Summary | Team | Federal Role | Current Environment | Process | Case Histories | P3 | Washington Letter on Transportation

September 7, 2010

Obama Backs Infrastructure Plan in Campaign Gambit…

As the President yesterday announced with partisan fanfare his support for a new Administration proposal to invest $50 billion in road, bridge, rail, transit, airport and other transportation improvements that he said would constitute...READ MORE (.pdf)

Proven Process, Proven Results: Legislation, Regulations, Appropriations, Strategic Planning and Project Delivery

Carmen Group specializes in federal transportation legislative and regulatory consulting and government relations, relying on professionals with decades of experience in multiple transportation-related disciplines. In the current environment, this includes helping both public sector and private sector clients achieve and implement their objectives,that include project funding and delivery; permitting and regulatory issues; legislative authorizations; appropriations; communications and strategic planning.

With hands-on transportation legislative and regulatory expertise, our professionals fully understand highways, bridges, transit, rail, pipelines, hazardous materials transportation, automobiles, trucking issues and related environmental, health, safety, tax, labor and financing issues.  We address all of our clients’ federal transportation needs and are adept at working across the federal government and with key local and state stakeholders.

Areas of Expertise

Surface Transportation Reauthorization

Carmen Group is fully engaged in working with clients who are stakeholders with regard to the multiyear highway and transit authorization bill (SAFETEA-LU) that is currently under development by Congress.  Collectively, our professionals have experience with transportation authorization bills going back to the mid-1970s and our expertise includes significant involvement with the most recent bills: SAFETEA-LU, TEA-21, NHS Designation Act and ISTEA.

Appropriations

A core part of our transportation practice is securing appropriations through the congressional appropriations process.  We are experts in helping our clients navigate this process and our efforts have aided our clients in achieving billions of dollars of funding over our long history.  Our work also includes drafting and developing committee report language and bill language.

Highways and Bridges

Also a key part of our practice is our work on highway and bridge projects.  Our team has been heavily involved over the years in the planning, design, funding and authorization of hundred of millions of dollars worth of highway and bridge projects.  In addition, our team of experts includes two former senior Federal Highway Administration officials, including a former Federal Highway Administrator.  We have also worked many related issues, including Interstate Highway System designation issues, innovative construction technology and materials, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), safety issues, intermodal issues and highway signage and traffic control devices.  Members of our team work closely with the Federal Highway Administration and the Department of Transportation on behalf our clients.  Our expertise in this core transportation area is second to none.

Transit

Another core competency of our transportation team is in the area of transit and public transportation.  Over the history of our firm, we have represented a variety of large and small transit operators and providers, including fixed guideway systems, commuter rail systems, bus systems, and we have worked on intercity rail service and high-speed rail issues and transit-oriented developments.  Our team has assisted with project planning, design, funding, authorizations and agency approvals.  We also provide guidance on related regulatory and safety issues.  For our clients, we have helped them achieve significant federal funds via full funding grant agreements, appropriations and grants and we have work closely with the Federal Transit Administration.

State Departments of Transportation and Public Transportation Authorities

A hallmark of Carmen Group’s Transportation Practice has been our successful representation of more than twenty different state departments of transportation either individually or as part of a coalition.  We have also been privileged to represent six of the last ten Presidents of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).  AASHTO Presidents are State DOT secretaries/directors selected annually by the organization.  Our practice group also represents several large, medium and small public transportation authorities and has represented numerous more over our thirty-year history.  State DOT’s and transportation authorities rely on our strategic, legislative and regulatory expertise and our decades of cumulative experience with the federal transportation program and system.

Strategic Planning and Development

Carmen Group develops winning strategies with our clients – pursuing both innovative and traditional financing approaches – to secure needed funding and advance infrastructure projects of all kinds. We routinely work with members of Congress, key committees, and their staffs on transportation legislation, policies, programs, projects and related authorization and appropriations issues.  We also work with federal agencies, as well as with other public and private sector players that can help advance infrastructure projects and funding.

In this regard, Carmen Group cultivates and maintains lasting professional working relationships with Federal executive branch officials at all levels in such agencies as the Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers.  These contacts are invaluable in helping advance needed legislation, funding requests, policy proposals, regulatory changes and project decisions in the transportation arena.  We also have special experience in transportation regulatory policy and the processes by which such regulations are promulgated and changed.

Project Permitting and Approvals

Carmen Group has experience in addressing various project permitting and approval issues, including NEPA issues, and has assisted organizations and agencies in moving projects through the approval process and in meeting appropriate procedural and substantive project requirements.  Our professionals have worked on numerous large projects, including highways, transit, rail, aviation and energy infrastructure.

Transportation Regulatory Initiatives

Carmen Group has assisted clients to conceive, draft, authorize and implement  new  federal transportation-related regulatory  policies and rulemakings designed to address specific industry needs and issues.  Our efforts have involved comprehensive campaigns to win Congressional backing and secure specialized legislative language to direct agency actions to fix outdated policies and improve service to the traveling public.  At the same time, working closely with the Department of Transportation and its modal agencies, we have helped expedite and craft agency regulatory actions and implementation guidelines in the areas  ranging from federal transportation procurement to urbanized-area planning requirements to Interstate road signage.

High-Speed Rail and Rail Infrastructure

The Obama Administration is seeking to make high-speed rail development and implementation one of its transportation legacies.  We are adept at working on rail projects and are poised to assist high-speed rail and transit projects succeed at the federal level and obtain necessary federal funding. We have significant expertise in assisting state departments of transportation, commuter rail and transit agencies, cities and counties and rail manufacturers with a variety of rail funding, legislative and regulatory needs. Examples of recent issues that we have worked on include: the Rail Safety Act of 2008, positive train control regulations, train whistle issues, and high-speed rail grant funding. Our professionals have worked directly with the Federal Railroad Administration and key congressional committees in support of client objectives.

Automobiles

Carmen Group has represented large auto manufacturers and suppliers and our professionals understand the complex regulations that govern this industry. We have helped our clients with large business transactions and mergers, plant and factory location and construction, and the development and deployment of new vehicle technologies, including the use of alternative fuels and batteries. Our team includes professionals who are knowledgeable in the transportation safety regulatory approach and of the congressional oversight process.

Pipelines

Carmen Group currently represents a large national association that includes multiple oil and natural gas pipeline operators and our team includes professionals who are experienced in pipeline safety, permitting, PIPES Act issues and tax issues that affect the pipeline industry.  In addition, our professionals have experience in working on process safety management issues; pipeline safety regulations and rulemakings; and accident response; as well as issues associated with the transportation of biofuels in pipelines.

Trucking, Shipping, and Hazardous Materials

Our work over the years on numerous highway, rail and intermodal projects has provided us with strong expertise and knowledge of the many issues that affect the trucking and shipping industries.  Our professionals also have experience in working on hazardous materials transportation regulatory issues and motor carrier safety issues and accident and incident response.

Livable Communities

Throughout the course of our current and previous work on countless transportation and infrastructure projects, we have had the opportunity to work on the planning, design and implementation of various multimodal, mixed use and/or public-private projects that would qualify as livable communities.  The rapidly emerging area of “livable communities” is one in which Carmen Group is particularly strong.

We understand the nexus of transportation with project development and the need to properly integrate all appropriate transportation modes into such projects, including roads, pedestrian and bicycle trails and/or transit options.  We have helped our clients build livable communities and projects by assisting them with strategic planning, development and implementation of coordinated and holistic transportation plans that can also help leverage appropriate public and private funds and increase efficiencies and accountability.

Environmental Issues and Land Use Planning

Working with a range of both public and private sector clients, we have helped address many various environmental and/or land use issues that can impact transportation projects.  Examples of issues that our professionals have worked on during their careers include: the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); environmental impact statements; environmental assessments; Clean Water Act permitting regulations; Clean Air Act permitting and regulations; the Congestion, Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program; endangered species issues and regulations; historic preservation; brownfields redevelopment; and hazardous materials.  Our professionals work closely with the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Army Corps of Engineers, the EPA, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Council on Environmental Quality and other key federal agencies as appropriate.

In addition, our cross-cutting transportation and environmental team includes professionals with backgrounds in law, engineering, environmental planning, science and public communications.  This breadth and depth of environmental experience allows us to provide multiple perspectives in our analysis and problem-solving approaches, and our clients benefit from our “one-stop” ability to handle multiple issues simultaneously.  Finally, key members of our transportation and environmental team have given numerous speeches and presentations and/or published scholarly articles in many of these areas.

Transportation Systems and Technology Research

On behalf of both public and private organizations, we have aided our clients with a variety of systems and technology research, including obtaining research funding and/or the development of innovative bridge designs, electronic traffic controls, tolling systems, data collection and analysis and transportation system planning.

Marine Transportation, Waterways, Ports

Carmen Transportation Practice team members have worked on intermodal projects and various port and marine transportation issues affecting cities, ports, states and/or regions. We understand the intermodal programs and the importance of integrating land-side access via highway and rail connections and crossings.  Our team has worked on these issues legislatively and with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Safety

Central to any discussion of transportation is the issue of safety—safety to the transportation user, operator and the public.  From a variety of vantage points, our professionals have worked on transportation safety issues and have been involved in safety design planning; safety regulatory enforcement proceedings; process safety management issues; accident, incident and emergency response; and/or matters involving the National Transportation Safety Board and/or other transportation regulatory agencies. We understand the paramount importance of safety and help our clients promote and achieve safety and risk reduction strategies through legislative and regulatory means.

Homeland Security

In the post 9/11 environment, the issue of homeland security is critical and a key component of transportation systems and planning.  Examples of our work on behalf of our clients in this important area include; assisting a state department of transportation address transportation security issues related to the Olympics; helping transit systems with homeland security grants and work on helping safeguard key infrastructure pieces and/or buildings of national significance.  Our professionals have worked directly with the Department of Homeland Security and key congressional committees in support of client objectives.

Aviation

Major legislation to authorize the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic control system and Airport Improvement Program is also under development and consideration by Congress.  Significant focus is on critical funding issues and how the government and the private sector can work together to achieve results.

Over time, Carmen Group has represented major airlines, a major aviation association, and major airports on a variety of legislative, regulatory and funding matters. We have also worked on such issues as facilities funding, airport access issues and safety issues.

Economic Stimulus Bill and Grant Opportunities

Carmen Group is especially attuned to landmark economic stimulus legislation that has pumped billions of new dollars into transportation infrastructure through regular formal programs as well as through new highway and transit grant programs. More funding and new opportunities continue to flow from these efforts and others. We work directly on behalf of clients who are stakeholders with regard to these vital transportation-related funding opportunities.

Public-Private Partnerships

We recognize that states and cities across the country are feeling the pinch of reduced gas tax returns and scaled-back transportation budgets.  As government entities at all levels are finding out, calls for new ideas and new methods to achieve current goals are increasing rapidly.  This is why the leveraging of limited public sector funds with innovative private sector involvement stands to be a key part of the wave of the future in transportation funding.

Public-private partnerships (P3s) are allowing state and local government entities to work with private companies to efficiently provide for the construction and maintenance of major road, bridge and other infrastructure projects in certain circumstances.  Utilizing private capital on traditionally public projects helps supplement and/or replace increasingly strained government revenue sources.  While P3s are not a panacea and cannot be applied to every project or situation, they are an important tool that can and should be explored in any comprehensive strategic infrastructure funding plan.  Political, legislative, technical, managerial and public relations factors all apply in securing approval and implementation of a successful P3 arrangement.

Washington Letter

Carmen Group’s Transportation Practice also publishes the highly regarded Washington Letter on Transportation, a weekly online publication covering significant federal transportation news and policy developments, including the latest developments on such critical issues as the economic stimulus bill, the highway/transit and aviation authorization bills, and the increasing use of P3s. It is read each week by a loyal following of state and local officials, and private sector professionals, who want to stay abreast of the most up-to-date news and insights about the nation’s most important transportation issues.

Proven Process. Proven Results.

Our firm’s unique business process, based on thorough research, comprehensive strategic planning and professionally executed tactical plans, has been proven to work successfully time after time. Most notably, we have long-term experience in successfully addressing the most complicated transportation projects using federal transportation authorization and appropriations processes and the incorporation of specialized private sector (P3) approaches. Our record of success on behalf of our clients is formidable and includes helping to secure billions of dollars in federal funding and funding commitments.

Record of Success

• State Departments of Transportation
• City Governments
• County and Local Transportation Agencies
• Public Transportation and Transit Agencies
• Airport Authorities
• Public-Private Economic Development Initiatives
• Real Estate Development Projects
• Private Companies
• Rail Companies
• Freight Handlers
• Airlines
• Intermodal Centers
• Automobile Dealers and Manufacturers
• State, Regional and National Transportation Coalitions

Special Expertise

• Transportation Appropriations Bills
• Highway/Transit Reauthorization Legislation
• Transportation Program and Project Prioritization
• Transportation Engineering and Planning Assistance
• Transportation Strategic and Policy Analysis
• Transportation Regulations
• Transportation Funding Programs
• Federal Budget Process
• Highways
• Toll Roads
• Bridges
• Public Transportation/Transit
• Amtrak
• Aviation
• Appropriations
• Demonstration Projects and Earmarks
• Grants and Loans
• Pipelines
• Hazardous Materials Transportation

Proven Record of Working Effectively With

Executive Branch

• White House
• Office of Management & Budget
• Department of Transportation
• Federal Highway Administration
• Federal Transit Administration
• Federal Railroad Administration
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Federal Aviation Administration
• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
• Surface Transportation Board
• National Transportation Safety Board
• Department of Homeland Security
• Transportation Security Administration
• Department of Energy
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Army Corps of Engineers

Legislative Branch

• House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
• House Ways and Means Committee
• Senate Environment & Public Works Committee
• Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee
• Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
• Senate Finance Committee
• House/Senate Appropriations Committees