State DOTs Sign Letter Supporting Preservation of 5.9 GHz Spectrum
editor@aashto.org August 23, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe leaders of all 50 state departments of transportation, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico signed a letter sent to the Federal Communications Commission on August 20 to “continue our nation’s commitment to improving transportation safety” by reserving the 5.9 GHz wireless spectrum for transportation-only usage. [Above graphic from the National Highway Traffic Safety […]
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America’s Top 12 Transportation Projects Vying for Two Prestigious Awards
editor@aashto.org August 23, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe top 12 winning transportation projects from four U.S. regional competitions will battle it out in this year’s America’s Transportation Awards competition, with two $10,000 cash awards for a charity or transportation-related scholarship of the winners’ choosing at stake. [Above photo by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.] The broad scope of the projects in […]
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Traffic Congestion Keeps Climbing, Says Latest Urban Mobility Report
editor@aashto.org August 23, 2019 0 COMMENTSGridlock on America’s roadways is increasing, according to the 2019 Urban Mobility Report published by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute – in part due to job growth that is “exacerbating” the nation’s traffic woes. The United States added 1.9 million jobs from 2016 to 2017, TTI note in its report – slower growth than the […]
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The District Court for the Southern District of Georgia blocked enforcement of “Water of the United States” or WOTUS rules in seven states on Aug. 21. The rules were developed during the Obama administration and the Trump administration is working to establish new regulations that were proposed last year. In a lawsuit filed by the […]
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Researchers Seeking Ways to Toughen Infrastructure Against Tsunamis
editor@aashto.org August 23, 2019 0 COMMENTSA group of researchers at Oregon State University are working towards developing a better means of modeling the destructive force of tsunami waves in order to make buildings, roads, and bridges better able to withstand them. The research team, led by Ben Mason and Harry Yeh of the OSU College of Engineering, is using a […]
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USDOT Rulemaking Seeks to Limit Page Length of Environmental Reviews
editor@aashto.org August 23, 2019 0 COMMENTSA federal register notice posted by the U.S. Department of Transportation on August 23 seeks public comment on two “interim” policies: one to limit environmental impact statements to a maximum of 150 pages – with a recommendation that they “not exceed” 75 pages – and the other to coordinate those federal reviews under the “One […]
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National League of Cities Report Backs Congestion Pricing
editor@aashto.org August 23, 2019 0 COMMENTSA new 24-page report issued by the National League of Cities on August 7 recommends congestion pricing as a key tool for “solving the growing infrastructure crisis in American cities, towns, and villages.” [Above photo by the New York City Department of Transportation.] The report – entitled “Making Space: Congestion Charging in Cities” – encourages […]
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City of Columbus to Test All-in-One Transport Payment System
editor@aashto.org August 23, 2019 0 COMMENTSSiemens Mobility and Bytemark – a Siemens Mobility partially-owned subsidiary – are going to work with the City of Columbus to create a “common payment” platform that will allow users to pay for both public and private mobility services using a single account-based payment system integrated into the city’s “Smart Columbus” travel app. [Above photo […]
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The Federal Railroad Administration is disbursing more than $272 million in grant funding to 10 rail projects in 10 states through its Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair or SOGR program to help to repair and rehabilitate railroad infrastructure around the country. [Above photo from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.] “This funding will […]
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The U.S. Department of Energy awarded 43 advanced vehicle technology research projects a combined total of $59 million in funding on August 16; projects focused on developing lithium-metal solid state batteries, new materials and designs for advanced electric motors, and the combination of new powertrain materials with new combustion regimes to significantly improve fuel economy. […]
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