The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency took another step toward finalizing the proposed Safer, Affordable, Fuel-Efficient or SAFE Vehicles Rule by issuing a “final action” on September 19 entitled the “One National Program Rule” that enables the federal government to provide nationwide uniform fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission or […]

A group of 41 transportation organizations called for the repeal of $7.6 billion rescission of Federal-aid highway contract authority as part of any Continuing Resolution or CR is issued to help Congress wrap up Fiscal Year 2020 funding efforts. In a September 12 letter sent to Congressional leadership – Sen. Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader, R-Ky.; […]

Members of the House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee cast doubt on the efficacy of broader tolling and congestion pricing plans at a hearing on September 11 to either generate enough funding to support transportation infrastructure needs or improve traffic flows on major urban roadways. “The division you see on this panel is representative […]

A multi-organization letter sent to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce on September 12 stressed that implementing a successful national autonomous vehicle or AV policy requires finding the “appropriate balance” between state, local, and federal government responsibilities – ensuring that appropriate funding and […]

State departments of transportation are set to benefit from the formal repeal this week of a 2015 rule that aimed to expand the definition of “waters of the United States” or WOTUS under the Clean Water Act. [Above photo by the Delaware DOT.] The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army – representing […]

Six state departments of transportation along the east coast of the United States have deployed a variety of resources in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies to battle the high winds, heavy rain, and flooding generated by Hurricane Dorian. Downgraded to a Category 1 storm right before it made landfall on September 6 […]

A new study compiled by the American Public Transportation Association highlights the rising number of “late-shift” workers on night and weekend shifts, and the study says those weekend late-shift workers tend to suffer from “inadequate access” to public transit services. In particular, the food service, health care, construction, education and finance industries entertain “high projected […]

The governors of four states – Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire – joined more than 150 policy advisors and transportation experts in Boston this week for an infrastructure summit aimed at finding “innovative” ways to reduce traffic congestion. The Boston gathering is one of four such summits being planned for this year and […]

The Federal Highway Administration awarded $225 million in Competitive Highway Bridge Program or CHBP grants to 20 state department of transportation projects in 18 states on August 29; grants that only state DOTs could apply for and that fund a variety of bridge projects in rural areas with population densities of less than 100 people […]

As one national weather forecast predicts “plenty of frigid temperatures and snow” for a majority of the country, state departments of transportation are gearing up for winter operations – including efforts to hire extra hands to handle seasonal highway snow and ice removal demands. [Above photo by the New York State DOT.] According to the […]