A 24-page report issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General on Dec. 4 noted that the Federal Aviation Administration has not yet completed “phase 1” of required Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program compliance to secure its data systems against cyberattacks. [Graphic via Wikimedia Commons.] “The FAA reported to USDOT that […]

A new report by the World Health Organization indicates road traffic deaths continue to increase, now topping 1.35 million fatalities annually. The group’s 2018 road safety report also noted that road traffic injuries are now the leading killer of children and young people aged five to 29 worldwide. [Above photo via Wikimedia Commons.] However, the report also […]

A poll conducted by the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center indicates that 68 percent of older adults and 79 percent of younger adults with disabilities believe locating “alternative transportation” if they could not drive would be “very difficult” or “somewhat difficult,” as both overwhelming said driving their own vehicle is the primary way they […]

Effective Dec. 17, the Federal Aviation Administration will appoint D. Kirk Shaffer to be associate administrator for airports; overseeing the agency’s Airport Improvement Program as well as national airport planning, airport safety, standards, airport design engineering, and regulatory compliance. [Above photo by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.] In a Dec. 12 statement, the FAA said […]

The 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 […]

The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities is continuing to conduct safety assessments of state and public owned facilities in locations affected by the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck the state on Nov. 30. [Above photo by Alaska DOT&PF.] The agency said it has identified 123 facilities for assessment and as of a Dec. […]

The Federal Transit Administration helped celebrate the opening new Bus Rapid Transit or BRT line in Jacksonville, FL, on Dec. 3, while also finalizing a $149 million Full Funding Grant Agreement or FFGA with the Orange County Transportation Authority for the Orange County Streetcar – formerly known as Santa Ana/Garden Grove Streetcar – in California […]

As 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 […]

The Federal Transit Administration is allocating $281 million worth of additional fiscal year 2018 federal funding to five transit projects in Arizona, California, Minnesota, and Texas. The agency said in a statement on Nov. 28 that this funding will be provided through its Capital Investment Grants or CIG program. [Above photo by Valley Metro.] Those […]

The Federal Railroad Administration issued a final rule on Nov. 21 establishing what it calls “modern, performance-based safety standards for railroad passenger equipment” while also “paving the way” for high-speed passenger train travel as fast as 220 miles per hour. The agency also issued a third quarter “status report” on Nov. 21 that updated railroad […]