Abstract
In this issue of Public Works Management & Policy, we focus on the perspectives of many different players who comprise the infrastructure community and the delivery of services that these systems provide.
In “Transit Paradise Lost: What Transit Agency Administrators Say Hinders Them From Pursuing Social Justice and Fairness,” Gerard C. Wellman reports on a survey of 30 transit administrators across the United States and how they believe their pursuit of social justice agendas is hindered by local political or societal obstacles. These obstacles include a lack of support by local elected and unelected leaders, funding mechanisms and budget reductions which prevent the transit agency from fully achieving its objectives, and zoning and development decisions which take urban development continually farther from the dense, transit-friendly urban core and frustrate the ability of transit providers to reach spread-out destinations.
Ossi Heino and Ari-Veikko Anttiroiko seek to contrast Finnish citizens’ experiences of utility-specific information needs with the views of communication managers of municipal water utilities in “Utility–Customer Communication: The Case of Water Utilities.” The analysis shows that one-way communication from utilities to customers remains relevant and should actually be improved, particularly in exceptional situations, such as water supply disruptions. The overall challenge facing utilities is to tailor communications to the everyday needs of their customers and to develop the tools and culture to support such an endeavor.
In “What Do PE Investors Seek From Syndication Partners? Evidence From the Infrastructure Sector,” Josephine Gemson and A. Thillai Rajan present an analysis of Private Equity (PE) syndication in infrastructure projects worldwide. Based on an analysis of more than 350 projects in energy, transport, water, and utilities, the authors find that PE syndication is driven primarily by a need for local knowledge which translates into syndication with local partners. Diversity of experience appears to take precedence over the level of experience, which indicates the desire of PE to achieve a varied set of skills.
In “Comparison of Utility Managers’ and Project Managers’ Satisfaction Rating of Alternative Project Delivery Methods Used in Water and Wastewater Infrastructures,” Shrestha, Maharajan, Batista, and Shakya examine the increased use of design-build and construction-manager-at-risk as alternative project delivery (APD) methods for water and wastewater projects. This study compared and analyzed the differences in satisfaction levels between utility managers and project managers regarding the various benefits of APD methods. It found that Project Managers were significantly more satisfied with the quality of project, change orders, and lower rate of disputes than Utility Managers which may reflect the differences in perspective of the two groups.
The complete streets movement calls for streetscapes designed for safe and convenient walking, biking, and transit-usage by residents of all ages including the disabled. “Becoming More Complete: The Diffusion and Evolution of State-Level Complete Streets Policies” by Yusuf, O’Connell, Rawat, and Anuar reviews state-level complete streets policies. Perhaps not surprisingly, the research found that urbanized states are more likely to have complete streets policies than more rural states. Over time, complete streets policies at the state-level have become more comprehensive in content, and the diversity of needs has evolved and expanded.
The issue is rounded out by a review of “Politics Across the Hudson: The Tappan Zee Megaproject” by Neil S. Grigg. Published in 2015, this book presents a detailed account of several decades of mostly political events leading up to the replacement of a bridge, originally opened to traffic in 1955 and which had reached the end of its useful life, that crosses the Hudson River 17 miles north of the George Washington Bridge in Manhattan and is part of the New York State Thruway System. It offers several interesting themes for students of infrastructure history and policy.