The Federal Transit Administration is providing $7.7 million in Tribal Transit Program grant awards to 25 tribal governments for projects to improve public transportation on tribal lands. [Above photo via the FTA.] “These federal grants will help American Indian and Alaskan Native tribal governments provide public transportation in rural areas, connecting tribal residents with jobs, healthcare and other essential […]

The Federal Aviation Administration and NASA recently concluded the second phase of its unmanned aircraft system traffic management or UTM Pilot Program. [Above photo via the FAA.] That program provided a proof of concept for a UTM ecosystem for uncontrolled operations that is separate from, but complementary to, the FAA’s Air Traffic Management system – serving […]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration kicked off its annual “Click It or Ticket” national seat belt awareness and enforcement campaign November 9. [Above photo via AAA] The agency said its 2020 push combines an $8 million public awareness advertising campaign on television, radio, web, and social media in both English and Spanish that will run from […]

Although the overall number of Americans planning to travel this Thanksgiving holiday will decline from previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several surveys indicate that a significant amount – up to 50 million – still plan to hit the road the week of November 23. [Above photo by AAA Travel] “Despite COVID-19 concerns, Americans […]

The House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing on November 18 entitled, “Examining the Surface Transportation Board’s Role in Ensuring a Robust Passenger Rail System.” Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. – chair of the T&I committee – and Rep. Daniel Lipinski, D-Ill, who chairs the T&I subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous […]

In this short video clip, Jim Tymon (seen above) – executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials – provides a preview of the virtual 2020 AASHTO Annual Meeting, November 9 through November 13. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) will deliver remarks on Monday, November […]

The U.S. Department of Transportation is launching a new drone research initiative dubbed the BEYOND program that will build upon the agency’s three-year long Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program (UAS IPP) that wrapped up on Oct. 25. [Above photo by the Kansas DOT.] USDOT said eight of the nine state, local, and tribal governments that […]

In a study published in the Journal of Structural Engineering, Texas A&M University and the University of Colorado-Boulder researchers have conducted a comprehensive damage and repair assessment of a still-to-be-implemented bridge design using a panel of experts from academia and industry. [Above photo via Texas A&M University.] The researchers said the expert feedback method offers a […]

The U.S. Department of Transportation is expanding eligibility and flexibility for a pilot program aimed at expediting long-term, low-cost loans for short line and regional railroads. The Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Express or RRIF Express program – administered by the USDOT’s Build America Bureau – seeks to reduce the time and costs associated with […]

Separate reports issued by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Transit Center advocacy group argue that there is a “fundamental alignment” between how transit agencies respond to the health and safety needs posed by COVID-19 and the measures they implement to improve sustainability, reliability, and cost to transit riders as the pandemic recedes. [Above photo […]