Reston Spring

Reston Spring
Reston Spring

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Knik Arm bridge debate runs into Senate roadblocks, Anchorage Daily News, March 27, 2012

This Anchorage Daily News article reports Alaskan Senate concerns about the traffic and revenue forecasts by CDM Smith--formerly Wilbur Smith & Associates--for the Knik Arm Bridge connecting Anchorage to Mat-Su.  The article highlights issues about its use of socio-economic projections and its spotty record elsewhere in providing accurate forecasts.  It may be a lesson we need to appreciate if Dulles Toll Road tolls are expected to be the principal source of funds for the Silver Line since CDM Smith and its predecessor have made similar forecasts here. 
By LISA DEMER
Legislation to push along the billion-dollar Knik Arm bridge is encountering trouble in the state Senate though it cleared a key House committee last week.

The bridge is "a mega-project" and backers should be coming forward with more detailed financial information, Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, told bridge supporters testifying Monday.
Senators on the Finance Committee are raising concerns about how the project will be financed, the amount of state subsidies needed, and whether consultants on the project have provided accurate projections of traffic and population growth. . . .
Click here for the rest of this comprehensive news report.  

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