Construction companies tend to prioritize proven approaches over experimentation, which often results in a slower adoption of efficiency-boosting technologies and building advancements (Europe seems to be less pronounced on this). Additionally, the fragmented nature of the industry, with its reliance on numerous small firms and subcontractors, further complicates the widespread implementation of innovative practices. As a result, construction continues to lag behind other sectors in modernization and productivity.
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Oh yeah… in that case, it’s got to be that, but worse; the New Bern segment had to have cost estimates finalized back in 2019, when the FTA announced the initial rating for our grant application.
And before anyone asks: yes, those numbers are “YOE” (Year of Expenditure) instead of 2019 dollars. Obviously, those numbers use inflation rates estimates made in 2019 for the year 2023 (which would be inaccurate for obvious reasons) - yet, that’s what the FTA had to use when they sent Congress its list of projects to fund using the 2022 budget. This is why, when we won our money that August, the matching grant was based on the pre-pandemic calculations. Unfortunately, this means that if we wanted to make up for that additional inflation without spending any more local money, we’re shit out of luck unless Congress stages a divine intervention.
I had a gut feeling about this, but it’s definitely one of those things that’s sad when you have your biggest concerns validated 
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It already does. Driven around Apex, Fuquay, and Holly Springs lately?
I am feeling riled up after this second round RFP for the New Bern BRT failed. Is anyone interested in starting a pro BRT advocacy group to push for progress and a well done BRT?
I would be up for the city hiring a team to start building station themselves at this point.
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They need to abandon the stretch of BRT beyond 440. This is one of the major cost components and will only delay the routes. If the BRT line calls for more service towards the tower shopping center, then build a phase 2.
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Take the savings and start the western route
Or better yet, immediately yesterday start a frequent connection between DTR and North Hills
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You need a consultant to do that lol
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I’m with you. I see this on the agenda for tomorrow’s council meeting. It’s definitely time for council to light a fire under the city manager. I’d like to know what can be done outside of this bid process as well as what has been done for over a year on the project.
Kind of embarrassing, and we need to stop doing this, to have a ground breaking for something that doesn’t even have a contractor. Here we are over a year later and there’s nothing to show for it.
https://go.boarddocs.com/nc/raleigh/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=DC4NDW5F7E52
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I think the main problem is the most obvious thing, no NC based firm believes that they are capable of doing this project correctly since this is like a foreign language to them. Is it a State or City law requiring projects to only be done by NC based contractors?
Wanna get real pissed ? Think about the fact that the company who built the Pulse project in Richmond - Lane Construction (outta Fairfax VA) is working on both complete 540 and the Beltline projects as we speak… 
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What was it about the city insisting on a local/in-state contractor? Seems like a “good idea” gone awry. That’s an own goal to me.
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Do not understand the desire for the contractor(s) to be NC based. This is unnecessarily restricting the qualified bidders pool.
Raleigh Council briefly flirted with a “Raleigh-only” concept for municipal design services in the 80’s I believe along with some sentiment for the same homer approach on the other side of the Triangle.
However all were quickly dissuaded from that approach by the design community itself that wanted (and needed) to practice with no artificial boundaries as to service areas.
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Unless there is some incentive, it doesn’t make sense. It’s almost like the “local” produce argument. One hour drive north you’ll be in VA, 2 hours south you’ll be in SC. But 4-5 hours West your still in NC.
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farm to table bus rapid transit
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Why can this region not get their act together around mass transit?
Orange County light rail fiasco…
Commuter rail fiasco…
Raleigh BRT fiasco…
Different agencies I know. But there seems to be a common theme. We just keep fumbling the execution. Very frustrating.
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What’s the source on the NC based contractor requirement? I’ve seen it raised a couple of times but can’t find anything official that lays it out. Unless we’re talking about the requirement to be licensed in the state, which is standard for basically every construction project regardless of scope or locale.
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Good question. Seemed to be treated as fact during a June discussion in this thread.
In August, someone reporting an update after discussion with a staff member at the South Street open house included the phrase “Since N.C. doesn’t have BRT and we want to use NC contractors, this will be the contractor’s first BRT project.”
But I cannot find any info outside this forum to confirm that is a component of the bidding process. The only bidder to previously submit was local, but outside budget.
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I tried to look that up because I got suspicious about that assumption, too, but I couldn’t find it… The closest reasoning I could come up with was that someone may have misunderstood these two posts from @RaleighRob, and the rest of us somehow ran with it?
Then again, even if the facts don’t match up with the complaints, I think the underlying suspicion about scope creep is real. The state and feds do ask for certain requirements (e.g. setting aside particular amounts of the budget for “what if” situations, using a certain percentage of MWBE contractors or subcontractors) in big public works projects. Every additional layer that gets tacked on does make it harder to solicit and award a good bid.
(And even if the construction companies behind Richmond’s Pulse BRT, Atlanta’s upcoming BRT etc. did know about the Raleigh project and internally discussed the idea, it’s also not like they’re obligated to submit bids and stay in the BRT business, too…)
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I could’ve sworn that I also heard it mentioned by a city council member too during a meeting last year.
How many cities have construction as a division? If the entire BRT system will take 30+ years to build wouldn’t it be cheaper and easier to have a dedicated crew in-house?
I get that if this was a one off but there’s 4+ lines plus extensions planned. There’s nothing temporary about the need for construction crews.
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