Q: From your perspective, how is construction doing overall in New England? Where would it be without American Recovery and Reinvestment Act transportation funds?
A: Construction in New England, like the rest of the country, has struggled in the past year. There have been pockets of strength, such as the MassDOT Bridge Program and several large, federally funded projects. But overall, construction here has been affected by the national downturn. The ARRA transportation funds have helped that, particularly where municipalities and public agencies are investing in mass-transit, and bridge and roadway projects that are delivering vital infrastructure improvements and jobs.
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Q: You were honored for your three decades of work in promoting women and minorities in the transportation industry. What’s the single biggest change you’ve seen since entering this industry in 1979?
A: When I began my career, women had to prove their competence as compared to their male counterparts. Young women who are just starting out in their careers don’t face as much of a hurdle to do that today. This is, fundamentally, the biggest change I have seen. I began my career in the construction industry with Perini Corp., a private-sector construction firm, where in 1982 I became the first female superintendent in the company’s history. In 1985, after the birth of my first daughter, I was recruited by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority as its first female resident engineer and then rose through the ranks to become the first female project manager and director of design and construction. These days, you’ll find women in many top-level and managerial positions throughout the industry, but when I first started out, it was uncommon.
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Q: What’s the employment picture like going forward for women in the construction industry? Where are the jobs going to be? White collar? Blue collar?
A: The construction and transportation industries are a vital part of our economy and they will have a strong positive influence on job creation. I’m not an economist, but if you look at recent trends in the employment outlook, they suggest steady growth. For example, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts employment to increase by 17 percent from 2008 through 2018 in construction and building inspector occupations, and by 9 percent in rail occupations. McGraw-Hill Construction released its 2010 Construction Outlook which is predicting 11 percent overall growth in 2010, with 14 percent growth coming from public sector projects. I expect women will continue to play a significant role in all aspects of that growth.
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Q: Is transportation still a good field for women to pursue? What aspects of it might be better than others?
A: It’s a very exciting time for women to be in the transportation field. Transportation systems play a strong role in the local and national economies. Additionally, efficient transportation systems have far-reaching social and environmental benefits. Today, people want to be empowered to do all they can to diminish their environmental footprint. We have seen government at all levels echo this with legislation and research that promotes reinvestment in our country’s mass-transit systems.
Kleinfelder/S E A is currently designing 11 stations along a 9.4-mile busway for a new $500-million Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line that runs between New Britain and Hartford. It is the first of its kind in the state and was selected as the preferred alternative to the Connecticut DOT’s Hartford West Major Investment Study. The busway will offer drivers a public transportation alternative, reduce roadway congestion along I-84 and parallel arteries, improve the region’s air quality by reducing single-occupancy vehicles and connect communities to jobs.
The transportation industry today has changed. It’s no longer about connecting a highway from point A to point B. It’s about working with multiple stakeholders such as federal and state transportation agencies, regulatory and environmental agencies, and local governments, as well as community and special-interest groups to evaluate a variety of highway, bus, and transit options and select the best regional solution.
