A mobility study published by Cox Automotive Aug. 23 indicates that the desire to own vehicles is dropping steeply among younger consumers, while awareness and demand for ride-hailing services such as those provided by Uber and Lyft are rising quickly – particularly among those living in urban centers. The study – conducted online by Vital […]

New research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates that lowering the speed limit by 5 mph on city streets can improve safety for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists alike, while a separate study conducted by the Illinois Department of Transportation convinced the agency to reduce speed limits along certain stretches of two major […]

The Federal Railroad Administration said railroads are achieving “significant progress” in their efforts to install positive train control or PTC technology ahead of a Dec. 31 deadline and it has awarded more than $203 million in grant funding for 28 projects in 15 states to further assist with PTC deployment. FRA said in a statement […]

An analysis conducted by the American Public Transportation Association and the Vision Zero Network found that if a metropolitan area can increase the per capita usage of public transit systems – including heavy rail, light rail, bus service, and commuter rail – those communities can cut their traffic fatality rate up to 40 percent. Specifically, […]

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials sent a letter to Senate and House of Representative leaders on Aug. 21 to support the passage of the fiscal year 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development or THUD appropriations bill – emphasizing highway formula funding provided in the House’s version of the THUD bill should […]

Photo: NTSB. Preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council indicate the recent upward trend in motor vehicle deaths is leveling off, with the number of fatalities in the first six months of 2018 dipping slightly – less than 0.5 percent – compared to the first six months of 2017 even as vehicle miles traveled continues to increase. The […]

Caption: Satellite picture of Hurricane Lane. Photo: U.S. Navy. The Hawaii Department of Transportation engaged in a series of preparatory activities to pre-position personnel and equipment for storm-recovery work this week as the Trump administration issued a disaster declaration for the Hawaiian Islands on Aug. 22 ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Lane. Parts of […]

Photo: Caltrans. Two photographs and three videos won the top prizes in the 13th annual Faces of Transportation competition, sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Sixteen transportation department employees from 24 states and five private citizens submitted 88 photographs and 16 videos for judging in this competition. An AASHTO team […]

Photo: Idaho DOT With the unemployment rate hitting an 18-year low of 4 percent this July and “Baby Boom” generation workers now retiring at roughly 10,000 per day, industries across the United States are finding it harder to recruit and retain workers. A study released by consulting firm Korn Ferry in May predicts that a […]

Photo: General Motors A new 41-page report on connected-autonomous vehicles or CAVs by the Governors Highway Safety Association and funded by insurance company State Farm discerned several “human-interaction” issues with the technology in the near future. Authored by Dr. Jim Hedlund, a former senior official with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the report examined […]