Construction Administration Lecturer Matthew Neuringer was joined by Dr. Morteza Farajian, Executive Director of the Build America Bureau, to discuss how the passing of the Infrastructure Act impacts the industry and the Bureau’s key priorities. The podcast discussion covers topics such as expanded loans for airport projects, creating a pool of advisors, value for money (VfM) analysis, and eligibility for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) projects.
Neuringer, a senior associate at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, began the discussion by reminding listeners that this legislation was historic. “We’re at a time in our history where we have one of the most significant infrastructure investment acts to have passed,” Neuringer said.
Neuringer and Dr. Farajian dove into the details on the implementation. “This is not just another type of reauthorization to build projects the way that we were building them in the past,” Dr. Farajian said. “It is a new era – it’s investing in transformative projects that would modernize U.S. infrastructure and get us ready for the future.”
This includes major investments in transit, railroad, and clean energy projects. Dr. Farajian also acknowledged the positive changes in the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) and Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) programs. Such changes include new annual budgets, expanded eligibility, and longer loan terms. In addition, Neuringer noted that the Build America Bureau will be able to provide grants and assistance through technical advisors. “It's definitely an important leap forward for the Bureau in helping really important and complicated projects get off the ground.”
Listen to the full Orrick Podcasts episode, “What Does the Infrastructure & Investment Act mean for U.S. DOT’s Build America Bureau?”
