Road User Charges Subject of ITIF Panel Discussion and Report
editor@aashto.org April 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSA panel discussion hosted by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation on April 24 at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., examined the case for switching from motor fuel taxes to road user charges or RUCs to provide monetary support for the Highway Trust Fund. Moderated by ITIF President Robert Atkinson, the panel […]
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FAA Certifies First Drone Delivery Company for Commercial Operation
editor@aashto.org April 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe Federal Aviation Administration awarded its first air carrier certification for commercial drone operation to Project Wing, a division of Alphabet, on April 23. The company will start making food deliveries in Blacksburg, VA – home to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, which along with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, participated with Wing in […]
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Brookings Institution Focuses on Infrastructure Workforce Needs
editor@aashto.org April 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSA Brookings Institution blog post on April 16 shined a light on an issue that’s becoming a growing problem for state departments of transportation: replenishing and expanding the infrastructure workforce. [Above photo by the South Carolina Department of Transportation.] “Just as our physical infrastructure systems are aging and in need of attention, so too are […]
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State DOTs Prep Policies as Trump, Congressional Leaders Plan Infrastructure Meeting
editor@aashto.org April 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced plans to meet with President Donald Trump next week to discuss infrastructure legislation, as state departments of transportation continue to refine their policy focus on what should be encompassed in the next surface transportation legislation and how to pay for it. [Above: President Donald Trump, joined by Vice President […]
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AASHTO: Proposed WOTUS Redefinition Would Provide Regulatory ‘Clarity’
editor@aashto.org April 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSA proposal made by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army last December to “clarify” federal authority under the Clean Water Act and redefine the term “waters of the United States” or WOTUS would reduce a significant regulatory burden for transportation projects, according to a comment letter filed by the American Association […]
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GAO Report Recommends Ways to Improve Infrastructure Collaboration with Tribes
editor@aashto.org April 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSA new report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office on April 22 highlights “key factors” that “hinder effective consultation on infrastructure projects” between federal agencies and Native American tribes. [Above photo by the Navajo Department of Transportation.] Based on interviews with officials from 57 tribes and 21 federal agencies, as well as comments submitted […]
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The St. Lawrence Seaway, the binational waterway that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, turned 60 years old in April – an occasion highlighted in a blog post by Craig Middlebrook, deputy administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. [Above photo via Wikimedia Commons.] The seaway specifically covers approximately 2,500 miles between […]
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The U.S. Maritime Administration is providing $6.79 million worth of grants to marine highway projects in New York, Louisiana, and Virginia. [Above photo by U.S. Department of Agriculture.] “America’s Marine Highway Program is dedicated to expanding freight movement on the water and this round of grant funding will go a long way towards ensuring that […]
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Indiana Budget Eliminates Funds for Amtrak’s Hoosier Train; Set to Cease Operation in July
editor@aashto.org April 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSRatified by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) on April 23, Indiana’s two-year $34 billion budget eliminates a $3 million annual subsidy for the Hoosier State Train (seen above), which is operated by Amtrak and runs from Indianapolis to Chicago. Amtrak said that, without state funding, Hoosier State train […]
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RIDOT Plans $715.6M Construction Season; Asked to Create Rapid Rail System
editor@aashto.org April 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe Rhode Island Department of Transportation said it will be directing 77 active projects with a combined value of $715.6 million during its 2019 construction season. Those projects include a combination of repair, replacement, and preservation activities on 177 bridges, the agency added. [Above photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.] “We have more construction […]
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