While still jubilant about the unprecedented amount of federal funding for transit, rail advocates also are concerned about the shortage of workers, the need to better manage project risks and the ability to implement mandated asset-management plans for their infrastructure and vehicles.
With projects facing rising material costs, crunched schedules and labor shortages, project delivery firms say owners are finding themselves at a fork in the road when it comes to design-bid-build versus alternative delivery models.
The need for a more diverse and representative staff seems to punctuate every workforce development conversation at AEC firms. Whether the industry is ready and willing to have a serious conversation about the needs of those diverse workers is another matter entirely.
Retired U.S. Army Gen. Stephen R. Lyons will lead efforts to improve cargo flow at U.S. ports and untangle slowdowns in the sprawling domestic freight supply chain.