A “big picture” two-year budget deal hammered out between Congressional leaders of both parties and President Trump on July 23 does not contain any provision to halt the rescission of $7.6 billion in highway contract authority scheduled to occur in 2020. However, though state departments of transportation are being encouraged to “take steps now” to […]
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Formula Funding the Foundation for Senate’s Five-Year Surface Transportation Bill
editor@aashto.org July 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe surface transportation reauthorization bill expected to be formally unveiled next week by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works would appropriate $287 billion for highway infrastructure over the next five years – a 28 percent increase over current spending levels – with nearly 90 percent or $259 billion distributed to states via the […]
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Report: Highway Construction Costs Rising Due to Environmental Regulations
editor@aashto.org July 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSA paper released by the Brookings Institution in mid-July indicates that “costly environmental review delays” are a major reason why the cost of building one mile of interstate highway tripled between the 1960s and 1980s, adjusted for inflation – validating some of the cost-reduction rationale behind state efforts to assume decision-making and legal responsibilities for […]
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By a vote of 52-40 on July 24, the Senate confirmed former Delta Air Lines executive Stephen Dickson to serve a five-year term as the next administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as the chairman of the Air Traffic Services Committee within the U.S. Department of Transportation. “Dickson was chosen to lead the […]
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The U.S. Department of Transportation officially awarded nearly $856 million worth of Infrastructure for Rebuilding America or INFRA grants to fund 20 projects across the country during a special event at its Washington, D.C. headquarters on July 25 – with 12 state departments of transportation winning grants for a variety of highway, railroad, and bridge […]
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Concern Raised Over Highway Funding Penalties in Sami’s Law
editor@aashto.org July 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSNational legislation aimed at improving ride-hailing safety contains a worrisome penalty for state governments: a one percent reduction in federal highway funding if states do not quickly implement new rules for transportation network companies or TNCs, such as Uber and Lyft. Introduced June 14 by Rep. Thomas Suozzi, D-NY, and Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., the […]
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UPS Seeks to Establish Broad-Based Drone Delivery Subsidiary
editor@aashto.org July 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSGlobal delivery company United Parcel Service aims to establish a commercial drone delivery subsidiary and has filed for Part 135 certification from the Federal Aviation Administration so it can conduct flight operations beyond line of sight, at night, and with an unlimited number of drones and operators in command. [Above photo by UPS.] The new […]
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The Federal Railroad Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on July 24 that would mandate the installation of inward- and outward-facing image recording devices on all lead locomotives in intercity rail or commuter rail passenger trains – devices that must record imagery while said locomotive is in motion and retain that data in a […]
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Governors Join Forces to Create Gateway Development Commission
editor@aashto.org July 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe governors of New York and New Jersey jointly signed bi-state legislation on July 22 to create the Gateway Development Commission, which they described as a “critical step” to getting the long-delayed $30 billion Gateway Project up and running. “The current Hudson River train tunnels are in dire condition, and it’s only a matter of […]
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Report Documents Vital Role Aviation Plays in Alaskan Economy
editor@aashto.org July 26, 2019 0 COMMENTSA new study compiled by the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities indicates the state’s aviation industry supports more than 35,000 jobs statewide, adds more than $3.8 billion annually to its economy, and is key to linking many of Alaska’s far-flung communities as 82 percent of them are only accessible by air. [Above photo […]
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