Statement by ARTBA President & CEO Dave Bauer on President Trump’s State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON - American Road & Transportation Builders Association President & CEO Dave Bauer issued the following statement relating to President Trump’s State of the Union address: “Good public policy is most often achieved when there is common ground. “New public opinion research finds that 90 percent of the American people want the Democratic leadership in Congress and President Trump to work together during 2019 to pass legislation to improve roads, bridges and transit systems. “Whe...
Video: 34 State DOTs Share Expertise at 2019 TRB Annual Meeting
This year at least 50 experts from 34 state departments of transportation participated in one or more of the 800 sessions offered at the 2019 Transportation Research Board, (TRB) Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. Among the volunteer experts contributing their time and energy to the conference, were 12 state DOT executives. This group of top administrators spoke on a wide range of pressing issues including workforce development, connected and autonomous vehicles and the need for sustainable feder...
Poll Shows Strong Partisan Divide on Border Wall Funding, Strong Bipartisan Support for Broad Infrastructure Initiative
(WASHINGTON) - While a new national poll shows only 43 percent of likely voters support using federal dollars to build “a wall or physical barrier along parts of our southern border to make it harder for people to enter our country illegally,” almost 90 percent believe “the Democratic leadership and President Trump should work together during 2019 to pass legislation that would improve other infrastructure.” The poll was conducted January 23-24 by Rasmussen Reports for the American Road & Tr...
Missouri S&T Poised to Help Address State’s Bridge Repair Needs
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s plan to release bond funds to support bridge repair across the state comes as welcome news to researchers at Missouri S&T, home to a federal initiative to develop new robotic tools to inspect and preserve bridges and other infrastructure. Missouri S&T researchers are in the midst of a five-year effort to develop new technologies to inspect and maintain bridges and portions of highway. The U.S. Department of Transportation grant provides $1.4 million a year to fund...
Savannah's TEU Count Grows 7.5 Percent in 2018
SAVANNAH, Ga.- The Port of Savannah moved 4.35 million twenty-foot equivalent container units in Calendar Year 2018, its highest annual volume ever, and a 7.5 percent increase over 2017, according to a report from Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch to the GPA Board Tuesday. "The level of business Georgia has captured is a testament to the world-class service provided by our stevedores, ILA, pilots, other port stakeholders, and our partners at Coast Guard and Customs a...
HNTB-Designed Laguna Niguel-San Juan Capistrano Passing Siding Project Reaches Another Milestone
SANTA ANA, Calif. – In another milestone for the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Laguna Niguel-San Juan Capistrano Passing Siding project, HNTB Corporation completed the final design and engineering phase, moving the project one step closer to construction with the board-approved notice to proceed. The project adds 1.8 miles of new passing siding railroad track between the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink Station and Trabuco Creek in San Juan Capistrano. The passing siding track...
Nevada DOT Starts ‘Next Phase’ of Centennial Bowl Interchange Project
The Nevada Department of Transportation kicked off the “next phase” of its “Centennial Bowl” interchange project on Jan. 22; a project aimed at revamping the connection between U.S. Highway 95 and 215 Beltway in northwest Las Vegas. This construction portion of this project is valued at $61.5 million, the agency added. [Above graphic by the Nevada DOT.] “This interchange connection greatly enhances traffic, mobility and motorist safety while establishing a new gateway corridor for the Cent...
Amtrak Completes Design of Premium Customer Space at Moynihan Train Hall
WASHINGTON – Amtrak has reached a key milestone in its plan to enhance the customer experience at its future home in the Moynihan Train Hall with the completion of planning and design for its premium passenger space, the Metropolitan Lounge (formerly ClubAcela) by releasing artist renderings of the space. The Metropolitan Lounge will serve Amtrak’s premium customers, providing them with added amenities and a high-quality passenger experience. “Our customers are going to love the new, mo...
Performance of Bridges That Received Funding Under the Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program
TRB Special Report 330: Performance of Bridges That Received Funding Under the Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program, examines the results of a federal program to promote innovation in highway bridge construction. The Innovative Bridge Research and Construction (IBRC) program, created by act of Congress, provided state departments of transportation with a total of $128.7 million in grants as incentives for use of innovative materials and technology to construct or repair approximat...
Building Extreme Weather Resilience into Transportation Asset Management Programs
Six states are wrapping up Federal Highway Administration-sponsored projects examining weather resilience strategies for their highway infrastructure, with the agency expecting reports on their research to be filed sometime in February; reports FHWA then plans to publish in a resilience “guidebook” later this year. [Above photo by Elissa Jun from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.] That insight from Stephen Gaj, asset management team leader within FHWA’s office of infrastructure, jum...