"The collapse of political support for toll financing in Texas may have been a factor in the closure URS Traffic and Revenue forecasting business."

URS out of traffic and revenue business - clients

6/5/08

Peter Samuel
TOLLROADSnews
Copyright 2008

Once one of the big three in the US - Vollmer and Wilbur Smith were the other two - URS is getting out of the traffic and revenue forecasting business. We have this from a couple of major clients of URS, but calls to URS itself have gone unanswered. Twice we left messages: "We hear you're out of the traffic and revenue business. Please call us on this."

They still claim on their website to be a leading source of advice:

"URS has established an international reputation as one of the leading consultants in toll financing. URS reports are fully acceptable to the financial community and rating agencies. In illustration of this, URS staff periodically gives seminars on toll road traffic and revenue forecasting to staffs of the three rating agencies.

"Services include:

Traffic and revenue forecasts

Reports for financing

Engineering Designs and Inspections

Trustee-Services-Operational, Financial, Engineering and Traffic Reviews

Public/Private partnerships..."

see

http://www.urscorp.com/URS_Division/indexSS.php?section=080703

Two established clients of URS traffic and revenue work told us independently that URS said after they finish up their present jobs they'll be taking on no new T&R work.

URS is a huge engineering firm with some 50k employees, offices in 34 countries and revenues of $5.4b. Publicly traded (NYSE:URS) it has its head office in downtown San Francisco.

It recently took over Washington Group.

URS's greatest strength in traffic and revenue work was in the US south. The collapse of political support for toll financing in Texas may have been a factor in the closure of their T&R work.

© 2008 TOLLROADSnews www.tollroadsnews.com

To search TTC News Archives click HERE

To view the Trans-Texas Corridor Blog click HERE