Gov. Phil Scott (R) signed into law two bills on June 14 that will pump more than $615 million into Vermont’s transportation system. Those bills –  H.529, an act relating to the transportation program and miscellaneous changes to laws related to transportation, and S.149, an act relating to miscellaneous changes to laws related to vehicles and the Department […]

A bill signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on June 13 aims to remove “unnecessary obstacles” hindering the development of autonomous vehicle technology – including allowing fully autonomous vehicles to operate on Florida’s roads “regardless of presence of human operator.” The new law – CS/HB 311: Autonomous Vehicles – takes effect on […]

The Colorado Department of Transportation kicked off a seven-month project in June that aims to install new median cable barriers along I-25 between Pueblo and Colorado Springs as a safety measure to prevent median crossover crashes. The agency noted in a June 14 statement that it is using a “multi-phased approach” based on vehicle crash […]

To make transportation infrastructure “self-sufficient” in the event of a natural disaster or electrical “brownouts” and “blackouts,” the NJ Transit agency is building dedicated “microgrid” back-up system that includes everything from a natural gas-fired power plant to a solar canopy. Dubbed the NJ Transitgrid project, it is part of the agency’s “Resilience Program” developed in […]

The Arizona Department of Transportation announced two winners of its third annual “Safety Message Contest” on June 14; a contest that seeks a “clever play on words” to encourage the adoption of safer motor vehicle operator habits. After tallying more than 5,000 votes for the 15 safety message finalists, the winners were Mitzie Warner of […]

Twelve years ago, the U.S. Senate officially created National Pollinator Week as a way to focus on supporting the species of ants, butterflies, beetles and other wildlife that are responsible for helping pollinate more than 80 percent of the world’s flowering plants. To that end, state departments of transportation highlighted their efforts to support pollination, often by […]

On the heels of the introduction of legislation to support a four-year, $4.5 billion infrastructure spending plan called “Restore Pennsylvania,” Governor Tom Wolf (D) (seen above) highlighted the release of several white papers that highlight the plan’s potential economic benefits – especially where transportation is concerned. “Over the last six months I’ve been traveling across […]

On June 7, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) (seen above) signed into law a funding bill that authorizes $200 million in Chapter 90 transportation funds to be spent on municipal transportation projects across the state. According to a statement from the governor’s office, the new Chapter 90 funding measure requires cities and towns to submit […]

A draft of the Missouri Department of Transportation’s 2020-2024 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program or STIP is now open for a 30-day public review and comment period – a strategy blueprint that estimates annual roadway and bridge construction costs will average $924 million annually for its five-year planning period. [Above photo by the Missouri DOT.] Yet […]

The passage of the six-year, $45 billion “Rebuild Illinois” capital plan in early June by the Illinois legislature and signed by Gov. Jay “J.B.” Pritzker (D) will increase the state’s tax on diesel and gasoline from 19 cents per gallon to 38 cents per gallon and index it to inflation – all part of an […]