Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • May 7, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 11 FOCUS PDS has been meeting the needs of the construction industry since 1965. Our dedicated team of design and construction professionals welcomes the challenge of serving its past and future customers on their most demanding projects. Webster Bank | Bridgeport and Norwalk, CT PDS Engineering & Construction served as General Contractor for two new free standing bank facilities for Webster Bank in Fairfi eld County. The Bridgeport branch included mechanical, electrical, plumbing, millwork, ceramic fl oor & tile, metal fabrication, rough carpentry, doors & hardware, aluminum framed entrances, and gypsum board. The Norwalk branch required heavy site work and demolition to remove the original apartment building maintained on the property. Combined Project Size: 9,000 SF 107 Old Windsor Road, Bloomfi eld, CT 06002 (860) 242-8586 | Fax (860) 242-8587 www.pdsec.com DESIGN BUILDERS • GENERAL CONTRACTORS • CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS SPOTLIGHT ON: B F PDS ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION, INC. THINK • PLAN • BUILD conducted by HNTB Corp. show 72 percent of Americans support tolls to fund transportation projects that can reduce time stuck in traffic. And 84 percent of Americans are willing to pay tolls, and more in taxes, if funds are guaranteed by law for use only toward transportation infrastructure spending. Now under consideration in Con- necticut, tolling provides infrastruc- ture funding in 37 states, including all of Connecticut's neighbors. Many of these states have found tolls can be sources of long-term revenue funding decades of maintenance and op- erations, system improvements and other critical transportation projects in growing metropolitan areas. Today's tolling technology pro- vides many advances including the automation of the toll collection process and eliminating the need to stop at a tollbooth, which facilitates traffic flow while lessening pollution from idling vehicles. Transportation infrastructure is a complex network, a resource that has received significant investments over the years. Maintaining this as- set through thoughtful management includes recognition of on-going support in the form of sustainable investment funding, sound planning and prioritization that reflects a community's values. The system of roads and other transit modes delivers people to jobs, and goods and materials to manu- facturers, distributors and retailers, enabling the economy to grow and thrive while servicing the people of the Nutmeg State. Carrie Rocha is the Connecticut office leader and a vice president of HNTB Corp., a national infrastructure solutions firm. various new roadside technologies, but none are compatible with Hart- ford's current equipment. Some cities, for example, are testing roadside equipment that automatically identifies a mo- torist's license plate informa- tion and instant- ly deducts from their preferred mobile payment service when they park. Affordability Gomes said parkers can expect affordable parking under his leadership. City leaders require HPA to provide low-cost parking throughout Hartford. One prime example is the city-owned parking near Dunkin' Donuts Park at 1212 Main St. and the recently expanded lot at 58 Chapel St. For $5 a day, the surface lots pit drivers next to the Hartford Yard Goats' ballpark and a few blocks from downtown. These low parking rates, Gomes says, are unseen at minor league parks across the region. "$5 a day makes sense to me when people are parking," said Gomes, whose agency recorded $7.4 million in revenue in 2017. "It provides not only a shot in the arm for the city but for the people coming to see games." Hartford has almost 50 publicly- and privately-owned garages and surface lots dedicated to parkers throughout the city. Hartford's current parking allot- ment meets the local need, Gomes said, but the city could use more spaces as it works to attract new businesses and residents downtown. Homecoming In a career that has included numerous man- agement posi- tions, Gomes, who resided in Hartford for 20 years, has pro- fessional history that brims with experience in logistics, ware- housing and distribution. He's an immigrant from Portugal who moved to the U.S. with his parents in 1959, graduated from Hartford Public High School. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration and management from New Haven's Albertus Magnus College, where he studied in the eve- nings as an adult. Before LEGO, Gomes held several positions at Excel, Ryder and worked nine years at Philips Electronics. He said he always intended to work in his adopted city, but the industries he toiled in did not afford him the opportunity, until now. "I'm honored to be here in Hartford and glad that I have the opportunity to serve," he said. The city of Hartford updated its curbside payment kiosks with new technology. HBJ PHOTO | JOE COOPER Looking to create a custom publication? Let us take care of it for you. ADVERTISING@HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM WWW.HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM/CUSTOMPUBLISHING 860.236.9998 Whether it's the celebration of a major anniversary or the opening of a new headquarters, Hartford Business Journal's Custom Publishing Division can help you create a custom magazine for your business. Our division's top fl ight team of writers and designers can help you tell your story – and make your business look great! Based on our unique publishing model, it's surprisingly affordable. CALL TODAY!

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