womack most recently served as assistant superintendent for operations at Lovejoy ISD. Before that, he was assistant superintendent for plant management at McKinney ISD.

The city of Houston will be developing a two-dimensional dynamic hydrologic and hydraulic model of the city’s flood mitigation and stormwater drainage infrastructure.

Working with multiple engineering firms, the city will incorporate the models into a new stormwater master plan.

To better protect Houston residents against catastrophic weather events, Houston Public Works is implementing a process to improve its analysis of the city’s stormwater infrastructure system.

Public Works will use new rainfall data that incorporates rainfall amounts from Hurricane Harvey to identify and assess areas of the city with the greatest need for system improvements.

The city will divide different areas into watersheds and create a hydrologic and hydraulic model of drainage infrastructure contained within each assigned watershed.

Project results will be integrated into the Houston’s One Water Plan efforts as the basis for a stormwater utility strategic master plan. The stormwater utility strategic master plan shall complement strategic master plans for the city’s water and wastewater utilities.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced these appointments and reappointments from July 9-15:

Rachelle Daniel - Pflugerville

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas – Eleventh District Beige Book

World Economic Forum – Governing smart cities: policy benchmarks for ethical and responsible smart city development 

Dozens of public-sector jobs are available. Click here to view all job openings and guidelines for job submissions to SPI. New jobs added this week: