When a favored contractor gets in early, project scope can be redesigned around that firm’s capabilities (e.g., smaller, cheaper tunnels) rather than the engineering studies’ requirements. Officials then commission 'pilot' studies that mirror the vendor’s proposal, creating path dependence and de facto preselection before open procurement.
— This reframes infrastructure debates around procurement capture, where engineering outcomes and risk tolerance are quietly set by vendor influence rather than public need.
by Taylor Kate Brown for ProPublica
2025.09.17
70% relevant
Rep. Wesley Hunt’s behind‑the‑scenes pitching of Boring Co. and the firm’s narrower spec proposal illustrate a vendor shaping the project envelope before open selection, risking a path‑dependent redesign around the bidder’s capabilities.
by Yilun Cheng, Houston Chronicle
2025.09.12
82% relevant
The Boring Company lobbied officials and pitched 12‑foot tunnels under Buffalo Bayou, while experts say effective flood tunnels must be 30–40 feet; this is a textbook case of a vendor shaping scope around its capability, risking path‑dependent under‑design. Rep. Wesley Hunt’s facilitation of meetings amplifies vendor preselection dynamics.
by Lauren McGaughy, The Texas Newsroom, and Yilun Cheng, Houston Chronicle
2025.08.28
100% relevant
Boring Co. and Rep. Wesley Hunt pushed 12‑foot flood tunnels; Harris County soon studied a pilot with similar smaller specifications despite prior 30–40‑foot designs.
Ed Knight
2025.05.19
50% relevant
Both pieces show how pre-baked tools (specifications or cost models) can predetermine outcomes and justify poor procurement choices; the article describes bureaucrats leaning on parametric models to hit political numbers, akin to redesigning scope around a preferred vendor’s capabilities.