The Federal Highway Administration began redistributing more than $4.76 billion in obligated federal highway funds on August 28. This “redistribution” occurs when federal programs funded through the Highway Trust Fund or HTF do not fully use their allocated dollars in a given year; money that is subsequently redistributed to state transportation agencies across the country. [Above […]

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) encouraged the Federal Communications Commission in a September 8 letter to “expand commercial use” of the 5.9 gigahertz (GHz) wireless communication spectrum band: allowing the 5.9 GHz spectrum to be opened to non-transportation use. [Above graphic via NHTSA.] In its letter, NTIA supported the FCC’s proposed rulemaking – […]

The U.S. Department of Transportation is providing $1 billion in infrastructure grants to fund 70 projects in 44 states through its Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development or BUILD program: noting that with this round of funding it has awarded nearly $4 billion in BUILD grants to support road, bridge, transit, rail, port or intermodal […]

The Federal Transit Administration recently provided funds to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, knowns as BART, and the Metropolitan Council of Minneapolis via its Capital Investment Grants or CIG program to support two major transit projects. [Above photo by the Southwest Light Rail Transit Project.] The FTA issued a $1.2 billion grant […]

The American Public Transportation Association launched a national “Health and Safety Commitments Program” for transit agencies during a virtual event on September 9. The safety program is designed to assure passengers that public transit systems are “taking all the necessary measures to operate safely” as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. [Above photo by […]

Ride hailing firm Uber committed on September 8 to become a “fully zero-emission platform” by 2040, with 100 percent of rides ordered via its online platform taking place in zero-emission vehicles, on public transit, or via micro-mobility options. [Above photo by Uber.] The company also said it plans to have 100 percent of rides take […]

The Federal Highway Administration is offering $70 million in grants via a notice of funding opportunity for cities and states, tribal governments and federal lands agencies through its Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects (NSFLTP) program. [Above photo via Wikimedia Commons.] The agency said this second round of NSFLTP grants aims to fund road […]

National passenger railroad Amtrak recently expanded its carry-on bike program for most Northeast Regional departures; allowing customers to store their bike inside of the passenger coach in a designated space. [Above photo by Amtrak.] In addition, Amtrak said it is now offering its carry-on bike program in conjunction with its various Northeastern partners on state-supported trains – partners that […]

The U.S. Department of Transportation unveiled a 118-page National Freight Strategic Plan or NFSP on September 3 that “establishes a clear vision for the future of the country’s freight system,” according to USDOT Secretary Elaine Chao. “This plan will help us maintain America’s competitive edge across industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, and e-commerce,” she said […]

Recent analysis of 2018 data by the Energy Information Administration geographically large states with small populations – such as Alaska, Wyoming, and North Dakota – used twice as much energy for transportation than the U.S. average on a per capita basis. [Above photo by the Alaska DOT&PF.] By contrast, states with higher population density, such as Rhode […]