No Connection Between Pedestrian Bridge Collapse and Grant Award Process, USDOT OIG Finds
editor@aashto.org November 2, 2018 0 COMMENTSA 20-page report issued by the USDOT’s Office of Inspector General on Oct. 29 determined that there was “no evidence” connecting the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery or TIGER grant approval process and the March 15th collapse of a pedestrian bridge under construction at Florida International University in Miami, FL, on March 15, as “decisions […]
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Railroad Grade Crossing Safety the Focus of FRA Summit
editor@aashto.org November 2, 2018 0 COMMENTSDuring a special summit on railroad grade crossing safety hosted by the Federal Railroad Administration on Oct. 30 in Washington, D.C., USDOT Secretary Elaine Chao said that “statistics show that progress has leveled off the last 5 years” in regards to reducing railroad grade crossing crashes involving trains and motor vehicles. [Above photo by NTSB.] […]
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Key Transportation Cases Await Now-Confirmed Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh
editor@aashto.org November 2, 2018 0 COMMENTSFive transportation-related cases before the U.S. Supreme Court may bear the imprimatur of newly-appointed Associate Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who was officially sworn in by President Trump on Oct. 8. [Above photo from the Collection of the U.S. Supreme Court.] Research conducted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials notes that these five […]
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Airport, Toll Road, and Port Activity All Expected to Increase, Fitch Ratings Says
editor@aashto.org November 2, 2018 0 COMMENTSIn a report issued Oct. 18, credit agency Fitch Ratings said that airports, toll roads, and ports are all facing “potential increases in borrowing costs” should the Federal Reserve continue to increase interest rates – and it has already increased interest rates three times in 2018 alone and eight times since 2015. [Above photo by […]
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NTSB Releases Breakdown of 2017 Transportation Fatality Numbers
editor@aashto.org November 2, 2018 0 COMMENTSAnalysis of 2017 fatality data by the National Transportation Safety Board indicates that highway crashes accounted for 95 percent of the 38,958 people who died in transportation-related accidents in 2017. [Above photo by NTSB.] NTSB’s analysis, released on Nov. 1, noted that 712 fewer people died in transportation accidents in 2017 compared to 2016, with […]
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Portland Survey Highlights Developing E-Scooter Trends
editor@aashto.org November 2, 2018 0 COMMENTSA survey of nearly 75,000 electric scooter users by the Portland Bureau of Transportation – part of the Oregon city’s 120-day e-scooter pilot program – is providing what the agency described as a “wealth of information” about how people use this new transportation option, particularly as a replacement for car travel. [Above photo by Luis […]
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Five Semi-Finalists Selected in USDOT Safety Data Contest
editor@aashto.org November 2, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe USDOT chose five semi-finalists on Oct. 26 for its Solving for Safety Visualization Challenge, which seeks “innovative analytical visualization tools” to help improve safety on U.S. road and railroad systems. [Above photo by Oregon DOT.] “These advanced applications show the potential for data-driven safety solutions that the Department wants to support,” noted Under Secretary of […]
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The Federal Transit Administration participated in two ceremonies in late October to highlight the impact of 2018 grants aimed at improving transit bus services in Kansas City, Missouri, and Blooming, Illinois. [Above photo by the FTA.] FTA’s Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams attended a groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 25 as construction got underway on the […]
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USDOT Officially Issues Final Rule Amending Environmental Rules for Transportation Projects
editor@aashto.org November 2, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe USDOT has officially issued a 131-page final rule to amend Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration regulations regarding the implementation of National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA requirements along with other environmental protocols – steps the agency believes will “accelerate” transportation project delivery times. [Above photo by NCDOT.] Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said […]
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USDOT Makes $5.95M Loan to Washington State Port for Rail Upgrade
editor@aashto.org November 2, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe USDOT’s Build America Bureau is going to provide a $5.95 million Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing or RRIF loan to the Port of Everett in the State of Washington to help fund its Marine Terminal Rail Improvements Phase II Project. The Bureau, which administers the RRIF credit program, functions as a “one-stop shop” to […]
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