Denham Statement from Hearing on Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America: Challenges and Opportunities for Intercity Passenger Rail Service
Chairman Jeff Denham (R-CA) Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Material Hearing on “Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America: Challenges and Opportunities for Intercity Passenger Rail Service” June 22, 2017 Opening Statement (Remarks as Prepared) Good morning and welcome to today’s hearing to consider the challenges and opportunities for intercity passenger rail service. At the outset, I want to thank Mr. Capuano for his bipartisan work to reauthorize Amtrak...
FTA Posts Status of State Progress to Meet Rail Transit Safety Certification Deadline, Avoid Funding Impact if Deadline is Missed
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has notified the 30 states where rail transit systems operate that federal law requires they establish an FTA-certified State Safety Oversight (SSO) Program by April 15, 2019. If a state fails to obtain certification for its SSO Program by the deadline, FTA is prohibited by federal transportation law from obligating any funds to public transportation agencies throughout that state until certification...
SnowEx Introduces New V-Maxx G2 Hopper Spreaders With Enhanced Controls and Spreading Performance
MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – Equipped with updated controls and enhanced material spreading features, the new SnowEx® V-Maxx™ G2 hopper spreaders offer greater performance and operating efficiency for contractors and municipalities on large ice control applications. A new dual variable-speed control is more compact than on previous models. This digital, self-diagnosing unit allows independent adjustment of spinner and auger speeds, while convenient buttons offer easy control of the standard...
Association Releases LRFD Tunnel Design and Construction Guide Specifications
AASHTO has released for sale a publication detailing load and resistance factor design guide specifications for highway tunnels. The association's Bookstore is offering this 279-page first edition of "LRFD Tunnel Design and Construction Guide Specifications" as a single-user electronic file, at both member and nonmember prices. Developed for industry use by the Highway Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures, its guide specifications are intended for the design, evaluation and rehabilitatio...
Senators Release Bipartisan Principles for Legislation on Self-Driving Vehicles
The chairman and ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, plus a member from an automotive-centered state, issued a set of principles they said would guide legislation they plan to write concerning self-driving vehicles. Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., ranking minority member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., jointly released their principles June 13, in advance of a committee hearing the next day on "Paving the Way for Self-Driving Vehicles."...
253 House Members Sign Letter Seeking Long-Term Fix to Highway Trust Fund
More than half of all House members, including majorities from both political parties, told the chamber's chief tax writers they want to come up with a way to head off the future insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund. While their letter did not specifically endorse a gas tax increase or any other revenue option, it did ask leaders of the Ways and Means Committee to come up with a "long-term, dedicated, user-based revenue stream" that will keep the trust fund solvent. Reps. Sa...
Innovative Paving Pilot Underway Due to Wolf Administration's 'Road MaP' Initiative
Kittanning, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) officials today discussed an innovative paving method being deployed for the first time in Armstrong County to improve nearly five miles of rural roadway. The pilot, using Recycled Asphalt Paving or RAP, is made possible due to PennDOT's Road Maintenance and Preservation (Road MaP) initiative, which Governor Tom Wolf recently announced will invest $2.1 billion in roadway maintenance and highway and bridge capital projects ov...
USDOT Asks Transportation Stakeholders to Identify ‘Obstacles’ to Building Projects
The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a formal request for industry stakeholders to help federal officials "identify unnecessary obstacles to transportation infrastructure projects." In a June 8 Federal Register notice, the USDOT said it is reviewing its own "policy statements, guidance documents and regulations," and will take public comments through July 24 on "non-statutory requirements that the department imposes and that should be removed or revised." The notice specified that...
Trump’s Infrastructure Push Goes From White House to Ohio River to USDOT
The White House issued additional information about what it wants to see in a new infrastructure investment package, as President Trump, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and other officials took part in a weeklong series of events focused on this major domestic policy goal. While many aspects of the plan are reportedly still taking shape, the events amounted to the most public attention the administration has yet given to the issue since Trump took office. He had campaigned for the presid...
Michael Baker International Creates Safer Roadway with Widening of Highway 70 in Central Arkansas
Pittsburgh (June 13, 2017) - Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services, is playing a critical role in the transformation of the heavily traveled Highway 70 between Interstate 30 and the City of Hot Springs, Arkansas. The firm recently completed a $4.5 million design project for the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) to widen the 19-mile stretch of highway from two lanes to four, in an effort to increase capacity and pro...
Video: Crashes Drop Measurably After Rural Road Safety Improvement Project on US 521 in Lancaster County
Redevelopment of Horseshoe Bay Terminal
June Issue 2026
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