Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, recently touted the immense safety benefits offered by vehicle-to-everything or V2X technology, vigorously calling for immediate widespread deployment of that technology. [Above photo by NTSB] “The hardest part is telling the families that their tragedy was preventable with technology that we have, but we’re just not […]

Across the country, state departments of transportation are engaging in a wide range of efforts to promote railroad safety as part of the annual Rail Safety Week outreach campaign, held this year across North America September 19-25 and sponsored by Operation Lifesaver Inc., Operation Lifesaver Canada, and the Mexican Association of Railroads. [Above photo by […]

The U.S. Maritime Administration – known as MARAD – recently launched a 16-month study exploring low carbon options for shipping on the Great Lakes. [Above photo by Michigan DOT] The study, led by the International Council on Clean Transportation in partnership with the American Bureau of Shipping and the Conference of Great Lakes and St. […]

The U.S. Department of Transportation is now accepting applications for two programs that, in total, will make some $160 million available annually for the next five years for projects that use technology to improve the nation’s transportation infrastructure while also making communities safer. [Above photo by the USDOT] The first is the new Strengthening Mobility […]

Several state departments of transportation recently provided funds for a variety of mobility programs that aim to make it easier for people to walk, bike, share rides, and use transit services. [Above photo by the Oregon DOT] The Oregon Department of Transportation, for one, is seeking applications for its new Innovative Mobility Micro-Grants. The $5,000 grants […]

In this episode of the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast, Jessica Oh – strategic partnerships director in the sustainability and public health office within the Minnesota Department of Transportation – discusses the “next generation highway” her agency is studying. [Above photo by Minnesota DOT] The Ray, a foundation, and consulting firm NGI released the NextGen Highways […]

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently provided the Federal Railroad Administration with feedback regarding the agency’s request for information published mid-August in the Federal Register regarding the Interstate Rail Compacts or IRC program. [Above photo by Virginia DOT] AASHTO noted in a letter to FRA that the IRC program is an […]

Several national organizations – including the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials – are supporting a bill recently passed by the House of Representatives that would broaden the use of drones for infrastructure inspection purposes and provide funding for drone operator training. [Above photo by the NCDOT] H.R. 5315 – known as the […]

The Federal Railroad Administration recently issued a notice of funding opportunity that makes available over $1.4 billion in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement or CRISI grant funding. [Above photo by the Virginia DOT] FRA noted that the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act or IIJA – enacted in November 2021 – more than […]

The Washington State Department of Transportation and Oregon Department of Transportation are helping Amtrak prepare to resume passenger rail service to Vancouver in British Columbia, along with the aid of VIA Rail Canada. [Above photo by WSDOT] The national passenger rail provider noted in a statement that it plans to offer only one daily roundtrip […]