Infrastructure

After gamble backfires, L.A. demands refund from banks

In the San Francisco Bay area, public transit riders are paying $104 million in higher rider fees to cover the cost of exotic financial insurance known as an interest rate swap. In Detroit, the inability of the city to

Expert says drought did not cause Napa quake

Wayne Lusvardi August 27, 2014

Natural disasters predictably bring up speculation about causes. On radio shows, callers have been wondering whether the ongoing drought or fracking caused the 6.0 Richter scale South Napa Earthquake on Aug. 24. It’s true that, just before the quake, scientists reported that a

Landmark water bond now faces voters

James Poulos August 22, 2014

As August draws to a close, the state has seen a striking instance of successful high-level bipartisan wrangling. Sacramento secured a massive water bond package, putting $7.5 billion in bonds on the ballot as Proposition 1. Although legislators, and Gov. Jerry Brown,

Fed bills could be key to CA water storage

Wayne Lusvardi August 21, 2014

There was a lot of hoopla last week over the California Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown putting a bipartisan water bond on the Nov. 4 ballot that, for the first time in nearly 50 years, actually includes storage. Proposition 1 would

Prop. 1 bond funds non-water bureaucracy

Wayne Lusvardi August 18, 2014

Proposition 1, the new $7.5 billion water bond just passed by the Legislature, contains water storage in an statewide bond for the first time since 1965. It will go before voters on Nov. 4. The previous 21 water bonds

High-speed rail opponents file for rehearing

Kathy Hamilton August 18, 2014

On Aug. 14, the three litigants in the case to halt California’s high-speed rail project, Kings County and two local residents, filed a Petition for Rehearing. They challenged the July 31 ruling against them by Sacramento’s 3rd District Court

Legislature passes first water storage bond in 50 years

Wayne Lusvardi August 14, 2014

With the drought still drying up the state, the California Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown Wednesday poured out a $7.5 billion water bond that includes $2.7 billion for water storage. If voters give their approval this November, this will

Feds abdicate on own rules for CA bullet train $

Chris Reed August 14, 2014

The Obama administration has given the state $3.5 billion in funds for its bullet train project. But the 2009 stimulus funds that were the source of most of the federal bequest came with lots of strings attached, as is common

Water bond deal reached

John Seiler August 13, 2014

Writing Wednesday afternoon, a deal just was reached among Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic and Republican leaders in the Legislature on a water bond for the November ballot, costing $7.5 billion. It would replace Proposition 43, the $11.1 billion bond currently in place. The

Did Caltrans cover up shoddy work on Bay Bridge?

Joseph Perkins August 12, 2014

Douglas Coe, an engineer under the employ of the California Department of Transportation, spent years working on the retrofit of the eastern span of the Bay Bridge between Oakland and San Francisco. When the 25-year Caltrans veteran told his