AUSTIN | Transportation Updates

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by smallfrie

At some point, and I think we've reached that point, it becomes less and less about the virtues and the benefits of Project Connect and more and more about the corruption - and I use the word corruption advisedly, as is said.

One looks at the new Project Connect budget with the 2033 dollars (and they make as if that using the 2033 dollars is some kind of perversion forced upon them) and sees roughly 2 Billion dollars for Professional Services - and notes that doesn't include the actual engineering for the train construction - and roughly a Billion dollars for a Maintenance Facility and ones stomach turns.

Let me repeat that: roughly 2 Billion dollars for Professional Services - not including the actual engineering for the train construction - and roughly a Billion dollars for a Maintenance Facility.

That is almost world class corruption. If there wasn't so much corruption in the world, it would be world class corruption. I can't imagine a Biden administration paying for half of that, let alone a Trump one.

What's corrupt about it?

It's work that needs doing. Is in fact some are extra steps like environment al studies that are required to be done by the federal government.

It's specialized work that only a few firms do. But they still put it out for bids.

If you think it could be done for $100M, start your own firm. You'd clean up.

"Professional services (SCC 80) includes the
necessary consultants to support the agency through project management,
planning, engineering, legal and real estate services, construction management,
testing and commissioning, system start-up activities, and project completion
activities."

So yes, that is including engineering.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by smallfrie

At some point, and I think we've reached that point, it becomes less and less about the virtues and the benefits of Project Connect and more and more about the corruption - and I use the word corruption advisedly, as is said.

One looks at the new Project Connect budget with the 2033 dollars (and they make as if that using the 2033 dollars is some kind of perversion forced upon them) and sees roughly 2 Billion dollars for Professional Services - and notes that doesn't include the actual engineering for the train construction - and roughly a Billion dollars for a Maintenance Facility and ones stomach turns.

Let me repeat that: roughly 2 Billion dollars for Professional Services - not including the actual engineering for the train construction - and roughly a Billion dollars for a Maintenance Facility.

That is almost world class corruption. If there wasn't so much corruption in the world, it would be world class corruption. I can't imagine a Biden administration paying for half of that, let alone a Trump one.

The same exact corruption problem exists throughout the civil engineering (and the professional services which revolve around it) world: freeway projects in the United States cost WAY more than they do elsewhere.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Novacek

What's corrupt about it?

It's work that needs doing. Is in fact some are extra steps like environment al studies that are required to be done by the federal government.

It's specialized work that only a few firms do. But they still put it out for bids.

If you think it could be done for $100M, start your own firm. You'd clean up.

"Professional services (SCC 80) includes the
necessary consultants to support the agency through project management,
planning, engineering, legal and real estate services, construction management,
testing and commissioning, system start-up activities, and project completion
activities."

So yes, that is including engineering.

The cost differentials between what we pay here and what they pay in Europe for similar quality highly suggest that there is a degree of corruption involved.

[dilliam]

The inefficiencies here have very little to do with "corruption" and everything to do with a lack of our capacity to design and build transit projects in-house. We have no expertise, so we have to spend a huge premium to consultants who do. And even then, these consultants' experience is nothing compared to their counterparts in France, Spain, and Japan.

[smallfrie]

Originally Posted by dilliam

The inefficiencies here have very little to do with "corruption" and everything to do with a lack of our capacity to design and build transit projects in-house. We have no expertise, so we have to spend a huge premium to consultants who do. And even then, these consultants' experience is nothing compared to their counterparts in France, Spain, and Japan.

Yes and no.

As I posted a couple of years ago, the only hope for Project Connect to have ever been completed in close to the original "vision," would have been to sub it out to the Chinese, or possibly, as you said, Europeans or Japan. Of course that can't happen (corruption) so it is now dead.

As everyone on this site knows full well, "corruption" means regulatory capture, campaign contributions, old boy networks, and back-scratching. Nowadays, it rarely means money in a bag.

And as an aside, Novacek knows full well that the money for the actual civil/structural engineering to design the track installation and station construction is not in the roughly 2 billion dollar "Professional Services" budget.

[Echostatic]

I worked on Project Connect in 2022. The 'hard engineering', track design, alignment routing money is in professional services. The majority of money already spent falls in that bucket.

[smallfrie]

Originally Posted by Echostatic

I worked on Project Connect in 2022. The 'hard engineering', track design, alignment routing money is in professional services. The majority of money already spent falls in that bucket.

Of course you worked for Project Connect.

ATP's own materials state that the track and station engineering costs are in the construction portion of the budget. This is from KXAN, only because I couldn't cut-and-paste own ATP's graphics into this post:

Of that $7.1 billion amount, it’s divvied up in the following ways:

$3.19 billion: Light rail construction and engineering costs
$1.86 billion: Professional services
$1.11 billion: Maintenance facility and vehicles
$937 million: Real estate


I'm sure there's a ton of "engineering,"in the Professonal Services budget." Seriously, like environmental engineering, some of the geo-technical. etc., even though ATP has probably also lined-out a hundred million dollars or so for sanitation engineering. There'd better be some engineering in there, for two billion - it can't all be for lawyers, lobbyists/PR, accountants and sundry other consultants- can it?

I would be amazed if much if any "hard engineering," has been started yet, and I define that as engineering output that is derived directly from calculus level equations. I sure wouldn't start that unless all my funding was guaranteed or it was required beforehand by the Feds (which I doubt is the case here).

The "Professional Services," crowd is incentivized to drag the process out as long as possible before a shovel-full of dirt is turned. The actual construction and operation of a rail system is their worst nightmare. If it is killed - because the cost gets so high that it's ludicrous to continue - they will have received years of great income for not so much work and can move on to the next project.

[chinchaaa]

Austin officials to crack down on parking in bike lanes


Long overdue in my opinion. Ticket every person parked in a bike lane. They should also be putting up concrete barriers between car lanes and bike lanes to prevent people from doing this in the first place. Can't wait to see the meltdown from this.

[Riverranchdrone]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

Austin officials to crack down on parking in bike lanes


Long overdue in my opinion. Ticket every person parked in a bike lane. They should also be putting up concrete barriers between car lanes and bike lanes to prevent people from doing this in the first place. Can't wait to see the meltdown from this.

Would like to see motorcyclists ticketed for using bike lanes to bypass traffic and traffic signals.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Riverranchdrone

Would like to see motorcyclists ticketed for using bike lanes to bypass traffic and traffic signals.

This is WAY more of a public safety hazard than cars parked in bike lanes (even if those cars are obnoxious and deserve tickets).

[Urbannizer]

New federal cash paves way for East Austin’s ‘wishbone’ bridge over Lady Bird Lake

Facing a steep climb in costs for a long-planned pedestrian bridge on the eastern edge of Austin’s most popular trail, the city has finally found a path forward with a $4 million cash infusion from the federal government.

The new money will close a budget shortfall and allow the city to start contracting builders for the $25 million project on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail.

The unique, three-pronged bridge will connect Longhorn Shores, Canterbury Park and an unnamed peninsula in Lady Bird Lake. The wishbone-shaped span – the first of its kind in Austin – will have a 76-foot-wide plaza at its center with benches, bike racks, ornamental trees and shade structures.

Construction is expected to start this year, with the bridge projected to open in 2026.

[gillynova]

^^ That's very exciting! 2026 is looking like a big year for Austin

[gillynova]

i35 South



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Over at Oak Hill





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[Novacek]

Originally Posted by smallfrie

Of course you worked for Project Connect.

ATP's own materials state that the track and station engineering costs are in the construction portion of the budget. This is from KXAN, only because I couldn't cut-and-paste own ATP's graphics into this post:

Of that $7.1 billion amount, it’s divvied up in the following ways:

$3.19 billion: Light rail construction and engineering costs
$1.86 billion: Professional services
$1.11 billion: Maintenance facility and vehicles
$937 million: Real estate


I'm sure there's a ton of "engineering,"in the Professonal Services budget." Seriously, like environmental engineering, some of the geo-technical. etc., even though ATP has probably also lined-out a hundred million dollars or so for sanitation engineering. There'd better be some engineering in there, for two billion - it can't all be for lawyers, lobbyists/PR, accountants and sundry other consultants- can it?

I would be amazed if much if any "hard engineering," has been started yet, and I define that as engineering output that is derived directly from calculus level equations. I sure wouldn't start that unless all my funding was guaranteed or it was required beforehand by the Feds (which I doubt is the case here).

The "Professional Services," crowd is incentivized to drag the process out as long as possible before a shovel-full of dirt is turned. The actual construction and operation of a rail system is their worst nightmare. If it is killed - because the cost gets so high that it's ludicrous to continue - they will have received years of great income for not so much work and can move on to the next project.

CapMetro's "own materials" say the exact opposite.

I even quoted them.

I can't speak to the KXAN story. Presumably a misprint/misquote.

https://www.atptx.org/wp-content/upl...nce-FAQ-V2.pdf


Those categories (like here 80) are literally defined by the FTA.


Planning and Concept Design
Preliminary Engineering
Final Design
Project Management for Design and Construction
Agency Project Management
Project Management Oversight Support
Agency Force Account
Unspecified
Construction Administration & Management
Professional Liability and other Non-Construction Insurance
Legal; Permits; Review Fees by other agencies, cities, etc.
Surveys, Testing, Investigation, Inspection
Start up
Training/Start-up
Safety Certification
Off-Site Vehicle Testing, Test Runs
Commissioning
Unspecified
Other

All are _legally required_ to be coded as "Professional Services (80)"

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by smallfrie

The "Professional Services," crowd is incentivized to drag the process out as long as possible before a shovel-full of dirt is turned. The actual construction and operation of a rail system is their worst nightmare. If it is killed - because the cost gets so high that it's ludicrous to continue - they will have received years of great income for not so much work and can move on to the next project.

You realize that consultants that drag out a project to intentionally kill it don't get hired to do the next project?

ATP didn't just hire randos off the street.