State DOTs Altering Toll Collection, Rest Area Protocols, Transit Schedules Due to Coronavirus
editor@aashto.org March 20, 2020 0 COMMENTSEven as transit ridership falls and highway travel declines due to the Coronavirus outbreak, state departments of transportation are making adjustments to toll collection and rest area protocols to help prevent further spread of the disease while at the same time altering construction and maintenance schedules where necessary. [Above photo by Caltrans.] For example, the […]
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AASHTO Seeks Fiscal ‘Backstop’ for Transportation Due to Coronavirus
editor@aashto.org March 20, 2020 0 COMMENTSThe American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is seeking Congressional support for the creation of a fiscal “backstop” for the transportation sector due to the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, along with “an immediate and temporary” nationwide waiver of federal truck weight restrictions. [Above photo by the Virginia DOT.] The organization said […]
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The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is requesting the elimination of Section 404 authorization from for “temporary discharges” necessary for routine roadway maintenance activities – a duplicative U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) rule that “can cumulatively consume significant manpower and other resources and potentially affect maintenance schedules.” [Above photo by the […]
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AASHTO Backs Effort to Advance Pollinator Habitat Creation
editor@aashto.org March 20, 2020 0 COMMENTSThe American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials sent a two-page letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior on March 12 supporting “expedited approval” of the voluntary national Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances or CCAA to further encourage the creation of pollinator habitats in highway rights-of-way – especially where the Monarch butterfly (seen […]
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FTA Makes Emergency Funding Available for Coronavirus Needs
editor@aashto.org March 20, 2020 0 COMMENTSThe Federal Transit Administration expanded eligibility of federal assistance via it Emergency Relief Program on March 13 to help transit agencies coping with the Coronavirus in states where the governor has declared an emergency. [Above photo by MBTA.] This includes allowing all transit providers – including those situated in large urban areas – to use […]
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on March 17 to modernize numerous Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards while “clarifying ambiguities” in current occupant protection standards for vehicles equipped with automated driving systems or ADS that are designed without traditional manual controls. [Above photo by Waymo.] NHTSA said its NPRM […]
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According to new analysis released by consulting firm ABI Research on March 10, the introduction of 5G cellular connectivity in the transportation sector is expected to create a “transformative effect” on roadways worldwide within the next 15 years. [Above photo by Jaguar Land Rover.] The firm projects that by 2023, vehicles will start to communicate […]
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GAO: NTSB Can Improve ‘Most Wanted’ Safety List Criteria
editor@aashto.org March 20, 2020 0 COMMENTSA new 37-page report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office offers a series of improvements the National Transportation Safety Board can make to “improve the understanding” of the selection criteria it uses to craft its biennial list of “Most Wanted” transportation safety improvements. “NTSB had a systematic method to determine what makes the list, […]
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FTA Provides BRT Grant, Activates Transit Innovation Program
editor@aashto.org March 20, 2020 0 COMMENTSThe Federal Transit Administration issued a $28.22 million grant to the City of El Paso to support completion of its Montana Rapid Transit Service Corridor project on March 13, while activating $11 million in grant funding to support and advance innovation in the transit industry on March 18. [Above image via FTA.] The Montana RTS […]
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The New Jersey Department of Transportation distributed $30.1 million in grants on March 18 as part of its Local Freight Impact Fund program. That program helps fund local county and municipality projects that fall into one of four categories – bridge preservation, new construction, pavement preservation, and truck safety and mobility – and the grants […]
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