NOCoE Begins Promoting 2020 Transportation Technology Tournament
editor@aashto.org December 27, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) along with the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America will jointly host the third annual Transportation Technology Tournament from February to August 2020. [Left to right in photo above: NOCoE’s Patrick Son; The 2019 TTT winning Michigan team members Alex Sundt, Yan Zhao, and […]
READ MOREFiscal Year 2020 Funding Deal Preserves FAST Act Outlays
editor@aashto.org December 20, 2019 0 COMMENTSA bipartisan agreement that combined all 12 fiscal year 2020 federal government funding bills into two appropriations packages – H.R. 1158 and H.R. 1865 – will fund transportation programs through September 30, 2020, and provide $87.2 billion in total discretionary budget resources to the U.S. Department of Transportation. [Above photo by the Virginia DOT.] Both the House of […]
READ MOREAASHTO Letter Seeks Congressional Support for Preserving 5.9 GHz Spectrum
editor@aashto.org December 20, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials sent a letter on December 16 to the leadership of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce seeking their support for preserving the 5.9 GHz wireless spectrum for transportation safety needs alone. The letter, signed […]
READ MOREAGC Says Higher Bid Prices, Longer Project Completion Times Ahead in 2020
editor@aashto.org December 20, 2019 0 COMMENTSAn annual construction contractor survey conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage Construction and Real Estate finds that most respondents expect demand to increase for their services in 2020. Yet that increased demand will occur alongside an ongoing labor shortage, which will lead to higher bid prices and longer competition times for […]
READ MOREDraft of Regional Climate Program Calls for Motor Fuel-Based Emission Cap
editor@aashto.org December 20, 2019 0 COMMENTSA regional coalition of 12 Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states, along with the District of Columbia, issued a nine-page draft policy proposal that calls for establishing a cap on greenhouse gas or GHG emissions from transportation fuels while investing millions of dollars annually to develop cleaner transportation systems and more resilient transportation infrastructure. [Above photo by […]
READ MOREAAA: Distracted Driving Increases with ADAS Technology
editor@aashto.org December 20, 2019 0 COMMENTSA new report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says drivers with experience using advanced driver assistance systems or ADAS such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist are nearly twice as likely to engage in distracted driving while using them compared to when they are not using them. [Above photo via AAA.] Alternatively, […]
READ MOREAPTA Analysis Indicates Uptick in Public Transit Ridership
editor@aashto.org December 20, 2019 0 COMMENTSA quarterly report compiled by the American Public Transportation Association indicates that national public transit ridership increased 2.2 percent in the third quarter of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. [Above photo by the Rhode Island DOT.] That includes a 5.46 percent uptick in ridership for heavy rail, a 4.38 percent jump for […]
READ MOREVirginia Forges $3.7B Railroad Deal with Freight Carrier CSX
editor@aashto.org December 20, 2019 0 COMMENTSA $3.7 billion agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and freight railroad CSX announced on December 19 will transfer track and bridge ownership to the state, creating a pathway to separate passenger and freight operations along the Richmond to Washington, D.C., corridor. [Above photo by the Virginia DOT.] In a statement, Governor Ralph Northam (D) […]
READ MOREJury Awards WSDOT $52.7M for Tunnel Construction Delays
editor@aashto.org December 20, 2019 0 COMMENTSThe Washington State Department of Transportation won $57.2 million in damages on Dec. 13 after a two-month jury trial over construction delays involving the downtown Seattle Highway 99 tunnel project – a verdict that is being appealed. [Above photo by WSDOT.] The trial revolved around the breakdown of the tunnel-boring machine Bertha – at the […]
READ MORECalifornia to Allow Autonomous Delivery Vehicles on Public Roads
editor@aashto.org December 20, 2019 0 COMMENTSOn December 17, California officially gave the green light for testing and deploying commercial light-duty autonomous delivery vehicles on the state’s public roads – with an approved permit from the Department of Motor Vehicles. [Above photo via Caltrans.] Under revised regulations by the state’s Office of Administrative Law, companies with a DMV permit can operate […]
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