State DOTs Still Seeking Emergency Funding from Congress
editor@aashto.org August 14, 2020 0 COMMENTSFunding shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of movement on a new five-year federal surface transportation reauthorization bill continue to put pressure on the bottom lines of state departments of transportation across the country. Most observers anticipate Congress (which officially recessed on August 14 until September 8 without passing legislation to provide […]
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 2020 Annual Meeting — originally planned to be held in Baltimore, MD, November 4-8 – will be held virtually the week of November 9-13. The premiere national gathering of state department of transportation leaders, federal transportation officials, and industry professionals, AASHTO […]
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FHWA Proposes Right-of-Way Rule for Broadband Installation
editor@aashto.org August 14, 2020 0 COMMENTSThe Federal Highway Administration proposed a new rule on August 13 to improve coordination in the use of highway rights-of-way to support the installation of broadband technologies. [Above photo by WSDOT.] Highway rights-of-way are commonly used to accommodate public utilities, such as phone lines, electrical lines and pipelines. Expanding their use to include wireless broadband […]
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The Federal Transit Administration plans to award $464 million worth of transit infrastructure funding to support 96 projects in 49 states and territories via its Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. FTA said that funding supports projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses plus related equipment – along with projects to purchase, rehabilitate, and […]
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The White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy is asking via a Federal Register notice for stakeholder input to help form a national plan aimed at boosting the resiliency of satellite-based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing or PNT systems. [Official White House photo above by Andrea Hanks.] The Federal Register notice added that this national […]
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Amtrak Finishes PTC Installation, Rolls Out Crossing Alert
editor@aashto.org August 14, 2020 0 COMMENTSNational passenger rail provider Amtrak said it wrapped up installation of Positive Train Control or PTC systems on all Amtrak-owned or controlled tracks on August 13; adding that it is also rolling out a new rail crossing map alert feature for motorists in partnership with Waze. [Above photo by Amtrak.] In terms of its PTC implementation, Amtrak […]
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Jennifer Cohan plans to retire as secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation at the end of October, when she will join Leadership Delaware as its chief executive officer. Then-Governor Jack Markell (D) appointed Cohan to lead the Delaware DOT in January 2015, and after her confirmation by the state legislature, she became only the […]
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The West Virginia Department of Transportation launched a $20 million paving effort on August 10 in the north central part of the state that is expected to be completed in a month and a half. [Above photo by the West Virginia DOT.] “Not only are we going to complete $20 million-worth of paving projects, but […]
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Report Examines Putting Power Lines in Transportation Corridors
editor@aashto.org August 14, 2020 0 COMMENTSA 41-page report issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission outlines both the barriers and opportunities for establishing high voltage transmission lines in the nation’s transportation corridors. FERC’s report – mandated by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act signed into law on December 20, 2019 – examined the reliability and resilience benefits, permitting barriers, and any […]
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As part of an ongoing effort to promote face mask use within Connecticut’s public transportation system to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Joseph Giulietti (above left), commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, joined Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz (D) (above right) on August 12 to distribute free face masks to rail passengers at […]
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