The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Annual Meeting – held via a virtual format November 9-13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic – will focus on the potential ways the results of the 2020 national elections could affect the nation’s transportation policy agenda. As part of AASHTO’s annual meeting, the organization’s Transportation Policy […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued a “strong recommendation” for public transportation passengers and transit operators alike to wear masks in order to prevent spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. [Above photo by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.] The agency said passengers on “public conveyances” – such as airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, […]

The U.S. Department of Transportation established October as the first-ever National Pedestrian Safety Month and, concurrently, many state departments of transportation are highlighting their efforts to improve pedestrian safety. [Above photo by the Oregon DOT.] For example, the California Department of Transportation is enhancing pedestrian safety measures at high-risk locations based on traffic collision data, […]

A new Texas A&M Transportation Institute road safety study indicated that while the risk of death or injury due to motor vehicle crashes increased on Texas roads during the COVID-19 the pandemic, the number of actual motor vehicle crashes dropped across the state. [Above photo vis the Texas DOT.] The number of Texas traffic crashes […]

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials renewed its call for $37 billion in emergency funding for state departments of transportation across the country in an October 5 letter to Congressional leadership. “This crucial federal backstop will prevent cancellations and delays of vital transportation projects as well as potential job losses both in […]

The 2020 Joint Policy Conference hosted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials highlighted how COVID-19 presents “unprecedented challenges” to transportation planning and operations during a three-day virtual meeting September 29-October 1. [Above photo by the New Jersey DOT.] That mobility analytics session on September 30 – hosted by Piyushimita Thakuriah, Ph.D., […]

A variety of near-term and future mobility issues will rely on an “operational perspective” to help develop solutions – including everything from COVID-19 response to autonomous vehicles and mileage-based user fee or MBUF funding strategies. [Above graphic by the USDOT.] That proved the key takeaway from the virtual annual meeting of the American Association of […]

President Trump signed a continuing resolution or CR that funds federal government programs on October 1 – the beginning of fiscal year 2021 – through December 11 and extends current surface transportation funding reauthorization after it cleared the Senate late on September 30 by a vote of 84 to 10. The House passed its CR, […]

The 2020 Joint Policy Conference hosted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials explored ways to encourage more innovation and “public sector entrepreneurship” among state departments of transportation during a three-day virtual meeting September 29-October 1. [Above photo by the Nevada DOT.] Beth Noveck, Ph.D., New Jersey’s chief innovation officer, provided an […]

The House of Representatives and the Senate are working on a continuing resolution or CR that would fund federal government programs from the beginning of fiscal year 2021 on October 1 through December 11. The House passed its CR, which included the FAST Act extension, on September 22 by a vote of 359 to 57, […]