Recent reports released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and Florida Department of Transportation illustrate the critical role transportation infrastructure investment will play in helping the U.S. economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. [Above photo by the Florida DOT.] In his annual State of American Business speech on January 12, […]

The Governors Highway Safety Association noted on January 13 that an uptick in traffic fatalities during the third quarter of 2020, despite a decline in vehicle miles traveled or VMT, is a “troubling trend” as traffic volumes return to normal. [Above photo by Tom Saunders for the Virginia DOT.] Early estimates issued by the National […]

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission on January 12 to express concern regarding the agency’s proposal to make “sweeping changes” to the 4.9-gigahertz (GHz) wireless communication band. [Above photo via Wikipedia Commons.] One of the main reasons behind AASHTO’s focus on the FCC’s plan […]

Two recent reports issued by state departments of transportation in Alabama and North Carolina highlight the important economic role of airports; a view further illustrated in a webinar hosted by global energy firm Schneider Electric. [Above photo by Montgomery Regional Airport.] The Aeronautics Bureau within the Alabama Department of Transportation plans to release a full […]

Elaine Chao (above) stepped down as U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary on January 7, with her resignation to take effect January 11, due to the Capitol Hill riot that occurred on January 6. “Our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the President stormed the Capitol building following a rally he […]

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently analyzed the $10 billion in emergency aid provided to state departments of transportation as part of the $900 billion COVID-19 relief measure signed into law on December 27 along with the appropriations package for all of fiscal year 2021. [Above photo by the West Virginia […]

The Reverend Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., both won narrow U.S. Senate runoff election victories in Georgia on January 5, splitting the U.S. Senate 50-50 between the Democratic and Republican parties – making incoming Vice President Kamala Harris the key tie-breaking vote in the upper chamber of Congress. With the runoff victories in […]

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials sent two comment letters to the U.S. Department of Transportation on December 22, 2020: one concerning the July 2020 overhaul of National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA regulations and the other responding to proposed changes to highway design standards. AASHTO’s 10-page NEPA letter relates to the […]

On January 5, the White House issued a 36-page National Maritime Cybersecurity Plan that sets forth how the federal government will defend the nation’s economy via enhanced cybersecurity coordination, policies and practices, aimed at mitigating risks to the maritime industry – promoting prosperity through information and intelligence sharing, and preserving and increasing the nation’s cyber […]

The Federal Railroad Administration announced on December 29, 2020, the full operation of positive train control or PTC technology on all 57,536 required freight and passenger railroad miles mandated by Congress in the Rail Safety Improvement Act (RISA) of 2008. [Above photo via the FRA.] FRA said it also certified – as required by RISA […]