State departments of transportation continue to ramp up their response efforts where needed as state governments continue to battle the global coronavirus pandemic. Formally known as COVID-19, this novel coronavirus causes mild-to-moderate respiratory illness and has not been previously detected in animals or humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Its symptoms mirror those of […]
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The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials began a new public outreach campaign on March 3 entitled “The Benefits of Transportation: The Solutions State DOTs Bring to People & Their Communities.” Designed to increase public awareness about the multitude of benefits transportation investment provides, this new national campaign uses an interactive online map […]
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The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials filed an 11-page comment letter on March 9 with the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding possible changes to National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) as part of a notice of proposed rulemaking issued by the Federal Highway Administration in late 2019. [Above photo by the Kentucky Transportation […]
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During the Transportation Research Board’s 2020 annual meeting held in January in Washington, D.C., Victoria Sheehan – commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 2019-2020 vice president – moderated a panel discussion on the growing importance of asset management in the transportation industry. She […]
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Two agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation highlight grant awards to the rail and port sectors this week. The Federal Railroad Administration issued $248.5 million in grants fund 32 projects in 27 states via its Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements or CRISI program on March 12; money that will go towards upgrading rail […]
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INRIX: Economic, Urban Growth Increasing Traffic Congestion
editor@aashto.org March 13, 2020 0 COMMENTSTransportation analytics and connected car service provider INRIX said Americans now lose 99 hours a year due to traffic congestion, costing them nearly $88 billion or an average of $1,377 per year. From 2017 to 2019, INRIX said the average time lost by American drivers has increased by two hours as economic and urban growth […]
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Hearing Focuses on Needs of Freight, Passenger Rail Networks
editor@aashto.org March 13, 2020 0 COMMENTSA House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure hearing on March 4 delved into the growing needs of the nation’s freight and passenger rail systems, with Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. – the committee’s chair – calling for more federal investment in the nation’s railroad networks. “The freight rail industry packs a punch, operating across […]
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AAA: Reluctance Still High Regarding Self-Driving Vehicles
editor@aashto.org March 13, 2020 0 COMMENTSA new AAA survey on automated vehicles reveals that only one in 10 of the 1,301 U.S. drivers it polled – just 12 percent – would “trust riding in a self-driving vehicle,” while another 28 percent of those polled said they “don’t know how they feel” about the technology. [Above photo via Google.] According to […]
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A $134 million project overseen by the Arizona Department of Transportation seeks to improve mobility and safety along a 3.75-mile stretch of Nogales highway – also known as State route 189 – as well as increase international trade coming through Nogales by linking the Mariposa Port of Entry and Interstate 19. “We know that better […]
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The Illinois Department of Transportation, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and the Alabama Department of Transportation are all receiving federal funds from two different programs to help fix roads and related infrastructure damaged by flooding in 2019 and 2020. [Above photo by the KYTC.] The Illinois DOT is getting more than $3.7 million out of an […]
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