Transportation Funding to Flow Following Bicameral Legislative Agreement
editor@aashto.org February 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSAs part of bicameral legislative deal to prevent a second partial federal government shutdown while providing monies to build a wall along parts of the southern U.S. border, a total of $26.5 billion in discretionary funds and $60 billion from Highway and Airport and Airway Trust Funds will be provided to the U.S. Department of […]
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Senate Commerce Committee Holds Infrastructure Hearing
editor@aashto.org February 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSIn an effort to “examine how technology, including advances in automation, artificial intelligence, and connectivity” can “revolutionize transportation and mobility,” the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held an informational hearing on Feb. 13. In his opening remarks, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the committee’s chairman (seen above), noted that “our infrastructure system has fallen […]
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USDOT to Open up its Regulatory ‘Guidance’ Documents to Review
editor@aashto.org February 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe U.S. Department of Transportation filed a Federal Register notice on Feb. 5 that it will review its existing regulatory guidance documents to evaluate the guidance for its “continued necessity,” as well as to determine whether the guidance needs to be updated or revised. [Above photo by USDOT.] As part of this review, USDOT is […]
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Trump Administration Issues Executive Order Regarding Artificial Intelligence
editor@aashto.org February 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSArtificial Intelligence and its impact, in part, on transportation systems became the subject of an executive order issued by President Trump on Feb. 11; an order that seeks to maintain “continued American leadership in AI” to maintain the economic and national security of the United States. [Above photo via Pixabay.] Michael Kratsios, deputy assistant to […]
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Report Highlights How to Bring More Women into the Transportation Workforce
editor@aashto.org February 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSA new 40-page report released by the Mineta Transportation Institute on Feb. 11 examines ways to recruit and retain more women in transportation, offering 11 recommendations to help improve both female- and minority-focused hiring practices. [Above photo by Oregon DOT.] The group’s report – entitled Attracting and Retaining Women in the Transportation Industry and authored […]
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Seven State DOTs Get FHWA Grants to Test ‘Alternate’ Infrastructure Funding Methods
editor@aashto.org February 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe Federal Highway Administration awarded $10.2 million in Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives or STSFA grants to seven state departments of transportation on Feb. 12; grants that aim to test “new ways” to finance highway and bridge projects. [Above photo by Maria Pagan.] The recipients of those seven grants – the DOTs from California, Delaware, […]
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New Reports Highlight Cost of Congestion to Communities and Economy
editor@aashto.org February 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSTwo reports issued this week highlight growing congestion costs for drivers and the freight industry. [Above photo by the Oregon DOT.] The American Transportation Research Institute issued its annual list of the most congested “bottlenecks” for trucks in America on Feb. 12. The group said its 2019 Top Truck Bottleneck List assesses the level of commercial […]
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FAA Issues Interim Final Rule and Two Proposed Rules Focused on Drones
editor@aashto.org February 15, 2019 0 COMMENTSOn Feb. 13, the Federal Aviation Administration officially published three regulations regarding unmanned aircraft systems or UAS, more commonly called “drones.” [Above photo via the FAA.] The first is an interim final rule regarding drone identification markings that becomes effective Feb. 25 and creates both a web-based aircraft registration process specifically for drones while requiring […]
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The Federal Railroad Administration issued more than $56.9 million in grants on Feb. 8 for 18 railroad infrastructure projects in 16 states; funding being made available through its Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements or CRISI program. [Above photo via the FRA.] The FRA’s Notice of Funding Opportunity for those grants required that at 25 percent of […]
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Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao officially awarded the City of Jacksonville, FL, and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority a shared $25 million grant to support two projects in a formal ceremony on Feb. 8. [Above photo via USDOT.] Made under the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development or BUILD transportation grant program, Chao said in a statement […]
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