Between Two Shovels with Derek Minnema

Derek Minnema

Between Two Shovels is an executive-level transportation podcast on turning policy and funding into reality hosted by the Capital SouthEast Connector JPA in California. Senior guests include DOTs, counties, cities, contractors, engineering firms, trucking, and supply chains—including Illinois RTBA, Texas DOT, and Caltrans. California contractors, union laborers, supply chain advisors, and the California Trucking Association share candid lessons. Expect practical, accountable insight on cost, schedule, risk, and delivery that safeguards public dollars and improves mobility.

  1. 2d ago

    Between Two Shovels Ep.27: Clifton Taylor - The Real Economics of Land Development

    Clifton Taylor is President of Taylor Builders, a company he and his wife founded eight and a half years ago. Since then they have delivered over 10,000 housing units across Northern California and built roughly $750 million in infrastructure improvements. He is also past chair of the North State Building Industry Association and co-owner of the Lincoln Potters, a collegiate wood bat baseball team in downtown Lincoln. In this episode of Between Two Shovels, we sit down with Clifton for an honest conversation about what land development actually looks like in Northern California right now. The real math behind housing affordability. Why public pensions are demanding the highest returns in real estate. How rural roads in Placer County became de facto regional highways. Why specialty infrastructure timelines have stretched to 24 months. What is taking shape at Placer One. And why Sacramento, Placer, and Yolo need to start thinking about transportation funding as a regional problem, not a county-by-county one. Chapters: 0:00 Placer County Growth: Housing, Rural Roads, Public Pensions & NorCal's First Surf Lagoon 10:30 Placer County's Rural Roads Are Becoming Highways: Threatening Safety and Housing Growth 13:45 Why Specialized Infrastructure Projects Now Take 24 Months to Build in California 15:30 Is Sacramento Losing to the Bay Area? A Homebuilder's Honest Answer 19:30 Why Transportation Infrastructure and Land Use Planning Are Critical to Placer One's Growth 27:00 Placer County Development Boom: Placer One Homes, Sac State Campus & Surf Lagoon 29:00 Why Sacramento, Placer and Yolo Need a Regional Transportation Funding Strategy Guest: Clifton Taylor, President at Taylor Builders Between Two Shovels is produced by the Capital SouthEast Connector Joint Powers Authority and explores transportation policy, engineering, and project delivery through conversations with industry leaders. Title: Between Two Shovels Ep.27: Clifton Taylor - The Real Economics of Land Development

  2. Jul 6

    Between Two Shovels Ep.26: James Corless - Why Sacramento Must Think Like One Region

    James Corless has spent nine years as Executive Director of SACOG, the regional planning agency for the greater six-county Sacramento area. Before that he was in Washington D.C. fighting to keep federal infrastructure funding alive through the Tea Party era. In this episode of Between Two Shovels, Derek Minnema sits down with James for a wide-ranging conversation about what regional planning actually takes. How MPOs work and why they were created. What it took to build consensus across 28 cities and counties. How Green Means Go went from a $100 million regional idea to a $600 million statewide program. What the upcoming federal transportation reauthorization means for Sacramento. And why James believes midsize regions like Sacramento are about to carry the next 50 years in America. Chapters: 0:00 What Is a Metropolitan Planning Organization? How MPOs Coordinate Regional Transportation 3:32 The Fear That Got Infrastructure Into the State of the Union5:20 How 70,000 Deficient Bridges Shaped America's Infrastructure Funding Debate 12:00 Inside SACOG's Sacramento Blueprint: Infrastructure, Housing & Regional Growth Challenges 18:00 How Regional Planning Builds Consensus Across 28 Cities and Counties Through Listening 28:00 Sacramento Housing Crisis: Green Means Go, Infill Development & Infrastructure Funding 55:00 Sacramento Region on the Rise: Midsize Cities, Housing & Transportation Future Between Two Shovels is produced by the Capital SouthEast Connector Joint Powers Authority and explores transportation policy, engineering, and project delivery through conversations with industry leaders. Guest: James Corless, Executive Director at SACOG Title: Between Two Shovels Ep.26: James Corless - Why Sacramento Must Think Like One Region

  3. Jun 23

    Between Two Shovels Ep.25: Nancy Miller - The Truth About California High-Speed Rail

    California high-speed rail has been called a train to nowhere and a budget disaster. Nancy Miller, Vice Chair of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, has heard every version of that argument. She has also been on the board since 2017, guiding the project through lawsuits, funding gaps, route changes, and two very different presidential administrations.In this episode of Between Two Shovels, Derek Minnema sits down with Nancy for one of the most candid conversations about this project you will find anywhere. How the authority is structured, why costs have climbed since 2008, what 19 lawsuits actually did to the timeline, and what the real plan is to get this thing finished. Chapters:0:00 Trailer0:28 Answering the Biggest Criticism of California High-Speed Rail11:08 California High-Speed Rail Is Preparing to Lay Its First 119 Miles of Track12:25 The Real Reason California High-Speed Rail Got So Expensive12:25 Why California High-Speed Rail Costs Rose: Bonds, Lawsuits, Steel and Labor18:20 How California Plans to Actually Finish High-Speed Rail39:30 California High-Speed Rail: A Futurist Vision for the Region Between Two Shovels is produced by the Capital SouthEast Connector Joint Powers Authority and explores transportation policy, engineering, and project delivery through conversations with industry leaders. Guest: Nancy Miller, Vice Chair at California High-Speed Rail AuthorityTitle: Between Two Shovels Ep.25: Nancy Miller - The Truth About California High-Speed Rail

  4. Jun 15

    Between Two Shovels Ep.24: Dave Bauer (President & CEO at ARTBA) - Inside the Build America 250 Act

    Just days after Congress released the Build America 250 Act, Derek Minnema sits down with ARTBA President and CEO Dave Bauer for a full breakdown of what is inside the bill, why it matters, and what it will take to get it across the finish line. Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction and welcome 0:24 - Initial reactions to the Build America 250 Act 2:01 - Why transportation reauthorization matters for everyday Americans 5:14 - The two numbers that drive everything in Washington: 218 and 60 8:05 - The road to reauthorization and the political landscape 13:55 - What ARTBA members need to know about the bill 15:32 - Formula funding increase and why it means faster project delivery 19:00 - Environmental review reforms and shorter page limits 20:30 - Bridge investment gets a 12% boost 22:09 - Sacramento bridges and the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse 27:23 - The new Surface Transportation Accelerator Grant program explained 32:29 - ARTBA's role and how members can get involved 37:12 - Final thoughts: what a signed bill means for the people who build America The federal highway program supports approximately 54% of all state DOT capital, roadway, and bridge improvements. This bill determines where that investment goes over the next five years and whether the momentum from 2021 continues. Subscribe to Between Two Shovels for more conversations on transportation policy, infrastructure investment, and the people building America's roads and bridges. Guest: Dave Bauer, President and CEO at ARTBA Title: Between Two Shovels Ep.24: Dave Bauer (ARTBA) - Inside the Build America 250 Act Between Two Shovels is produced by the Capital SouthEast Connector Joint Powers Authority and explores transportation policy, engineering, and project delivery through conversations with industry leaders.

  5. May 31

    Between Two Shovels Ep 23: Matt Lampa - Engineering a 34-Mile Expressway: Design Standards & Phasing

    Matt Lampa is the lead civil engineer on a 34-mile regional expressway. In this episode of Between Two Shovels, we walk through what it actually takes to design, fund, and deliver a corridor-level infrastructure project from inside a small public agency. The conversation covers Matt's path from baseball to civil engineering, the difference between working as a consultant versus managing one, how design standards like stopping sight distance and clear recovery zones directly affect safety, why phased implementation is the only realistic approach on a project of this scale, and what three segments currently in final design means for the region. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome Back and Episode Introduction  00:49 Matt's Background and Path to Civil Engineering  01:16 Majoring in Baseball and the Counselor's Challenge  02:38 Graduating from Sac State and First Job at Psomas  03:10 Land Development to Transportation Engineering  04:47 How Land Development Experience Applies Today  05:32 Baseball Lessons and the Discipline of Engineering  07:14 Leading a 34-Mile Corridor: What the Role Actually Looks Like  08:45 Consultant vs. Agency: What Changes When You Cross the Table  10:19 Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Federal Coordination  10:52 Design Standards for a Modern Expressway  11:55 Design Speed, Right of Way Width and What Makes an Expressway Different  13:08 Geometry, Stopping Sight Distance and Clear Recovery Zones  14:34 Why It Has Nothing to Do With Your Car  15:22 Poor Geometry, Accidents and Fatalities on Existing Segments  16:38 Caltrans Involvement and Local Assistance  18:38 How Caltrans Districts Work and What District 3 Covers  20:00 Phased Implementation, Logical Termini and Independent Utility  23:02 Maximizing Funding and Minimizing Throwaway Work  24:10 Three Guiding Principles: Safety, Funding, Environmental Impact  25:46 Project Update: Grant Line, White Rock and Cosumnes Road  27:04 What Matt Wants the Public to Know  28:31 Over $200 Million in Capital Assets in the Ground  29:29 What Derek Is Working On Right Now  30:32 Public Engagement Through Long Form Interviews Subscribe to Between Two Shovels for conversations with the people building, funding, and planning infrastructure across California and beyond. Between Two Shovels is produced by the Capital SouthEast Connector Joint Powers Authority and explores transportation policy, engineering, and project delivery through conversations with industry leaders. Guest: Matt Lampa, Lead Civil Engineer, Capital SouthEast Connector JPA

  6. May 4

    Between Two Shovels Ep 22: Chris Cox - Wetlands, Mitigation Costs & Development Challenges

    Chris Cox is a land planner, landscape architect, and development consultant who helps property owners, builders, and developers unlock the potential of their land through feasibility, permitting, and compliance. In this episode of Between Two Shovels, we dig into what it actually takes to develop property along the Capital SouthEast Connector corridor, from wetland constraints and California tiger salamander mitigation to access control, utility planning, and the rising cost of environmental compliance in Sacramento County. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Chris Cox Background 00:53 68 Miles of Frontage and What Landowners Are Asking 02:30 Wetlands Everywhere: The First Thing to Check on Grant Line 03:45 California Tiger Salamander and the Major Core Recovery Area 04:04 No Driveways on an Expressway: Access Control Explained 05:45 Finding Mitigation Land Is Getting Harder 06:10 Mitigation Costs: From $300K to $1 Million Per Acre 07:30 Multiple Species, Multiple Mitigation Locations 08:00 South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan and the JPA's Role 09:30 Housing Demand, Interest Rates and the 2025 Market 10:45 Utilities Along the Corridor: SMUD, Water and Sewer 14:00 Cost Sharing Agreements and Economies of Scale 16:00 How JPA Environmental Coverage Relates to Adjacent Properties 18:30 General Plan Adoption and Development Consistency 20:00 Sphere of Influence, Annexations and Comment Letters 22:00 Folsom Master Plan and Seamless Corridor Integration 24:59 River Rock Casino, the Grant Line Interchange and Elk Grove Growth 27:30 Kammerer Road Extension: Federal Funds, Wetlands and the Road to I-5 31:05 68 Miles of Frontage and How the JPA Can Help Landowners Navigate the Process Subscribe to Between Two Shovels for conversations with the people building, funding, and planning infrastructure across California and beyond. Between Two Shovels is produced by the Capital SouthEast Connector Joint Powers Authority and explores transportation policy, engineering, and project delivery through conversations with industry leaders. Guest: Chris Cox, Principal Land Development Consultant, specializing in finding ROI for property owners and developers.

  7. Apr 20

    Between Two Shovels Ep 21: John Merchant - Roads, Evacuation, & Growth in SE Sacramento County

    John Merchant has lived in Rancho Murieta for 40 years. In this episode of Between Two Shovels, he sits down with Derek Minnema to talk through what four decades of growth in southeast Sacramento County actually looks like from the ground, and why the roads connecting his community to the rest of the region have not kept pace. The conversation covers the deteriorating state of Scott Road and Grant Line Boulevard, the fire and flood risks facing Rancho Murieta, why a community of 6,000 people already cannot evacuate safely, and what it means to keep approving development without a serious conversation about emergency access. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:58 40 Years in Rancho Murieta and the Stoplight Count 04:27 Scott Road, Grant Line, and a Million Trips a Year 05:34 Island of Urbanization Explained 05:57 Urban Services Boundary and Fire Risk 09:21 Development Pressure and Insurance Pullout 13:36 If We Can't Get 6,000 People Out, How Do We Get 8,000 Out? 15:02 Paradise, Maui, and Los Angeles: The Names That Changed the Conversation 16:39 Two Kinds of Disaster: Flood and Fire 19:36 What the County Study Needs to Solve 21:22 Why a Two Lane Road Is Not Enough 22:57 We Need a Real Grown-Up Route 23:59 The Landfill Road and the Case for Four Lanes 26:24 How the $25 Million Federal Grant Will Be Used 31:03 Three Floods Since 1986 and the Call to Action 33:53 Closing and What Comes Next Subscribe to Between Two Shovels for conversations with the people building, funding, and planning infrastructure across California and beyond. Between Two Shovels is produced by the Capital SouthEast Connector Joint Powers Authority and explores transportation policy, engineering, and project delivery through conversations with industry leaders. Guest: John Merchant Title: Between Two Shovels EP 21: John Merchant - Roads, Evacuation, and Growth in Southeast Sacramento County

  8. Apr 7

    Between Two Shovels Ep 20: Steve Borroum - Former Caltrans Chief Engineer on VMT & Air Quality Truth

    From forming one of the nation's first MPOs in Las Vegas to serving as Caltrans' Chief Environmental Engineer, Steve Borroum has spent decades at the intersection of transportation, air quality, and land use policy. In this episode, he breaks down what the data actually says about Vehicle Miles Traveled, why induced demand isn't the full story, and what really drives traffic growth. Steve's career spans creating the first regional development fee program in the country, shaping national air quality conformity regulations, and helping lift a court-ordered development moratorium in El Dorado County. He was also instrumental in the early vision for the Capital Southeast Connector. Chapters:00:00 Intro and Background02:21 Starting the Las Vegas MPO05:05 The First Regional Development Fee Program07:03 Working for Caltrans as Chief Environmental Engineer07:54 Shaping National Air Quality Conformity Rules11:03 El Dorado County and the Development Stop Order14:05 The Origins of the Capital Southeast Connector17:05 The Real Story Behind VMT23:00 Induced Demand — What the Data Actually Shows31:39 Why VMT Per Capita Has Been Flat Since 199034:10 What Actually Changes VMT36:04 Clean the Tailpipe: The Path Forward38:12 Closing Thoughts on Job-Housing Balance Subscribe to Between Two Shovels for conversations with the people building, moving, and funding infrastructure across California and beyond. Guest: Steve Borroum, Former Chief Environmental Engineer, Caltrans Between Two Shovels is produced by the Capital SouthEast Connector Joint Powers Authority and explores transportation policy, engineering, and project delivery through conversations with industry leaders.

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Between Two Shovels is an executive-level transportation podcast on turning policy and funding into reality hosted by the Capital SouthEast Connector JPA in California. Senior guests include DOTs, counties, cities, contractors, engineering firms, trucking, and supply chains—including Illinois RTBA, Texas DOT, and Caltrans. California contractors, union laborers, supply chain advisors, and the California Trucking Association share candid lessons. Expect practical, accountable insight on cost, schedule, risk, and delivery that safeguards public dollars and improves mobility.

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