State department of transportation executives stressed at a March 13 House of Representatives Highways and Transit Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill that the current mix of formula funding and grants should be retained by Congress as legislators begin tackling surface transportation reauthorization efforts. “We urge that you retain the current highway and transit program framework […]

The $4.75 trillion fiscal year 2020 budget for the federal government proposed by President Trump on March 11 seeks to rollback non-defense discretionary funding to 2011 levels and eliminating the $10 billion boost for infrastructure provided by Congress in both FY 2018 and FY 2019. At the same time, the proposal continues to seek an […]

The recent growth in bicycle and pedestrian fatalities is placing renewed focus on “active transportation” safety efforts, according to three state department of transportation executives who spoke during a panel discussion at the National Bike Summit 2019, held March 9-12 in Crystal City, VA. [Left to right in above photo: Toks Omishakin, Barb Chamberlin, Charles […]

In speeches before the 2019 National Bike Summit in Crystal City, VA, March 11, and at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, TX, March 12, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao stressed that safety and innovation will remain the key focal points of her agency going forward as new technologies and mobility options […]

Job creation, economic growth, and creating an avenue for cost-effective recycling are just some of the benefits from greater investments in highway infrastructure projects nationwide, a panel of witnesses explained during a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing on March 6. Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation and the 2018-2019 […]

A hike in federal fuel taxes, more private sector financing, plus continued reduction in “red tape” are just some of the solutions being touted to beef up surface transportation funding now and in the future – with support growing for changing over to a vehicle miles traveled or VMT fee in lieu of fuel taxes […]

Raising fuel taxes is currently the most direct and efficient way to generate the money to funded overdue investments in Ohio’s transportation system, though a decade down the road, a vehicle miles traveled or VMT fee might prove to be a more viable option. Those were just two of several points Jim Tymon (seen above), […]

Joe Boardman (seen above), the longest-serving Commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation and second-longest serving president and CEO of Amtrak, passed away March 6 at age 70 from a stroke while on vacation in Florida with his family. He is survived by his wife Joanne and their three children. Boardman, a lifelong […]

In a Feb. 19 letter, the Federal Railroad Administration informed the California High Speed Rail Authority that it intends to cancel $929 million in federal grants yet to be paid for building a high-speed rail link between Los Angeles region and the San Francisco bay area. [Above photo by Jack Snell.] Additionally, the U.S. Department […]

Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is calling for an 18-cent-per-gallon increase in Ohio’s fuel tax as part of his first transportation budget; an increase expected to raise an estimated $1.2 billion a year for state transportation needs, including $480 million for local government projects, according to news reports. [Above photo via the Ohio Governor’s Office.] The […]