Midterm Elections Give Democrats Control of the House; Republicans Keep Senate
editor@aashto.org November 9, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe Nov. 6 congressional elections not only gave control of the U.S. House of Representatives to the Democrats and kept the Senate in Republican hands, but also sent at least 47 of the 60-member House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee back to Capitol Hill. House members winning reelection include Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., who is currently […]
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California Beats Back Transportation Funding Repeal; Mixed Success for Other Ballot Initiatives
editor@aashto.org November 9, 2018 0 COMMENTSNine major transportation funding-related ballot initiatives were placed before voters in eight states on Nov. 6 – two of them in Colorado alone – and once the votes were tallied, five of those ballot initiatives failed while four of them succeeded. [Above photo by Caltrans.] Yet one of those “failures” regarded an effort to repeal […]
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AASHTO Files Comments with USDOT on Impact of Autonomous Vehicles
editor@aashto.org November 9, 2018 0 COMMENTSThe American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials filed a letter with USDOT on Nov. 5 to offer comments on the agency’s Oct. 9 Federal Register notice regarding its planned study of how automated vehicle technologies may impact the U.S. workforce. [Above photo by GM.] AASHTO noted that states are facing more and more […]
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IRU Report: Global Transport Firms See Autonomous Trucks on the Road in 10 years
editor@aashto.org November 9, 2018 0 COMMENTSA new report compiled by the World Road Transportation Organization or IRU finds that transport companies in Europe, Asia and the Middle East region are “extremely optimistic” about the deployment timeline for vehicle automation, with 76 percent of those polled by the IRU expecting autonomous trucks to become a “viable option” within the next decade. […]
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Outreach on Scooter Safety Begins as Bigger Players Enter ‘Micro-Mobility’ Market
editor@aashto.org November 9, 2018 0 COMMENTSWith the global electric scooter market expected to increase from roughly $16 billion today to more than $37 billion by 2024, according to one study, bigger companies – particularly automobile manufacturers – are starting to make bigger investments in this segment of the “micro-mobility” industry. Yet the rapid growth of scooter usage is also sparking […]
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Uber Issues Safety Report in Hopes of Restarting Driverless Vehicle Testing
editor@aashto.org November 9, 2018 0 COMMENTSUber issued a 70-page safety report in early November to help it win approval for restarting self-driving vehicle pilot tests it suspended in March following a fatal accident during nighttime tests in Tempe, Arizona, which killed a pedestrian. [Above photo by Uber.] “We recognize the importance of earning the trust and confidence of both the […]
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The American Traffic Safety Services Association is seeking the submission of names to be included in its 2019 National Work Zone Memorial; a memorial that honors those who were killed in highway work zone crashes, including: roadway workers; non-impaired motorists; pedestrians; law enforcement officers; and first responders, such as firefighters and paramedics. The deadline for […]
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‘Core Elements’ Defined by National Groups for Vision Zero Efforts
editor@aashto.org November 9, 2018 0 COMMENTSOn Nov. 6 the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Vision Zero Network released what they dubbed the “first‐ever” definition of “Core Elements” for Vision Zero efforts to eliminate highway fatalities in three areas: leadership and commitment; safe roadways and safe speeds; data driven approaches, with transparency and accountability. “ITE is committed to reducing the number […]
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As winter approaches, state departments of transportation across the country are preparing for highway snow removal operations – with some already having engaged in storm response. [Above photo by Colorado DOT.] The Colorado Department of Transportation dealt with what it called a “compact winter storm system” that hit the northern and eastern portions of the […]
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Arizona DOT Adopting a ‘Value Engineering’ Philosophy for Transportation Projects
editor@aashto.org November 9, 2018 0 COMMENTSA new process called “value engineering” is being deployed by the Arizona Department of Transportation to help reduce project costs, shorten delivery times, or both. And a project that aims to replace the decking on Interstate 17 bridges at Willard Springs Road south of Flagstaff highlights the benefits of that philosophy. [Above photo by Arizona […]
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