Election 2020: Wins for Incumbent Governors, Transportation Ballot Measures
editor@aashto.org November 6, 2020 0 COMMENTSOut of the 11 state governorships up for election in 2020, incumbents seeking re-election won nine of them – six of them Republican and three Democrat – with two open seats captured by Republican candidates. [Above photo of Gov. Mike Parson (R) by MoDOT.] Meanwhile, voters in 18 states approved a record 94 percent of […]
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Election 2020 Update: Biden Declared President, Control of Congress Still Uncertain
editor@aashto.org November 6, 2020 0 COMMENTSOn November 7, major news organizations declared the Biden-Harris ticket to be the winner of the U.S. presidential election. However, the Trump campaign has launched several legal challenges disputing that declaration and is calling for recounts in several swing states. Meanwhile, as of November 9, control of the House of Representatives is expected to remain […]
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House T&I Leaders Call for GAO Review of FCC 5.9 GHz Reallocation Plan
editor@aashto.org November 6, 2020 0 COMMENTSThe leadership of the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has asked the Government Accountability Office to study the safety implications of the Federal Communications Commission plan to open up more than half of the 5.9-gigahertz wireless communication spectrum to non-transportation safety usage. The FCC proposal would shift 30 megahertz of the 75 […]
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AASHTO Annual Meeting to Examine Post-Election Impact on Transportation
editor@aashto.org November 6, 2020 0 COMMENTSThe American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Annual Meeting – held via a virtual format November 9-13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic – will focus on the potential ways the results of the 2020 national elections could affect the nation’s transportation policy agenda. As part of AASHTO’s annual meeting, the organization’s Transportation Policy […]
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In this short video clip, Jim Tymon (seen above) – executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials – provides a preview of the virtual 2020 AASHTO Annual Meeting, November 9 through November 13. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) will deliver remarks on Monday, November […]
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The U.S. Department of Transportation is launching a new drone research initiative dubbed the BEYOND program that will build upon the agency’s three-year long Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program (UAS IPP) that wrapped up on October 25. [Above photo by the Kansas DOT.] USDOT said eight of the nine state, local, and tribal governments that […]
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Universities Join Forces to Test Bridge Design Resiliency
editor@aashto.org November 6, 2020 0 COMMENTSIn a study published in the Journal of Structural Engineering, Texas A&M University and the University of Colorado-Boulder researchers have conducted a comprehensive damage and repair assessment of a still-to-be-implemented bridge design using a panel of experts from academia and industry. [Above photo via Texas A&M University.] The researchers said the expert feedback method offers a […]
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The U.S. Department of Transportation is expanding eligibility and flexibility for a pilot program aimed at expediting long-term, low-cost loans for short line and regional railroads. The Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Express or RRIF Express program – administered by the USDOT’s Build America Bureau – seeks to reduce the time and costs associated with […]
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The Virginia Department of Transportation hosted state and local leaders at a groundbreaking event for its $3.8 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel or HRBT expansion project. [Above photo by the Virginia DOT.] This project aims to increase provide an easier and more reliable commute. The project extends along 9.9 miles of Interstate 64 between Hampton and […]
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To keep roads free of snow and ice in the wintertime requires the right mix of people, equipment, and chemicals, two state departments of transportation explained recently – components that now must also include COVID-19 infection contingencies. [Above photo by the KYTC.] For example, Jim Gray, secretary of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, noted that his […]
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