Electric vehicles (EV) should never again be considered ‘futuristic.’ They are the ‘here and now’ and investment funding for electric vehicles is now flowing abundantly from both public and private sector coffers. Billions of dollars are available for electrification projects.

Transit agencies are on the leading edge as they move quickly to electric vehicles. The number of zero-emissions buses in service through public transit agencies has more than doubled over the last three years and that growth pattern will increase exponentially over the next three years.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will disburse $1.7 billion in 2022 for vehicle electrification projects and the funding will be flowing by mid-August. Annual disbursements of more than $1 billion will continue through the 2026 fiscal year.

California, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Connecticut, and a few other states have mandated that transit agencies electrify their entire fleets. The state of Connecticut is currently developing a roadmap to electrify both transit fleets and paratransit garages as well. State officials are working from a Master Electrification Roadmap to identify facility needs and all funding sources for statewide fleet electrification. A $11.4 million federal grant will be used by the state’s Department of Transportation (DOT) to purchase 22 new electric transportation buses and have them operational by the end of 2023.

Michigan - Downtown Grand Rapids is one step closer to an amphitheater, housing, and other public amenities thanks to $30 million in state funding. The $116 million project, called Grand Action 2.0, will be developed along the Grand River. Grand Action projects have all been funded by a combination of public and private investments.

The future 12,000-seat amphitheater earlier in 2022 cleared key hurdles when city and Kent County officials agreed to move forward with the $24.3 million sale of an 11.6-acre city-owned property along the Grand River that would house the venue.

The amphitheater, facing south, will feature 7,000 fixed seats and a 5,000-capacity lawn. Blueprints call for 16 different premium products between suites and opera boxes, which would connect to retail and other entertainment spaces activated outside the facility. A parking garage would sit beneath the elevated lawn section. The west side, which faces the Grand River, would provide views of the city’s downtown district. If all goes as planned, the new 1,900-capacity amphitheater would open for the 2024 summer concert season.

The broader vision surrounding the property includes repurposing about 20 more acres along the Grand River. In addition to the venue, officials want to build up to 1,750 apartments at the site.

Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) has plans for its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with a $291 million project that's set to bring 24 new stations, increased transit reliability, and increased pedestrian bicyclist safety to this busy transit corridor.

A request will be issued later this year for construction proposals in the Downtown Pittsburgh phase where construction is expected to begin in the first half of 2023. A request for proposals is expected to be issued in 2023 for the second phase in Uptown and Oakland, where work is expected to begin in 2024.

The BRT plans to provide bus-only lanes, upgraded stations, ticket vending, real time monitors, shelters, benches dedicated transit lanes, protected bike lanes, improved pedestrian access, and signals between downtown and Oakland.

The transit system also expects to spend $117.9 million to buy 137 new buses over the next two years and says it could replace more than half its fleet over the next five years.

The $291 million price tag is split between about $178 million from the federal government, and $112 from local sources: $73 million from PRT, $30 million from Allegheny County, and about $9 from the city of Pittsburgh.

South Dakota - The 2023 City of Sioux Falls Budget totals $646.2 million. The budget includes extending the city’s recreation trail from Lien Park to Bahnson Avenue in east Sioux Falls. The city also will be constructing a skateboard park at Nelson Park in partnership with the Sioux Falls Skatepark Association.

The city’s 2023–2027 Capital Program includes investments of $931 million that prioritize infrastructure, quality of life improvements, and public safety. The preservation, repair, and maintenance of the city’s streets continue to be top priority. Funding dedicated to highways and streets is proposed to increase by nearly $50 million over the next five years, a 20 percent increase over the prior Capital Program. Arterial street expansion projects include construction of the first segment of South Veterans Parkway in 2023 and capacity improvements for Cliff Avenue south of 85th Street in anticipation of the new Harrisburg Freshman Academy.

The city will be making a significant investment in its aging aquatics facilities. This Capital Program plans for a quality-of-life bond to be issued in late 2023 or early 2024 to fund these investments and upgrades.

The proposed 2023 Budget and 2023–2027 Capital Program are available here. The City Council will hold budget hearings on the proposed Capital Program and operating budget in August and will consider approval of the 2023 budget in September.

New York - The Empire State Development Corporation’s members have approved a $7 billion plan that calls for New York, New Jersey, and the federal government to cover the overhaul costs on transforming Pennsylvania Station and the area around it. Developers will tear down existing buildings near the transit hub and construct 10 state-of-the-art skyscrapers.

There is a plan to transform the 54-year-old station that sits underneath the Madison Square Garden arena into a modern, traveler-friendly facility. The renovation calls for a large, single-level train hall with higher ceilings and a 450-foot-long skylight. Included would be more escalators, stairs and elevators to platforms, and more street entrances to reduce sidewalk crowding.

While the expansion of the station to add tracks is years away, a study is underway to determine whether two additional tunnels would need to be built to connect the Hudson River tunnels to an expanded Penn Station. The neighborhood surrounding the station would be revitalized with affordable housing, an increase in transit access, and the creation of a pedestrian-friendly streetscape.

The surrounding neighborhood would be rebuilt by 2044.

Louisiana - Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory has announced the potential for building a new parish jail through a public-private partnership (P3). The parish council approved a resolution in support of the jail plan on July 19. The next step in the process will be to issue a request for qualifications in August to find private partners interested in undertaking the project.

Guillory's P3 plan would have a facility where the sheriff's office would continue operating the jail per state law. The plan set forward will not only keep taxes from increasing but will reduce the overall cost of maintaining and operating the facility. The current property tax in the parish that pays for the jail and juvenile detention center would be used to pay the private partners for maintaining the jail and juvenile center during the terms of the contract, which is estimated to be 25 to 40 years.

The new prison would be able to house more inmates. Lafayette Parish government owns the five-story Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. It was built around 1982 and houses 600 inmates.

North Carolina - The city of Greensboro received approval on July 24 from residents for a series of five bonds that were placed on the ballot as one referendum. These bonds, approved by the council earlier this year, totaled $135 million that the city would repay over time. They address what council members consider are both needs and opportunities for the city.

- Station #40 Pisgah Church Road.

- Station #8 Coliseum Boulevard.

- Station #10 W. Gate City Boulevard.

- Station #14 Summit Avenue.

- Police headquarters fourth floor renovation to centralize Criminal Investigations Division - $3 million.

- Greensboro Police Department Records Management System (RMS) - $3 million.

- Affordable rental units - $20 million.

- Access to homeownership - $5 million.

- Neighborhood reinvestment - $5 million.

- The Windsor-Chavis-Nocho Joint Use Facility will receive $50 million to benefit the entire city through unique and diverse recreation, leisure, and learning opportunities in one convenient location.

- The Greensboro Science Center will receive $20 million for enhancements at the Battleground Parks District that will advance the Greensboro Science Center Gateway Project and include iconic art, and diverse amenities and activities.

Oregon - Deschutes County has adopted a $408M budget, a 6.5 percent increase from the previous year. Funding from the budget, around $40 million, will cover the design and planning efforts for the county courthouse expansion for the State Circuit Court. The county will also complete the development of its North County campus in Redmond, which will provide additional space for the Health Services Department and other county services.

A new solid waste management facility (Landfill) for $21.9 million is also in the budget. The Knott Landfill is expected to reach capacity in 2029. This budget also includes improvements for the Negus Transfer Station in Redmond.

The Road Department plans to implement $13.2 million of road construction projects and contribute more than $15 million to Oregon Department of Transportation partner projects in Terrebonne and Tumalo.

Road projects will include construction of roundabouts at the intersection of Deschutes Market Road/Hamehook Road; Powell Butte Highway/Butler Market Road; modernization and construction of portions of Hunnell Road; and pavement overlay of portions of Alfalfa Market Road, Deschutes Market Road, and Northwest Way. Bridge replacement projects at Smith Rock Way and Gribbling Road have also been budgeted for fiscal year 2023.

Virginia – The Arlington County Board has approved a $3.9 billion ten-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Some of the projects will include funding for park and field improvements at Gateway Park in Rosslyn, the Arlington Boathouse, and new synthetic turf fields at Kenmore Middle School. In addition, investments in three new parks in Crystal City including Metro Market Square, Center Park, and 23rd Street Plaza Parks.

Funding will provide for key transportation projects such as the Army Navy Country Club Trail, bridge replacements and renovations, Vision Zero street safety improvements, construction of new entrances to Metrorail stations in Arlington, and investments in the Transitway Extension to Pentagon City.

Major investments in technology will replace/enhance enterprise systems such as the financial and human resource system, revenue collection system, laptops, desktops, and records management.

Funds will address the environment and resiliency through stormwater management and flood mitigation, introducing a new parks program for natural resiliency, and investing in various other energy efficiency projects such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure and renewable energy assessments and installations to help reduce the county’s carbon footprint.

View the complete list of the FY 2023-FY 2032 projects here.

California - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors continues to discuss the need for an overhaul of the historic General Hospital building in Boyle Heights, including using the mostly vacant structure to provide hundreds of units of affordable housing.

The board approved a motion that calls on various county departments to move forward with plans for structural upgrades to the building and to identify nearly $195 million in county funding to advance the effort. The 19-story, 1.2-million-square-foot building suffered structural damage during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Most of the General Hospital structure sits unused, except for a Wellness Center clinic on the ground floor and some county office space. In 2018, the board ordered a feasibility study to consider possible reuses of the facility that opened in 1934.

County leadership is to report back to the board in four months on a plan and financing options for structural upgrades, along with a possible timeline for the work. It also calls for a reallocation of millions of dollars in funds from various accounts to put toward the project, including $10 million from the county’s Care First, Jails Last program and $50 million in state funding included in this year’s California budget.

Florida – Fort Meyers is focusing on the midtown area for planning, marketing, and development. The city seeks a contracting firm to determine the highest and best use for midtown. A study would be performed on city-owned property including the city hall block, former news press site, current police station, City of Palms Park, The Skatium, and all city property fronting the west side of Cleveland Avenue, from Edison Avenue south to Linhart Avenue.

Some of the services to be provided by the chosen firm include:

The request for proposals deadline is October 19 at 2 p.m. EST.

Washington, D.C. - The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced July 26 that it will provide $1.75 billion over the next five years to make it easier for people to get on board at the nation’s oldest rail public transportation systems. For 2022 the FTA has issued a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) of $343 million. The funding will help agencies retrofit subway stations so people who need an elevator or ramp – including people who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility – can still reliably access the rail systems serving their communities.

The All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) is a new discretionary grant program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will increase access to the transportation system. Inaccessibility is a significant hurdle for riders using rail systems built before 1990, known as legacy systems. Over 900 transit legacy stations are not fully accessible today. ASAP will provide support for transit agencies to repair, improve, modify, retrofit, or relocate infrastructure of stations or facilities for passenger use. The deadline for the NOFO is September 30, 2022.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority could benefit from this grant. It has directed more than $5 billion in its 2020-2024 capital plan to station accessibility projects and recently reached an agreement under a class action lawsuit to make 95 percent of its stations accessible by 2055. Chicago Transit Authority also has a program to reach 100 percent accessibility at its stations over a 20-year period.

New York - A hired design group, over the course of several months, has identified about $260 million worth of needed work at Schenectady city schools – 18 school buildings that make up the district. This information will be laid out in a future capital project plan and a committee will be formed to determine how the district should proceed.

Schenectady High School has the greatest needs, with an estimated $81 million in work, including new lockers, renovated locker rooms, and replacing the building’s original windows, which alone could cost between $12 million and $20 million.

The building-condition survey identified $22.6 million in upgrades at the Steinmetz Career & Leadership Academy and $16.7 million at Washington Irving Adult & Continuing Education Center. An additional $91.4 million in needs were identified across the district’s 11 elementary schools, and $19.6 million were identified at its three middle schools. Fulton School, which is not used by the district, requires an estimated $7.9 million in upgrades.

Needs for each building vary, but many share commonalities, including needed upgrades to heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems; an electrical upgrade; and interior and exterior work that would bring buildings into compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

Ohio - The University of Cincinnati has a $6 million renovation plan for its Fifth Third Arena, originally named the Myrl H. Shoemaker Center.

The request for qualifications (RFQ) has been released by the university for an architect/engineer firm to upgrade 10,000 square feet of existing interior space, including its locker rooms, plunge pools, and athletic lounges – as well as multi-purpose rooms.

As the school prepares for its move to the Big 12 Conference in 2023, it will also upgrade the team dining area. The existing facilities are located on the third floor of the arena.

UC anticipates professional services to start in August with construction beginning in March 2023. The RFQ said work should be substantially completed by September 2023, with professional services ending in November 2023. A program of requirements is being finalized by the university. Those details will be shared with shortlisted firms prior to interviews.

The 12,012-seat Fifth Third Arena was built in 1989 and serves as the home for the men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams.

California - Ann Stillman has been chosen to lead San Mateo County’s Department of Public Works. She will lead the Peninsula’s largest public works agency with responsibility for 315 miles of roads and two airports. Stillman began her career with the county in 1987 and has since led numerous high-profile projects involving flood control, road improvements, watershed protection, and more. With an annual budget of $219 million and more than 300 employees, the Department of Public Works provides key services that impact the lives of all 765,000 residents.

Pennsylvania - Dr. Wayne Walters, who has been serving as Pittsburg Public School interim superintendent since last September following Anthony Hamlet's resignation, will fill the role permanently. Walters has made a career in the district. He served as a teacher, principal, and finally as interim superintendent. Walters’ contract will last for five years.

Virginia - Gov. Glenn Youngkin has appointed Jennifer DeBruhl to lead the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) permanently. She has been leading the agency on an interim basis since March. DeBruhl succeeds former DRPT director Jennifer Mitchell. DeBruhl joined DRPT in 2016 as chief of public transportation and before that spent more than 20 years at the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.

Washington - Salem City Council has picked Keith Stahley, the assistant city manager for Olympia, to be the city's next manager. Kristin Retherford, Salem's urban development director, has been serving as interim city manager. With more than 30 years of local government experience, Stahley most recently served as assistant city manager for Olympia and managed the Office of Community Vitality. He is expected to begin work September 12.

New Hampshire - The Dartmouth College Board of Trustees has elected Sian Leah Beilock, a cognitive scientist and the current president of Barnard College, as the next president. Following College President Phil Hanlon’s retirement in June 2023, Beilock will become the 19th president and the first woman named to this position in the college’s history. As the eighth president of Barnard College, Beilock implemented initiatives that strengthened its STEM research and teaching programs. Beilock will assume the presidency on July 1, 2023.

Massachusetts – The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) approved the appointment of Joseph Morris as the Authority’s Port Director, overseeing all Maritime business areas. Morris joined Massport in 2020 as deputy port director of operations and has served as acting port director since February 2022. Before joining Massport, Morris served as chief operations officer at APM Terminals in Moín, Costa Rica, working to engage future customers and drive business development opportunities in preparation of the opening of a new container terminal.

Mary Scott Nabers, Publisher

Kristin Gordon, Editor

Government Contracting Pipeline, a publication of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., is a free, weekly newsletter detailing important happenings nationwide and the premier source for federal, state, and local government news and contracting opportunities.