The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently sent two letters – one to the Council on Environmental Quality or CEQ and the other to the Federal Communication Commission – regarding recently proposed regulatory initiatives. [Above image by AASHTO] In its March 31 letter to the CEQ, AASHTO commented on the “National Environmental […]

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently began what it calls a “first-of-its-kind” pilot program to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity. [Above image by the Colorado DOT] Created and funded by the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA enacted in November 2021, that pilot program – dubbed the “Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program” […]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is holding its annual “U Drive, U Text, U Pay” distracted driving prevention campaign April 3 through 10. [Above photo by the Delaware DOT] Together with Captain Ron Mead of the Washington State Patrol, Steve Kiefer of the Kiefer Foundation, and Torine Creppy of Safe Kids Worldwide, NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie […]

A recent hearing held by the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit within the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure examined the challenges and opportunities affecting implementation of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA. [Above image via the House T&I committee] Enacted in November 2021, the IIJA provided “historic funding […]

A recent blog post by the Transportation Research Board re-emphasizes that “much more work” needs to be done in terms of detailed research, planning, and technology usage to make highway work zones safer for construction personnel and motorists alike. [Above photo by the Virginia DOT] “You expect people to drive slowly in work zones,” noted […]

Roger Millar (above), secretary of the Washington Department of Transportation and 2022-2023 president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, talked why resilience is a critical factor in current and future transportation planning efforts during a visit to AASHTO headquarters in Washington, D.C. [Above photo by AASHTO] In town for the four-day […]

In an 11-page letter sent to the Federal Highway Administration on March 17, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials urged the agency to “carefully consider” the impact of potential safety regulations on infrastructure projects – especially in terms of cost and completion timelines. [Above image by AASHTO] “Every state DOT in the […]

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently issued $94 million in funding to 59 projects via the first round of grants from the new Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation or “SMART” grants program. [Above photo by the USDOT] Funded by the $1.2 trillion infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA enacted in November 2021, the new SMART […]

The results of a two-year analysis examining the potential for rail service between Scranton and New York were recently released by Amtrak and the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority or PNRRA. [Above photo by Marc Glucksman for Amtrak] That study included operations planning to develop a sample schedule, ridership estimates, economic impacts, and an infrastructure […]

In a March 10 letter sent to the Office of Management and Budget, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials re-emphasized its concerns over implementation of new “Build America, Buy America” rules and the potential impact of those rules on critical infrastructure projects nationwide. [Above image by AASHTO] AASHTO’s letter offers comments on […]