As president of HNTB Holdings Ltd, Paul Yarossi serves on the company's board of directors and is responsible for overseeing and directing the firm's governance, capitalization strategy, compliance and audit functions, as well as its external and government relations.
Since joining in 1973, Yarossi has been involved with nearly every aspect of the firm. He served as officer-in-charge for several HNTB offices in New York and New Jersey, as chairman of HNTB's aviation services, and was instrumental in developing HNTB's training and development programs. He has been principal-in-charge of planning and design projects at airports throughout the northeastern United States.
Yarossi also serves in a number of high-level roles on behalf of the industry, which gives him a broad perspective of current relevant issues and trends. He is co-chair of the SAFETEA-LU Reauthorization Task Force on behalf of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), the U.S. transportation construction industry's representative in Washington, DC.
We’ve reached a total impasse to address our country’s infrastructure problems. It’s time to get over the repetitious, unproductive conversations underway and realize we aren’t going to find a free fix. The delays only increase costs, continue the deterioration of the transportation system, delay improvements that will make travel safer, and decrease employment in the construction industry. It’s time to address the problem. It’s easy to be against any funding option—increasing the gas tax, tolling, a vehicle miles tax, concessions and other viable ways to fund infrastructure maintenance and improvement. We have to ask if it’s important to have an… Read more
Not since the inception of the interstate system have the country’s growing transportation needs outweighed the available funding across the states. This challenge has created change among many entities in terms of their increasing reliance on consultants to deliver programs; consolidating and prioritizing programs; bringing in private dollars through P3s and using innovative techniques, such as design-build to deliver projects. Essentially, given the revenue and staff available, departments of transportation and transportation owners across the country cannot afford to maintain their existing transportation system let alone build new capacity within current funding levels. New and innovative ways to finance,… Read more
To meet the huge transportation infrastructure needs that beset our country, it is imperative for Washington to move quickly and pass Chairman Oberstar's proposal for a six-year program that will begin to address these critical needs in a meaningful, systematic way. The Chairman's bi-partisan proposal is the result of exhaustive investigations, hearings and studies into the direction of America's transportation system. The experienced leadership of the T&I committee, including Chairman Oberstar and ranking member Mica, is what gives me the confidence that the committee has, and will continue, to debate and agree on a sound proposal for the future. If we look at what has happened in the… Read more
Intelligent Transportation Systems are intended to make us a more mobile nation and a safer one. Like the creation of our Interstate Highway System more than 50 years ago, ITS will have a dramatic impact on our country’s transportation challenges and opportunities. Today, traffic congestion and highway safety are serious problems that affect our quality of life and our economy. In the future, cars will be equipped with all kinds of advanced sensors, computer processors, on-board displays and communications systems. In essence, the car will become part of an integrated network of connected vehicles and roadways with features like: • Cars… Read more
Already, the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates the annual cost of simply maintaining our current highway system is 12 percent more than the government is actually spending. The current administration cannot afford to limit its role in transportation policy but, instead, must prioritize interstate commerce and national security. It must develop a long-term vision, with multimodal infrastructure investments that go beyond the highway system and stretch our imaginations: an increased load of freight rail to minimize highway congestion, a national system of Critical Commerce Corridors as proposed by ARTBA that moves truck freight safely while separating it from passenger traffic,… Read more
P3s are an integral part of various funding options. They can be very helpful when applied to the right project. Equal partnering by all parties must be built into the assessment process. The transfer of an existing publicly-owned asset can be controversial, but P3's for new projects that would not otherwise be built for many years due to restricted funding have not been controversial and have been widely accepted. The operator must maintain a quality product and resulting dollars must go back to improving infrastructure. States need to work together on an agreed course of action, much like a business… Read more
Almost two years ago I provided testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and said, “There is no silver bullet that will solve these financial problems. However, new and innovative ways to finance, design, build, operate and maintain transportation facilities must be part of the solution.” Today, I remain steadfast in my belief that categorically rejecting any possible funding source, without ample investigation, is not in the best interest of transportation. Every available means, including VMT, which has been endorsed by many, must be on the table. Two congressional commissions and a… Read more
The issue is not how can we pay for it? It’s how can we not? Rebuilding infrastructure plays an important role in job creation and contributes to advancing business interests by providing for cost-effective movement of workers, raw materials and finished product. Finding projects that have the most benefit related to jobs, economic growth and global competitiveness will create the most return for the cost, therefore attracting funding support. Funding should consider all available public and private options in a business-like approach such as gas taxes, tolling, congestion pricing and public-private partnerships—options states are currently considering. The way out is… Read more
Now is not the time to be parochial. It will hurt the American recovery. Using the total capacity of the public and private sector, and moving quickly, is the only way to make this stimulus a success--not only for the industry, but for our economy as well. … Read more
“This is consistent with what we’ve been hearing the past couple of months. There are no real surprises. The stimulus numbers are representative of shovel-ready projects. This package should not interfere with the reauthorization of federal transportation funding this fall. The caution – funded projects must demonstrate a win-win-win – creating American jobs, using American products, providing economic benefit globally, but especially in the geographic regions where they are built. Every project must be judged on its own merit.”… Read more
Public transit supporters definitely have the clout to influence the next transportation bill. In no way will this effort to fund more public transit projects replace the much needed investment in maintaining and expanding our national highway system. What it will provide is an opportunity to better balance our investments. We are in a unique time in both our country’s history and globally—a time that demands a new paradigm of thinking and investment. There is pressure to invest in infrastructure improvements that will reduce carbon emissions, reduce dependency on foreign oil, create jobs and improve our quality of life. Investment in… Read more
First and foremost, this money must stay in the United States—a new “buy American" program. The stimulus must show immediate results. The first wave should fund “ready-to-go” infrastructure projects, those that can get people working in 60-90 days. The full capacity of our U.S. engineering and construction industries needs to be tapped to make this happen—construction organizations, governmental oversight and private sector program management, inspection and design. Until all resources are exhausted, the money should continue to flow. Prudent application of stimulus funds offers a triple win: Use the money for projects that have a direct, demonstrated benefit to the rebuilding of… Read more
It is difficult to deny the five most important items in the new transportation bill will be funding, environmental, freight system, safety and reorganization of the program. But there is one more item that hasn’t been mentioned that I think rises to the rank of the top five—we need to change the perception of the American public, politicians, the press and business. The publicity that followed the last reauthorization has done significant harm to this industry. Just a few days ago, I watched a debate on a stimulus package on one of the business networks. When asked about infrastructure the… Read more
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