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 […]

The Federal Highway Administration is providing $513 million in emergency relief or ER program funds to help 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico make repairs to roads and bridges damaged by weather-related events that have occurred in recent years. [Above photo via the Michigan Governor’s Office] FHWA said in a statement that […]

A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association, funded by State Farm, examines a broad range of rural road safety problems as nearly half of all fatal crashes occur on them, even though only 19 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas. [Above image by GHSA] That report – entitled America’s Rural Roads: […]

The Adventure Cycling Association recently released 12 new “short route” designations covering major metropolitan areas across the United States. [Above photo by the National Park Service] Primarily known for its epic long-distance routes like the TransAmerica Trail and Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, Adventure Cycling produced its “short routes” guide for those new to bicycle […]

Keep America Beautiful, a national community improvement nonprofit organization, recently recognized 26 community organizations and individuals through its 2021 National Awards program – including five state departments of transportation. [Above image by KAB] The organization noted that its Keep America Beautiful National Awards program celebrates the work of its nearly 700 community-based affiliates, millions of […]

A new paper by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety argues that state laws prohibiting motorists from holding or using a cell phone or similar electronic device while on a public road can reduce rear-end crashes. [Above photo via Wikimedia Commons] In general, IIHS said states have taken two approaches to deal with the expanded […]

The Federal Aviation Administration recently awarded $2.7 million to five universities to support research on how drones can assist in disaster preparedness and in emergencies. [Above image via the FAA] The research will explore the use of drones in providing effective and efficient responses to different natural and human-made disasters. It will address coordination procedures […]