Five key members of Congress who addressed the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials annual Washington Briefing on February 26 said that, despite what is expected to be an unusually contentious Presidential election year, they remain hopeful that new surface transportation reauthorization legislation can be passed this year before the current law expires […]
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USDOT’s Chao: Infrastructure, Safety Still Key Priorities
editor@aashto.org February 28, 2020 0 COMMENTSIncreasing infrastructure funding – especially in rural areas of America – while continuing to improve national transportation system safety will remain complementary goals for the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to USDOT Secretary Elaine Chao. During the February 26 luncheon keynote speech at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials annual Washington Briefing, […]
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Maryland Governor Touts Infrastructure Role of States
editor@aashto.org February 28, 2020 0 COMMENTSStates are and will play a critical role in crafting a solution to America’s infrastructure crisis, noted Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) during the February 27 keynote address during the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials annual Washington Briefing in Washington, D.C. “Infrastructure is fundamental to our economy, environment, and way of life,” […]
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A state and local partner’s roundtable hosted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials at the group’s annual Washington Briefing on February 27 stressed the importance of providing “win-win” solutions when it comes to solving national transportation issues. [Above left to right: Margaret Anderson Kelliher, commissioner of the Minnesota DOT; Bill McBride, […]
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Transportation, Public Transit Center Stage at Hearing
editor@aashto.org February 28, 2020 0 COMMENTSThe Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing on surface transportation funding issues focused on the fiscal needs of transit systems across the United States and also how those systems help buttress the nation’s economy. [Above photo via the Senate Banking Committee.] “State departments of transportation remain committed to assisting Congress in the […]
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FHWA Issues More Than $653M in Emergency Relief Funds
editor@aashto.org February 28, 2020 0 COMMENTSThe Federal Highway Administration awarded $653.2 million in Emergency Relief or ER funds on February 27 to help 37 states – as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands – repair roads and bridges damaged by storms, floods, mudslides, wildfires, and other severe weather events over the past several […]
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GHSA Report: Pedestrian Fatalities Rising, but Unevenly
editor@aashto.org February 28, 2020 0 COMMENTSA new report issued by the Governors Highway Safety Association on February 27 projects that 6,590 pedestrian fatalities occurred in 2019; an uptick of 5 percent from 2018. The GHSA said that prediction is based on the number of pedestrian fatalities reported by state highway safety offices for the first six months of 2019, with that raw […]
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Two comment letters sent by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to Senate leaders on February 21 re-emphasized the need to reauthorize surface transportation legislation ahead of the expiration of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation or FAST Act in September. The letters – the first sent to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and […]
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On February 26, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) issued a five-page policy brief calling on “demand-responsive transportation providers” to start communicating with one another through a “common digital language.” [Above photo via the American Public Transportation Association.] AARP defines “demand-responsive” transportation providers as a sector comprised of services ranging from senior shuttles to […]
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The U.S. Department of Transportation issued $12.2 million in grants from its Small Community Air Service Development or SCASD program on February 24 to help 18 communities in 18 states “develop their own solutions” for local air service needs. [Above photo by the Arizona DOT.] That follows on the heels of the $520.5 million worth of Airport […]
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