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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House T&I Critical of FCC’s Proposed 5.9 GHz Rulemaking
editor@aashto.org January 24, 2020 0 COMMENTSIn a January 22 letter to all five members of the Federal Communication Commission, leaders and members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure strongly criticized that agency’s effort to open up the 5.9 gigahertz wireless communication spectrum to non-transportation use; especially as “there remain serious outstanding questions about the potential implications of this […]
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Survey: Roads Rank High on Mayoral Infrastructure Wish-List
editor@aashto.org January 24, 2020 0 COMMENTSA survey conducted by the Boston University Initiative on Cities or BUIC indicates that roads are the top infrastructure priority for many of the 119 U.S. city mayors participating in the school’s annual poll. [Above photo by the New York City DOT] Now in its sixth year, the 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors – named […]
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The town of Greenbelt, Maryland, was an experimental cooperative community created in 1937 by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal administration. Originally designed to be a garden suburb of Washington D.C., it would become the model for modern town planning and cooperative living in America. A new video series from Transportation TV showcases how community design […]
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State DOT CEOs Address Role of Equity in Transportation
editor@aashto.org January 24, 2020 0 COMMENTSA panel of seven female state department of transportation chief executives gathered at the annual Transportation Research Board meeting in Washington D.C. to discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by highlighting equity and diversity needs within broader long-term transportation planning efforts. “The good news is that we are having this ‘equity’ conversation because transportation has […]
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State DOTs Highlight Environmental, Community Issues at TRB
editor@aashto.org January 24, 2020 0 COMMENTSEnvironmental planning and community impact are two critical issues affecting infrastructure strategy for state departments of transportation, according to a panel discussion held during the annual Transportation Research Board meeting in Washington D.C. One result of those pressures is the “Quality of Life” framework developed by the Utah DOT in 2018, explained Carissa Watanabe, one […]
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TRB Panel Seeks to Boost Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts in Transportation
editor@aashto.org January 24, 2020 0 COMMENTSEngaging more public and private sector transportation industry stakeholders in a more collaborative, focused effort will be key to successfully combating human trafficking activity in the United States, according to a panel discussion held during the annual Transportation Research Board meeting in Washington D.C. “Nearly 25 million across the globe are victims of this form […]
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The Federal Highway Administration disbursed more than $8 million in Accelerated Innovation Deployment or AID demonstration program grants to state departments of transportation and local governments in 10 states on January 21. [Above photo via the City of Orlando] The agency said those grants aim to help speed up bridge project completion times, improve traffic […]
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The Federal Transit Administration issued Capital Investment Grants (CIG) to Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, known as Sound Transit, and the Spokane Transit Authority (STA) in late January; the first to fully fund a 7.8-mile light rail system extension and the second for a bus rapid transit (BRT) project. [Above photo by FTA] FTA […]
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Volpe Says Drones Should Gather Railroad Crossing Data
editor@aashto.org January 24, 2020 0 COMMENTSThe U.S. Department of Transportation’s John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center issued a report on January 17 touting the use of unmanned aerial vehicles – known as UAVs or drones – by the Federal Railroad Administration to produce accurate 3-D models of high-profile grade crossings. [Above photo by the North Dakota DOT] Volpe’s report […]
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The U.S. Maritime Administration issued a notice of funding opportunity on January 9 that made $19.6 million worth of federal funding available to support capital improvements and employee training at small U.S. shipyards. [Above photo by the U.S. Navy] Applications for that grant money is due by 5 pm EST on February 18, the agency […]
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1953: This Taiwanese Bridge is Almost Two Kilometers Long
At the time of its debut, the structure – measuring 6,361.7 feet (1,939 meters) in length and featuring 31 arches – was the longest bridge in East Asia.
Span the rest of the story: https://transportationhistory.org/2020/01/24/1953-this-taiwanese-bridge-is-almost-two-kilometers-long/