Roads in Wisconsin
Who pays for them?
A new research report provided by the State Smart Transportation Initiative and 1000 Friends of Wisconsin details the sources of funding for Wisconsin highways and roads. The report aims to clear up some of the misconceptions people have about how transportation is funded. The report discusses the fact that roads in Wisconsin are not just paid for by users (through gas tax, tolls, and licensing). Rather, they are heavily subsidized by taxpayers. Between 2004 and 2008, roads in Wisconsin cost an average of $4.24 billion annually. $1.74 billion came from revenue sources unrelated to road use, such as property and sales taxes. Read the full report here.
EJCDC Adds Teaming Component to Revised Joint Venture Agreement
Recognizing that firms are in many cases teaming with others to pursue business opportunities, the Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC) has added a Teaming Agreement to a new revised version of the joint venture document. The EJCDC E-580, Teaming Agreement to Pursue Joint Business Opportunity and Joint Venture Agreement Between Engineers has two components—the Teaming Agreement can be used for two firms that wish to join together to pursue an opportunity to obtain work, and the Joint Venture Agreement can be used to define the relationship of the firms when they are providing professional services to a client.
Airport Terminal in San Francisco Awarded LEED Gold Certification
The new Terminal 2 at San Francisco’s International Airport has been awarded LEED™ Gold certification for sustainable building. According to news reports, it is the first airport facility in the United States to achieve the ranking. The terminal cost $383 million and earned the LEED™ Gold certification status because of the many attributes that support green building practices.
Planting Roots for Sustainable Living
They say that old habits die hard. A Connecticut prep school is taking action to ensure that good habits as they pertain to sustainable living are instilled at a young age. Choate Rosemary Hall, in Wallingford, CT, will open the Kohler Environmental Center next fall. The center was made possible through a $20 million gift from Choate alumnus Herbert Kohler (CEO of Kohler Co), and was designed by Graham Wyatt and Kevin Smith of Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
Architects in Europe
the European Architectural Barometer
The European Architectural Barometer is a quarterly study of 1,200 architects in Europe. Architects from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands participated in the quarter three study, which focused on architects’ expectations regarding the threats and opportunities for their companies this year. The study is intended to measure the economic activity of architectural firms via a series of questions. These opinions, obviously, are largely influenced by the economic crisis that has affected Europe much as it has here in the United States. However, it should be noted that the survey was taken prior to the most recent collapses and bailouts of Italy and Greece and the restructuring of the Spanish Economy.