Shuster Lays Out ‘Framework’ for Infrastructure Discussion
editor@aashto.org July 27, 2018 0 COMMENTSOutgoing Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Penn., released a 108-page “infrastructure proposal” on July 23 that he hopes can serve as a “discussion draft” that is intended to “further the national conversation about the current state of America’s infrastructure and highlight some of the major roadblocks to funding and improving our transportation network.” In a three-page “vision […]
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Discussion Continues Over Finding New Sources of Transportation Funding
editor@aashto.org July 27, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe broad infrastructure proposal unveiled July 23 on Capitol Hill by Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Penn., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, also serves to underscore a long-running debate over how to return the Highway Trust Fund to solvency. “The HTF is in serious trouble,” he noted in the “vision statement” that accompanied his […]
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Debate over Rider for Autonomous Vehicles in FAA Bill Heats Up
editor@aashto.org July 27, 2018 0 COMMENTSOft-delayed legislation sponsored by Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, designed to promote broader adoption of connected-autonomous vehicles or CAVs, may be attached to an updated version of the Senate’s Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill – an effort that is encountering pushback from a number of safety advocacy organizations. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and […]
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A survey conducted by the Mineta Transportation Institute for the American Public Transportation Association indicated that 80 percent of those it polled would support using their tax dollars for creating, expanding, and improving public transportation in their community, with a further 74 percent wanting Congress to increase spending on public transportation. “Americans understand that investment […]
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FRA Puts More Pressure on Railroads to Comply with PTC Requirements
editor@aashto.org July 27, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe Federal Railroad Administration is prepared to levy penalties against 13 railroads if they fail to implement positive train control or PTC safety systems by Dec. 31 this year. According to news reports, the agency said it would issue $27,904 in fines per violation to railroads that fail to meet PTC installation “milestones,” especially after […]
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Study Tracks Growth of Electric Scooters for Urban Mobility
editor@aashto.org July 27, 2018 0 COMMENTSA new study compiled by data platform management firm Populus indicates that the popularity of electric scooters as an urban transportation option continues to increase in major U.S. metropolitan cities. Yet one potential roadblock that might slow broader use of two-wheeled scooters is that most city and state laws do not allow them to operate […]
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Outgoing Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) signed an executive order on July 17 to conduct a “comprehensive assessment” of the state’s electronic tolling plan to ensure that out-of-state drivers “contribute their fair share” to the operation and maintenance of Connecticut’s highways and to also see if reducing gasoline taxes is a possibility. “During this past legislative session, […]
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The Missouri Department of Transportation is the latest state DOT to join a national effort aimed at eliminating human trafficking in the United States. As one of signatories to the Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking pledge – an initiative of the U.S. Department of Transportation that involves more than 200 transportation and travel industry stakeholders […]
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WSDOT Issues Comprehensive Pavement Preventative Maintenance Study
editor@aashto.org July 27, 2018 0 COMMENTSA six-year study of hot mix asphalt preventive maintenance techniques conducted by the Washington State Department of Transportation indicates that a range of “treatments” can effectively extend pavement life, using a combination of crack sealing, chip sealing and dig outs can extend pavement life for five years or more. The 115-page study aimed to determine […]
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CARB Report Indicates Transportation Emissions Still Rising
editor@aashto.org July 27, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe California Air Resources Board released an “inventory report” report on July 11 on greenhouse gas or GHG emissions in California and while CARB said GHG emissions in 2016 (the latest available year for data) dropped below 1990 levels for the first time in 14 years – “an achievement roughly equal to taking 12 million […]
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