Committee Leadership Comes into Focus for 116th Congress
editor@aashto.org December 7, 2018 0 COMMENTSCongressional transportation committee leadership is poised to change come January following the results of the midterm elections on Nov. 6, which gave control of the U.S. House of Representatives back to the Democrats while keeping the Senate in Republican hands. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., will become chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, while […]
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Interstate System Report Calls for More Funding, Tolling, VMT Fees, and Cybersecurity
editor@aashto.org December 7, 2018 0 COMMENTSA consensus study report issued by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on Dec. 6 recommends an annual investment of $57 billion in the U.S. interstate system, a near-term increase in federal fuel taxes indexed to inflation and accounting improvements in vehicle fuel mileage, plus a long-term changeover to tolling and vehicle miles […]
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In Memoriam: President George H. W. Bush, ISTEA, and Transportation
editor@aashto.org December 7, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe funeral service for President H. W. George Bush, held Dec. 5 in the nation’s capital, evoked many memories of the 41st president’s one term in office – especially his impact on transportation, via the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. [Above photo by Master Sgt. Amaani Lyle, Air Force District of Washington Public Affairs.] On the […]
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Growth Projected for Transportation Projects, but Costs a Challenge
editor@aashto.org December 7, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe U.S. transportation infrastructure market is expected to grow 4.2 percent in 2019, according to the annual economic forecast released Dec. 5 by the American Road &Transportation Builders Association. Yet a report issued by Fitch Ratings, also on Dec. 5, cautioned that “external factors” such as “protectionist trade policies, rising interest rates and volatility in fuel […]
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FAA Reshuffles Executives, Plans Drone Identification Rulemaking in Spring 2019
editor@aashto.org December 7, 2018 0 COMMENTSAs the Federal Aviation Administration prepares to issue a long-awaited rulemaking regarding the identification and tracking of unmanned aerial system or UAS devices, typically called drones, the agency is changing up its leadership ranks. [Above photo by Andrew Turner.] On Nov. 29, the FAA promoted Earl Lawrence to executive director for aircraft certification, succeeding Dorenda […]
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Predictive Technology Helps Reduce Crashes on I-15 Corridor in Las Vegas
editor@aashto.org December 7, 2018 0 COMMENTSA pilot program that combines in-vehicle and city data with predictive analytics has reduced primary crashes by 17 percent along a key corridor of Interstate 15 in Las Vegas — without requiring any additional resources from state or local agencies,according to a statement by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada. [Above photo by Nevada […]
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Video Report: MoDOT Produces Multi-Lingual Safety Message
editor@aashto.org December 7, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe Missouri Department of Transportation recently tried something new to draw attention to its two-year-old Buckle Up Phone Down safety campaign that encourages drivers to buckle their seat belts every time they get in the car and to put their cellphones down or turn them off if necessary when driving: producing a two-and-a-half-minute video emphasizing […]
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PennDOT Nears Completion of Rapid Bridge Replacement Project
editor@aashto.org December 7, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe Pennsylvania Department of Transportation noted in a Nov. 30 update that 511 of 558 “poor-condition” bridges statewide have now been replaced and opened to traffic via the state’s public-private partnership or P3 Rapid Bridge Replacement project. [Above photo by PennDOT.] “This unique project has been a large undertaking for PennDOT and the private sector […]
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Infrastructure Grants Awarded to “Smaller” South Dakota Communities
editor@aashto.org December 7, 2018 0 COMMENTSOn Nov. 30, the South Dakota Transportation Commission awarded $4.7 million in economic development grants for infrastructure improvements in “smaller” communities – grants aimed at improving roads leading to schools, main business areas, hospitals, grain elevators, and other economic areas in the communities. [Above photo by Collen Farley, South Dakota DOT.] The agency said the grants […]
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State DOT CEOs Discuss Transportation Funding at TRB Annual Meeting
editor@aashto.org January 18, 2019 0 COMMENTSA panel of six state department of transportation executives delved into some of the issues surrounding U.S. surface transportation funding during the 2019 Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. [Left to right in above photo: Shawn Wilson (seated), Carlos Braceras (standing), Russell McMurry, Pete Rahn, Brian Ness, Kyle Schneweis.] Sponsored by the American Association […]
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State DOT Executives Delve into Workforce Issues at TRB Annual Meeting
editor@aashto.org January 18, 2019 0 COMMENTSNew tactics are being deployed by several state departments of transportation to address the growing difficulties in recruiting and retaining workers across a number of disciplines, from engineering and finance to entry-level labor and equipment maintenance positions. [Left to right in above photo: Roger Millar, Mike Patterson, Scott Bennett, and John Schroer.] “One of things […]
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Video: Transportation Secretary Chao Discusses New Drone Protocols at TRB Annual Meeting
editor@aashto.org January 18, 2019 0 COMMENTSElaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, highlighted several new drone-related regulatory efforts initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration this week during a speech at the 2019 Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The first of those proposed regulations would allow drones to fly overnight and over people without waivers, if certain conditions are […]
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Building Extreme Weather Resilience into Transportation Asset Management Programs
editor@aashto.org January 18, 2019 0 COMMENTSSix states are wrapping up Federal Highway Administration-sponsored projects examining weather resilience strategies for their highway infrastructure, with the agency expecting reports on their research to be filed sometime in February; reports FHWA then plans to publish in a resilience “guidebook” later this year. [Above photo by Elissa Jun from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.] […]
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GHSA Report Says Speeding a ‘Persistent Factor’ in a Third of Motor Vehicle Fatalities
editor@aashto.org January 18, 2019 0 COMMENTSA new 35-page report from the Governors Highway Safety Association identifies “excessive vehicle speed” as a persistent factor in nearly one-third of all motor vehicle-related fatalities and particularly threatens the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists by not only increasing the chances of a crash, but also increasing the risk of serious injury or death when crashes occur. […]
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Trump Administration Re-Submits Transportation Nominations; House Sets T&I Committee Rosters
editor@aashto.org January 18, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe White House re-filed several nominations for transportation-related posts made during the 115th Congress who remained unconfirmed by the Senate following the close of that session. Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, Democrat and Republican rosters were set for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure The Trump administration submitted in excess of 100 nominations on […]
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Bright Tapped to Lead Tennessee DOT; NACTO’s Bailey Joins DDOT
editor@aashto.org January 18, 2019 0 COMMENTSGov.-elect Bill Lee nominated H. Clay Bright III (above at right) to be the next commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation on Jan. 15 – a nomination that must be approved by the state’s legislature – while District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser hired Linda Bailey (above at left), currently the executive director of […]
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Missouri’s Governor Puts $351M Worth of Bridge Spending in 2020 Budget
editor@aashto.org January 18, 2019 0 COMMENTSGovernor Michael Parson (R) highlighted what he called several “long-term investments” in Missouri’s transportation infrastructure during his first “State of the State Address” on Jan. 16. [Above photo by Missouri DOT.] The biggest piece of that infrastructure plan is $351 million set aside in the state’s fiscal year 2020 budget for the Missouri Department of […]
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New Advocacy Group Pushes for More Road Funding in Ohio
editor@aashto.org January 18, 2019 0 COMMENTSLocal government officials, local chambers of commerce, and local transportation groups are working together as part of a new advocacy organization to increase Ohio’s state fuel tax and impose a fee on alternative fueled vehicles to help generate more transportation funding. [Above photo by Ohio DOT.] The new coalition, called Fix Our Roads Ohio, aims […]
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FHWA Letter Lays Out Rules for Oregon DOT Highway Tolling Initiative
editor@aashto.org January 18, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe Federal Highway Administration outlined the federal requirements to implement tolls on interstate highways in a letter to the Oregon Transportation Commission and Oregon Department of Transportation on Jan. 8; a letter sent in response to their joint request to implement tolls on sections of Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 in order to manage traffic […]
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