Bryant Orders 83 Bridges Closed in Emergency Declaration
Gov. Phil Bryant on Tuesday declared a state of emergency, issuing a proclamation that orders the Mississippi Department of Transportation to immediately close 83 city and county bridges that have been judged deficient by federal National Bridge Inspection Standards and the Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction.The announcement comes almost a week after the U.S. Department of Transportation notified the state that the Federal Highway Administration is concerned that the bridges remai...
N. Carolina DOT Contracts for Set of Projects to Improve 95 Road Miles in 2 Years
The North Carolina Department of Transportation said it will start work April 30 on a series of projects across four counties that includes the Winston-Salem area that will upgrade 95 miles of roads over the next two years. It said that will be under nearly $19 million in contracts for work across Davidson, Forsyth, Randolph and Rowan Counties that will improve portions of US 52, NC 8, 109, 47, 150, 65, 66, 67 as well as 45 sections of secondary roads. It is an example of the way many stat...
FHWA: January Continued Trend of Record-High Traffic on U.S. Roads
Traffic on U.S. roads and highways began 2018 the way it's been going for several years now, moving into ever-higher record territory as more vehicles compete for space in travel lanes and put more wear on the road system's infrastructure. The Federal Highway Administration said in its latest "Traffic Volume Trends" monthly report that travel on all roads and streets grew by 0.4 percent in January, or 900 million vehicle miles, compared with January 2017. The agency estimated traffic volume f...
While Majority of Americans Prefer their Personal Vehicles for Travel to and from Airports, Use of Ride-Sharing Services is Rapidly Accelerating
HNTB survey identifies trends emerging within past year including significantly increased use of ride-sharing services as well as a more positive experience at airports NEW YORK – Whether air travel is for business or pleasure, before ever boarding an airplane, the journey begins with the trip to the airport. While multiple travel options are available in many parts of the country, almost seven in 10 (68 percent) American air travelers still prefer to begin their trip in a personal vehicle, e...
NTSB Issues Reports on Protecting Bridges from Fire Damage and Collapse (NTSB)
On Thursday, March 30, 2017, about 6:05 p.m., construction materials stored under an Interstate 85 (I-85) overpass in Atlanta, Georgia, were set on fire. The fire propagated throughout the storage area. Just over 1 hour later, at 7:14 p.m., span 30 NB—a 92-foot-long elevated span of I-85—collapsed. No fatalities or injuries were reported from the fire and subsequent bridge collapse. One person was arrested and later charged with criminal damage to property. The Georgia Department of Transportati...
Colorado General Assembly Mulls Electronic Data Transportation Infrastructure Bill
Current law generally requires a state or local agency to get a search warrant before obtaining location information from an electronic device. The bill authorizes the Colorado department of transportation to use highway infrastructure technology to communicate with motor vehicles to facilitate transportation or manage traffic. The Colorado department of transportation (department) is prohibited from collecting personally identifying data except where necessary to administer HOV and toll lanes....
Committee Approves Slate of Legislation at Full Committee Markup
Washington, D.C. - This morning, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure convened a legislative markup and unanimously approved the following measures that span a wide range of important issue areas: H.R. 5294 – Treating Barriers to Prosperity Act – clarifies that funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) may be used to address the opioid crisis in Appalachia and to mitigate impacts on the Region’s workforce and job growth. H.R. 3288 – Northern Border Regional C...
House Passes Two Rail Data Security Bills
Washington, D.C. - Today, the House overwhelmingly passed two bipartisan railroad data and information security bills: H.R. 4921, the “STB Information and Security Act,” and H.R. 4925, the “FRA Safety Data Improvement Act.” Both pieces of legislation were unanimously approved by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on February 14, 2018 at a Full Committee markup. H.R. 4921, the “STB Information and Security Act,” is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI). This bipartisan...
U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $22.5 Million Grant for Commuter Rail Extension in San Rafael, California
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced the award of a $22.5 million grant to the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) for the San Rafael to Larkspur commuter rail extension. The project will provide an important connection for North Bay residents to access regional ferry service serving downtown San Francisco and destinations throughout the Bay Area. "This grant will improve transportation links for the hund...
PennDOT Outlines Policy Action Plan for Increased Safety Oversight of Highly Automated Vehicles
Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT unveiled a multi-step action plan Monday to establish stepped-up safety oversight of Highly Automated Vehicles in Pennsylvania. PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards outlined the voluntary testing policy at the first day of a two-day Automated Vehicle Summit in Pittsburgh. This was the second AV summit held in Pennsylvania over the last year and reflects the groundwork the Wolf Administration has taken to prepare for the benefits and challenges presented by this emergi...