Senate Passes THUD Bill as Part of Minibus Funding Package
editor@aashto.org August 3, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe U.S. Senate voted to approve a more than $154 billion “minibus” funding bill – H.R. 6147 – on Aug. 1 by a vote of 92 to 6; a bill that wrapped together four separate spending bills into a single package, including the fiscal year 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development or THUD bill approved […]
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USDOT, EPA Propose Fuel Economy Standards ‘Freeze’ to Improve Safety, Reduce Costs
editor@aashto.org August 3, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe U.S. Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency are seeking to “freeze” light vehicle fuel economy standards via a new rulemaking effort, according to a joint proposal issued Aug. 1. The agencies plan to “lay out” eight options for a single national fuel-economy standard for model years 2021 through 2026, with USDOT and […]
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Feds Heighten Focus on Cybersecurity for U.S. Infrastructure
editor@aashto.org August 3, 2018 0 COMMENTSPhoto: Vice President Mike Pence As part of a daylong “cybersecurity summit” held by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on July 31 in New York City, Vice President Mike Pence stressed in a speech that “America’s digital infrastructure is under constant cyberattack” and that “our digital foes are targeting every facet of our society,” […]
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Video Report: Mobility Workshop Explores Bike Transportation
editor@aashto.org August 3, 2018 0 COMMENTSState department of transportation executives participated in a three-hour, 10-mile long “mobile workshop” on July 17 led by the Washington State DOT, the City of Spokane, and transportation technology firm Iteris during the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ 2018 Joint Policy Committee in Spokane, Washington. The workshop, which explored strategies for increasing […]
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According to an analysis by the Auto Insurance Center of the most recent fatality data available from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the United States averaged roughly one deadly crash related to road rage per day in 2016, with Indiana home to the most fatalities related to road rage and aggressive driving incidents, followed […]
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The Federal Transit Administration noted on July 25 that four more states – Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Wisconsin – have achieved federal certification of their rail transit State Safety Oversight (SSO) programs. With these four most recent certifications, 21 of 30 states and the 31 SSO programs covered by this rule are now in compliance, the […]
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FAA Rolls out Third Installment of Airport Infrastructure Grants
editor@aashto.org August 3, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe Federal Aviation Administration awarded $770.8 million in grants to 522 airports on July 27 to fund 949 infrastructure projects that include runways, taxiways, and terminals, as well as the acquisition of aircraft rescue, firefighting, and snow removal equipment. The agency said in a statement that this money is the “third increment” of grants issued via its […]
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The Trump administration nominated Joel Szabat to be the assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs within the U.S. Department of Transportation on July 31; a promotion from his current position as deputy assistant secretary for the office of aviation and international affairs. Szabat’s transportation career includes stints as executive director of the Maritime Administration […]
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Caltrans Begins Recovery Work Even as Carr Wildfire Rages
editor@aashto.org August 3, 2018 0 COMMENTSDespite being only 30 percent contained, Caltrans work crews and contractors are now entering areas burnt out by the Carr wildfire in northern California – now considered to be the ninth worst in state history – to catalog the damage done to transportation infrastructure by its flames and heat as well as to begin repair […]
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Arizona DOT Provides Update on Mexican Truck Driver Education Program
editor@aashto.org August 3, 2018 0 COMMENTSOne year ago, the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Enforcement and Compliance Division sent five of its officers to Mexico as part of 12-month program to educate Mexican truck drivers and mechanics concerning the safety regulations they must follow in order to operate their commercial equipment on U.S. roads. The agency said that those officers conducted […]
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