Transportation Market Recap, November 2023

The November 2023 Transportation Market Recap is a recap of some of the most interesting and useful transit industry news from the previous month. It contains updates on industry drivers, notable projects, and recent mergers and acquisitions, as well as some interesting reads, and upcoming meetings and conferences.

To learn more about how we are helping transportation industry leaders find new opportunities in their market of interest, schedule a market opportunity workshop.

Industry Drivers

Our data team tracks new and updated industry drivers. Here are some recent drivers we have been following in November:

State Safety Oversight Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

Status: Proposed

Organization: Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

Summary: On November 15, 2023, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to update the State Safety Oversight (SSO) regulation to bolster the safety of rail transit systems across the United States. The key changes include:

• Authorizing the State Safety Oversight Agencies (SSOAs) to inspect rail transit agencies without prior notice and to require them to develop and implement a risk-based inspection program.
• Rail transit agencies must rigorously collect and analyze safety-related data, utilizing this information to develop more comprehensive and data-driven safety plans.
• Mandating SSOAs to establish risk-based inspection programs, prioritizing inspections based on the assessed risk profile of each rail transit system.
• Emphasizing the cultivation of a strong safety culture within rail transit agencies, promoting a shared commitment to safety among all levels of management and employees.

Click Here for More Information

Notable Capital Improvement Programs

Here are some recent, notable Capital Improvement Programs (CIPs). FirmoGraphs has deconstructed the CIPs into data elements, along with available project descriptions. Please feel free to request a meeting and review the data live in our business intelligence application.

Jackson County, Oregon, Planned Capital Expenditure Increased by 71%

In the CIP covering the 2024-2028 fiscal years, Jackson County, Oregon, detailed plans to spend $313 million on capital projects, an increase of 71% from $183 million in its 2023-2027 CIP. The current CIP has 101 line items, compared to 91 line items in the prior CIP. The table below breaks down Jackson County’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.

Substantial Increase in the Airport Category

The Airport category increased largely by 333%, having 11 more projects in the recent CIP, including the Terminal Expansion – Phase 1 – Construction amounting to $114 million. On the contrary, the Roads and Parks category reduced its planned spending due to projects that will be completed in Fiscal Year 2023. 

Over $100 Million Programmed For Terminal Expansion

Out of 101 line items, Jackson County has one notable line item valued at over $100 million and one valued at over $10 million, both belonging to the Airport category. The largest line item is the Terminal Expansion – Phase 1 – Construction, worth $114 million. In addition, $17 million is planned for Taxiway D and the Removal of Taxiway A3 East–Construction.

Click Here to See Jackson County, Oregon, CIP

City of San Antonio, Texas, Planned Capital Expenditure Increased by 53%

In the CIP covering the 2024-2029 fiscal years, the City of San Antonio, Texas, detailed plans to spend $4.4 billion on capital projects, an increase of 53% from nearly $2.9 billion in its 2023-2028 CIP. The current CIP has 502 line items, compared to 439 line items in the prior CIP. The table below breaks down San Antonio’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.

Most Significant Increase Goes to Transportation Category

The Transportation category comprises the most significant funding in the CIP, increasing by 110% due to the addition of the New Terminal Project, worth $1.4 billion. On the contrary, spending in the General Government category was reduced due to ongoing projects nearing completion. There were also 31 more projects in the previous period than in the recent period.

Over $1 Billion Programmed for Airport Project

The City of San Antonio, Texas, has one project valued at over $1 billion and one valued at over $100 million. The largest single project is the construction of a new terminal and related facilities at the San Antonio International Airport, worth $1.4 billion, under the Transportation category. In addition, $102 million is planned for the Linear Greenway Trails to acquire and preserve open space to develop multi-use trails along San Antonio creek ways, greenways, and urban corridors under the Recreation and Culture business area.

Click Here to See San Antonio, Texas CIP

What We Are Reading

Here are some recent articles our team has been reading:

• Boston’s year-old $2.3B Green Line Extension needs repairs
  
• Dominion Energy tapped to build $2.5B in transmission under PJM’s $5B proposal
• BOEM approves 2.6-GW Dominion Energy offshore wind farm, largest yet in US
• MDOT MTA releases technical analysis for six Preliminary Alternatives maps for Red Line project
• NTSB calls on FRA to formulate plan to incorporate new technology that prevents certain train collisions
• SANDAG adds $643 million to FY24 budget to advance more than 30 projects
• Arizona Public Service, Tucson Electric expect to add 20 GW of mainly renewables, storage by 2038
• CHSRA Board of Directors issues RFQ for 220-mph electrified high-speed rail system project
• Biden-Harris Administration Invests More Than $653 Million in Ports to Strengthen American Supply Chains
• Amtrak Northeast Corridor projects get $16B in federal funding
• President Biden Advances Vision for World Class Passenger Rail with $16 Billion Investment in America’s Busiest Corridor
• Construction begins on Hudson River Tunnel project
• Feds award $653M for 41 port projects
• Santa Clara VTA purchases $76 million TBM for BART Silicon Valley Phase II Project
• FRA awards $16.4 billion for 25 passenger rail projects along NEC
• SEPTA awarded $30.5 million in funding for construction of new high-level pedestrian platform at Cornwells Heights Station
• OP-ED: FTA, MTA $7.7 billion Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 Full Funding Grant Agreement real deal
• DDOT breaks ground on new Coolidge Terminal on Schaefer
• MBTA launches Track Improvement Program
• Biden-Harris Administration Announces $110 Million Grant to Improve Transportation Options in Madison, Wisconsin
• U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Loan of up to $141 Million for the I-64 Hampton Roads Express Lanes Project in Virginia
• FTA awards $110.6 million construction grant for Madison’s East-West BRT project
• $16B Gateway Program construction finally underway
• Amtrak begins procurement process for Sawtooth Bridges Replacement Project

Meeting Planner

In this over-digitized age, there is no replacement for face-to-face meetings with your prospects and customers! We track meetings of interest to our customers serving the U.S. transit industry so you won’t miss upcoming meetings and deadlines. Additionally, FirmoGraphs has recently implemented a free-of-charge service for tracking notable infrastructure events. 

Meetings in December 2023 and January 2024