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 DOTs Reiterate Benefits of TIM Training at Safety Summit
editor@aashto.org November 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe value of traffic incident management or TIM training is threefold from a state department of transportation perspective: saving time, money, and, most importantly, lives. That’s the argument Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, made at the third senior executive transportation and public safety summit sponsored by […]
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AASHTO Issues Second Coalition Rescission Repeal Letter
editor@aashto.org November 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is leading a 42-organization effort calling on Congress to repeal the impending $7.6 billion rescission of highway contract authority scheduled to occur July 1, 2020 as mandated by the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation or FAST Act. “This group of diverse national associations that support investment […]
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A new study conducted for the Port of Los Angeles and unveiled at a November 12 press event in Washington D.C. indicates that tariffs resulting from the ongoing trade war between the United States and China threatens nearly 1.5 million U.S. jobs and more than $186 billion of economic activity nationwide. Those tariffs are increasing […]
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The U.S. Department of Transportation officially announced it has awarded $900 million through its Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development or BUILD discretionary grants program to fund 55 transportation projects in 35 states on November 12. [Above photo by the USDOT.] In a statement, the agency said its fiscal year 2019 BUILD grants are targeted […]
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House T&I Amtrak Hearing Airs State-Level Rail Concerns
editor@aashto.org November 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSA wide-ranging House of Representatives Transportation & Infrastructure Committee hearing regarding Amtrak included growing concerns about the state-level impacts of the national passenger rail operator’s ongoing service cutbacks as part of a larger effort to reduce costs. [Above photo via Amtrak.] “Mr. [Richard] Anderson [president and CEO of Amtrak], all we are seeing are cuts. […]
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FRA Initiates Highway-Rail Crossing Action Plan Rulemaking
editor@aashto.org November 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe Federal Railroad Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking or NPRM on November 7 that would requiring 40 states and the District of Columbia to develop and implement highway-rail grade crossing action plans. That NPRM would also require 10 states previously required to develop highway-rail grade crossing action plans by the Rail Safety Improvement […]
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Virginia, Maryland Agree to Joint Bridge, Highway Effort
editor@aashto.org November 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSVirginia Governor Ralph Northam (D) (above at podium) and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) announced a bi-state, bipartisan accord on November 12 that seeks to create a new unified Capital Beltway (Interstate 495) highway system to replace the aging American Legion Bridge in part via public-private partnerships or P3s. [Above photo via the Virginia Governor’s […]
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The Ohio Department of Transportation received approval to invest an additional $398 million into new highway and road projects over the next four years; projects approved by its Transportation Review Advisory Council, known as TRAC, on November 6. [Above photo by the Ohio DOT.] “As Ohio’s economy continues to grow, we must be able to address […]
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California Offers New Funding for Housing, Transit, Active Transportation
editor@aashto.org November 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSSome $610 million in funding is being made available to help California communities build more housing as well as increase transit and active transportation options close to job centers and services – money augmented by the release of $279 million from a separate housing grant program. [Above photo by Caltrain.] “Sky-high housing costs are putting the […]
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Michigan DOT Deploys ‘Robot Boats’ for Bridge Inspections
editor@aashto.org November 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSTo improve the detection of streambed erosion and degradation around a bridge’s substructure, the Michigan Department of Transportation is deploying four unmanned surface vessels or USVs equipped with sonar and a topside camera; a vessel allows inspectors to take measurements and capture images while positioned safely on the shoreline. [Above photo by the Michigan DOT.] […]
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2002: Asia’s Largest Bus Terminus Opens to the Public
The terminus now handles more than 500 buses at one time and approximately 3,000 buses and 250,000 passengers per day.
Get transferred to the full story here: https://transportationhistory.org/2019/11/18/2002-asias-largest-bus-terminus-opens-to-the-public/