Colorado - Boulder County commissioners approved a new transportation master plan that aims to increase opportunities for multimodal transportation, with 61 proposed projects that are estimated to cost a total of $2 billion to construct.

Projects range from expanding commuter rail and regional bus service, to redesigning intersections for increased safety, to building connector trails to promote biking.

To pay for the projects, commissioners say that they will use every funding source available, including federal and state governments, as well as public-private partnerships. Officials are also considering enacting a tax to help pay for the work.

High priority projects include expanding bus service along Colo. 119, improving Boulder's Downtown Station, and constructing the Downtown Longmont multimodal station at First Avenue and Main Street.

Georgia - The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) will receive funding for rail and bus service in Atlanta, as well as in Clayton, DeKalb, and Fulton counties after voters in all four jurisdictions of MARTA's service area approved a 1-cent sales tax.

The amendment allows MARTA to extend its long-term bonding capacity, maintain service levels, and advance expansion projects.

One major project that will receive funding is the Atlanta BeltLine project, which calls for transforming the route into a mixed-use corridor. The city of Atlanta plans to operate light-rail lines along 22 miles around the city's inner core, with proposed plans to connect MARTA's existing heavy-rail system and bus rapid transit (BRT) throughout the BeltLine. The light-rail projects will be completed in segments, with the first expected to enter the design phase by 2025.

Another key focus is to allocate $10 million to $15 million to rehabilitate each of MARTA's 40-year-old stations, which have not received any significant upgrades in their lifetime. This includes the Five Points Station, which will undergo a complete interior and exterior renovation.

MARTA's heavy-rail system will also receive improvements to its signal system, including a major investment to replace more than 11,000 electro-mechanical relays with new state-of-the-art devices. Officials plan to study available technologies this year and start developing specifications in 2021.

Through referendums, the city also plans to improve transit in underserved communities by increasing access to employment centers.

California - Sacramento and West Sacramento joined to select a final design for an estimated $210 million bridge to connect the cities and replace the I Street Bridge.

The I Street Bridge Replacement Project will include the construction of a new bridge upstream of the existing I Street Bridge. The bridge will provide a new connection across the Sacramento River between the Sacramento Railyards and the West Sacramento Washington Neighborhood planned developments. It will serve automobile, bicycle, transit, and pedestrian users.

Officials said they anticipate letting a design-bid-build (DBB) contract in 2022 with construction completion in 2023.

The existing I Street Bridge is more than 100 years old, its lanes are too narrow to serve buses, there are no bicycle lanes, and the sidewalks do not meet current accessibility standards.

I Street Bridge's lower deck will continue to serve as a railroad crossing, and the upper deck is being studied and planned for use by pedestrians and bicyclists. The approach viaducts to the existing I Street Bridge will be demolished, resulting in improved access to the waterfront in both cities.

Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will award $520.5 million in Airport Improvement Program infrastructure grants to 287 airports in 41 states.

Officials are working to improve the funding award process through streamlining as well as cutting red tape and unnecessary regulations that do not contribute to safety.

Among the award recipients are Chicago O'Hare International Airport, which will receive $65 million for construction of a runway; Reno-Tahoe International Airport, which will receive $31.7 million for reconstruction of a runway; Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which will receive $24 million for construction of a taxiway; and the state of Wisconsin, which will receive $15.5 million for airport improvement projects across the state.

South Carolina - Road upgrades could be coming to the state's rural areas, as South Carolina's budget has a nearly $2 billion surplus.

The bill would allocate $100 million in general funds, of which $77 million would go to the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), and $23 million would be granted to counties in the budget year that begins on July 1.

The proposal comes two years after lawmakers approved a 12-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax hike, which would contribute to more than $600 million per year for road improvements.

Rural road conditions are one of the top complaints, and the funding would address much-needed work on two-lane areas throughout the state.

Louisiana - Lawmakers announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will work to deepen the Mississippi River to 50 feet, an $85 million project that is part of the USACE's 2020 Work Plan.

The goal of the project is to allow more freight to travel through the Port of New Orleans.

Sediment taken from the Mississippi River will be used to rebuild the coast, which will improve the coastline's flood protection.

 
Other major construction funding projects in the USACE's 2020 Work Plan include $40.58 million for the J Bennett Johnston Waterway, $25 million for the SELA Algiers Sub-Basin project, and $18 million for the construction of disposal capacity containment dikes for the Calcasieu River and Pass.

New York - Mayor Byron Brown unveiled several new initiatives at his State of the City address on February 20 that focused on transforming Buffalo into a "City of Innovation."

Brown identified several new programs that will fund new housing, infrastructure, and connected technology.

One new initiative, Buffalo's Race for Place, will engage emerging workforce talent and determine the assets and offerings needed to foster the City of Innovation. By developing public-private partnerships (P3s), the city aims to create critical mass at downtown locations.

Brown announced a goal to build 2,100 housing units for this new workforce along a Knowledge Corridor stretching from Canalside to the University at Buffalo - South Campus.

The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority will issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) to seek ideas from prospective development partners for the revitalization of its housing developments.

A $38 million Accelerate Buffalo Fund that supports business development and talent attraction will be presented to Buffalo City Council in the coming weeks. This fund aims to provide infrastructure improvements and technology upgrades such as car-sharing and free 5G technology.

City officials also continue to work with stakeholders on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus to create Buffalo's first Smart Corridor along middle Main Street.

Florida - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved a $40.1 million loan for the Toho Water Authority in Kissimmee. The loan is made possible through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) and will contribute to the authority's $81.9 million project to upgrade its sewer and wastewater treatment system.

One major goal of the project is to reduce sanitary sewer overflows that stem from problems related to the collection system. The project will involve work to repair, rehabilitate, and replace sewer mains, sewer lines, and manholes, along with other aging and damaged infrastructure.

Other benefits include helping the Toho Water Authority to meet its regulatory requirements and saving an estimated $7.9 million through use of the WIFIA loan instead of a bond issuance.