Transportation Briefs
Updated April 24, 2008
U.S. DOT Seeks Innovative Research Proposals from Small Businesses to Solve Multimodal Transportation Challenges
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) announced the first of two Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program solicitations for 2008, inviting small businesses to submit innovative research proposals that address high priority national transportation goals. RITA has set a new strategic direction for the program this year, with a heightened emphasis on proposals that would provide cost-effective, multi-modal solutions to the nation’s most pressing transportation challenges in areas such as bridge condition monitoring technology and data collection, hazardous materials tracking and incident response, adaptive traffic signal control, and rail, motorcycle and pedestrian safety research. The SBIR program is administered by RITA’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center on behalf of DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. Proposals are due by June 3, 2008. The solicitation is available online at http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sbir/current.html. Contact: Kim Riddle: 202-366-5128.
U.S. Department of Transportation Approves Continuation of Inland GPS Operations
The U.S. Department of Transportation approved a decision to continue the inland component of the National Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS), which provides an accurate, highly-reliable, real-time GPS correction signal. The decision is based on the results of the NDGPS user assessment conducted by the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). RITA followed the plan announced in the Federal Register notice on NDGPS (72 FR 42219), assessing the current user needs and systems requirements for the inland component of NDGPS. The notice listed 10 factors for consideration. Information was gathered on these 10 factors through public responses to the notice (including responses from state and local governments, the private sector, and the non-profit sector), and through quantification of the mission requirements of other federal agencies using inland NDGPS. Discussions are ongoing regarding the future funding mechanism for inland NDGPS, and will be addressed in future budget submissions. This decision was endorsed by the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee at their meeting of March 20, and publicly announced at the PNT Advisory Committee meeting on March 27. Contact: Kim Riddle 202-366-5128.
Secretary Peters Proposes 25 Percent Increase in Fuel Efficiency Standards Over 5 Years for Passenger Vehicles, Light Trucks
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Contact: Brian Turmail, Tel.: (202) 366-4570
DOT 56-08
Fuel efficiency standards for both passenger vehicles and light trucks would increase by 4.5 percent per year over the five-year period ending in 2015 – a 25 percent total improvement that exceeds the 3.3 percent baseline proposed by Congress last year – under an ambitious new proposal announced today by U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters.
“This proposal is historically ambitious, yet achievable,” Secretary Peters said. “It will help us all breathe a little easier by reducing tailpipe emissions, cutting fuel consumption and making driving a little more affordable.”
For passenger cars, the proposal would increase fuel economy from the current 27.5 miles per gallon to 35.7 miles per gallon by 2015. For light trucks, the proposal calls for increases from 23.5 miles per gallon in 2010 to 28.6 miles per gallon in 2015.
All told, the proposal will save nearly 55 billion gallons of fuel and a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions estimated at 521 million metric tons. The plan will save America’s drivers over $100 billion in fuel costs over the lifetime of the vehicles covered by the rule, Secretary Peters said.
As required by Congress, the proposed rule allows for automakers to earn credits for exceeding Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards. This will serve as an incentive for companies to exceed these goals while giving manufacturers flexibility to meet the standards without compromising their economic vitality. The goal is to save fuel, not endanger jobs, Secretary Peters said.
”Looking at the fuel-efficient technologies already available, it’s easy to see a not-too-distant future when cars fueled by something other than gasoline will be readily available and affordable,” Secretary Peters said. “Until that time, however, we will continue to do what we can, safely and efficiently, to improve gas mileage and help consumers spend less time and less money at the pump.”
Over the last six years, the Administration has twice made changes to the nation’s CAFE standards, including the first since 1975 to increase mileage requirements for light trucks. Last year, President Bush called for an energy plan that goes even further by requiring attribute-based fuel efficiency standards for passenger vehicles. A copy of the CAFE proposal can be found at www.nhtsa.gov.
Updated April 10, 2008
"Bridges to the Future: A vision for infrastructure in the 21st century,"
Popular Mechanics and the National Science Foundation present "Bridges to the Future: A vision for infrastructure in the 21st century," a webcast discussion exploring the best ideas for improving American infrastructure and building a better, safer future. The sessions are all call-in programs, with conversation driven by the questions that come in live from decision makers, the research community and the public. The webcast can be accessed by clicking HERE.
Updated April 9, 2008
Transportation Issues Go to Back of Campaign Line
From CQ Politics, By Colby Itkowitz
When the I-35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis last August, it was seen as a wake-up call for officials to deal with the nation’s aging infrastructure.
But while many delegates, elected officials and others attending this summer’s Republican National Convention in St. Paul may find themselves passing nearby the site of the disaster, they are not likely to hear much talk about the issue in the presidential campaign.
“It’s not entirely clear why the needs of the country continue to get shortchanged during elections and frankly during administrations in both parties,” said Ed Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department.
Historically, transportation issues have been afterthoughts in presidential politics, lacking the attention garnered by more high-profile subjects like national security, the economy in general or even the attacks-of-the-day traded back and forth between candidates.
Immediately after the bridge collapse in Minnesota, which killed 13 people, a commitment to invest in upgrading the country’s infrastructure seemed sure to be a priority. But that sense of urgency faded out and the subject did, not even get a mention in President Bush’s State of the Union address five months later.
Not since President Eisenhower more than 50 years ago committed to building an interstate highway system has any president or candidate built a platform on transportation.
And this primary season is no different.
On the campaign Web sites of the remaining candidates: Arizona Sen. John McCain, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, only Obama offers a plan for transportation that can be found when scrolling through his issue statements and clicking on “additional issues.”
A spokesman for the Obama campaign said the Illinois senator would support improvements to the nation’s infrastructure if elected president.
“It’s not a hot-button issue, but he’s made a point of campaigning close to the ground,” the spokesman said. “While it may not come up in cable news, it does come up at town halls or the local diner. It’s something he hears from the voters and it tends to hit close to home for people.”
Off the Radar
The 12-member National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission released a report on Jan. 15 that said the federal government needed to spend $225 billion a year in infrastructure for a half-century to build the kind of transportation system the nation needs to stay competitive, but it’s often considered political suicide to champion spending money.
“There’s a dearth of discussion amongst the candidates on either side of the aisle,” said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “Compared to what we see happening elsewhere in the world, that’s disappointing. The rest of the world gets it, but it doesn’t appear to be on the radar here.”
Members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have begun discussing ways to finance infrastructure in preparation for the authorization of a major highway bill in 2009. The next president’s administration will be tasked with working with Congress on the measure. But the presidential candidates are mostly mum right now since it will almost certainly mean raising taxes.
“If there is any reason why it has not gotten its appropriate place (in the campaign) I’m sure it’s because of the financing that doesn’t make for good campaign fodder,” said Robert Puentes, a Brookings Institute fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program. “It’s disappointing, but it’s not surprising.”
Both Clinton and Obama have come out in support of funding streams such as a national infrastructure bank that would create public-private partnerships to fund large transportation projects. Clinton signed a letter in January encouraging $5 billion be placed in the economic stimulus package for transportation infrastructure projects. On March 27, Obama said he was in favor of congestion pricing to raise money to fund highways.
Transportation experts feel fairly certain they can count on Obama and Clinton even if they don’t discuss transportation on the stump. They are worried about McCain, one of a handful of senators who voted against final passage of a highway bill in 2005. He maintains a hard line against Amtrak and resists federal spending, they said.
McCain’s campaign did not return calls for comment.
“Both Obama and Clinton have at least talked about the need to reinvest in America. I don’t think they go nearly far enough, but they have clearly showed some commitment to the issue,” Wytkind said. “If McCain is elected it will be George W. Bush all over again, maybe even worse. I defy you to find anyone with a worse record.”
USDOT Report Details that Freight Lines Cause Delays for Amtrak
Yesterday the Department of Transportation’s inspector general released a report detailing that Amtrak lost almost $137 million in fiscal 2006 as a result of freight railroad delays. The report suggests that Amtrak increase payments to host railroads as an incentive for them to help keep the rail service on-time. This report was requested by Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ).
Last fall, the Senate passed legislation S 294, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007, to authorize $11.6 billion in federal rail investment over six years. The House, however, has yet to write a companion bill. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Oberstar (D-MN) expects to begin drafting an Amtrak bill this month.
The full report can be access by clicking HERE.
Updated March 14, 2008
Opinion: Traffic safety AND mobility: dual imperatives, not trade-offs
March 14, 2008
Written by: Dick Hanneman
http://www.bizcentral.org/salt-institute/2008/03/traffic-safety-and-mobility-du.php.
The American Automobile Association last week released The AAA Crashes vs. Congestion Report arguing that societal costs from traffic fatalities and injuries is more than double the costs of congestion. Good reminder. We object only to the "versus" separating the twin concerns. We must insist on roads that are safe and congestion-free.
The study by Cambridge Systematics estimates that traffic crashes cost each American $1,051 for a total economic burden on the economy of $164.2 billion. Data from the Texas Transportation Institute put the tab for congestion at $67.6 billion or $430 per person. With Congress readying itself to tackle reauthorization of the federal surface transportation program next year and with the federal Highway Trust Fund approaching insolvency, these measures should be front-and-center in the public policy discussion.
For years, the anti-highway lobby has inveighed against "paving over America" and the highway lobby has foolishly cast the argument in terms of the deteriorating condition of the nation's roads and bridges. Too true. And when the I-35W bridge plunged into the Mississippi, the poignancy of the roadbuilders' lament was manifest. The thought of an aging and inadequate roadway infrastructure contributing to the 42,642 people killed last year on American roads is totally unacceptable. We know most of those deaths are avoidable and now we know the cost of under-funding highway improvements.
The quality of the policy debate, however, would be improved if we move beyond contesting the number of "structurally deficient" bridges or pothole-pocked or rutted roadway surfaces. Nor should we accept the notion that we need to starve investments in congestion relief to pay for safer roads. The two go hand in hand. Non-recurring congestion (the kind not caused by "rush hour") is associated with clearing traffic crashes and combating weather conditions like snow & ice storms that contribute so much to those crashes. Simply applying salt as part of a professional winter operations program cuts 88.3% of the injury crashes and keeps the roads reliably available for our mobile society. In fact, in most states, the cost of failing to keep winter roads open through winter maintenance operations generally costs more for each day of failure than the annual cost of snowfighting (data by Global Insight, Inc.).
As Congress sets up the debate on highway spending, let's focus attention on the outcomes we can expect our roads to deliver. We shouldn't be building roads to create jobs (or re-elect politicos) nor should we endanger drivers' lives and our national economic competitiveness by short-sightedly opposing transportation improvements due to suspicion over the self-interested motivation of construction companies. Let's measure transportation outcomes -- the service we driver are paying for through our gas taxes -- and invest to reduce the tragic waste of more than 40,000 lives every year and reverse the corrosive erosion of reliable highway mobility caused by congestion.
And let's let the engineers and the Federal Highway Administration's Office of Operations help us define the choices rather than jury-rig our national highway priorities through Congressional earmarks.
It's not AAA versus AASHTO (the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials). Both AAA and AASHTO care deeply about BOTH safety and mobility. Let's not make this mountain tougher to scale than it already is.
To access AAA’s report, please visit http://www.aaanewsroom.net/Assets/Files/20083591910.CrashesVsCongestionFullReport2.28.08.pdf.
Updated March 12, 2008
Department of Transportation Releases Study of Potential Environmental Impacts on Transportation Infrastructure in U.S. Central Gulf Coast
DOT 36-08
Contact: Paul Feenstra
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tel.: (202) 366-4792
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has released a study on the potential impacts of climate changes and land subsidence, the natural sinking of an area’s land mass, on transportation infrastructure in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. Today’s release is phase one of a three part study.
“This study provides transportation planners in the Gulf Coast region with valuable information that will assist them as they make decisions for the future,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters.
The Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure: Gulf Coast Study, Phase I, provides an assessment of the vulnerabilities of transportation systems in the region to potential changes in weather patterns and related impacts, as well as the effect of natural land subsidence and other environmental factors in the region. The area examined by the study includes 48 contiguous counties in four states, running from Galveston, TX to Mobile, AL.
Based on 21 simulation models and a range of emissions scenarios, the study found that potential changes in climate over the next 50 to100 years could disrupt transportation services in the region. Twenty-seven percent of major roads, 9 percent of rail lines, and 72 percent of area ports are at or below 4 feet in elevation, and could be vulnerable to flooding due to future sea level rise and natural sinking of the area’s land mass. The study is designed to help state and local officials as they develop their transportation plans and make investment decisions. Federal transportation officials will continue to work closely with state and local planners as they incorporate the study into their planning processes.
Subsequent phases of the study will focus on risks and adaptation strategies involved in planning, investment, design and operational decisions for infrastructure in the Gulf Coast region and nationwide. The study was performed in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey and state and local researchers, and is one of 21 “synthesis and assessment” reports produced as part of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program.
The study is available online at http://climate.dot.gov.
Updated March 11, 2008
Climate Change Will Have a Significant Impact on Transportation Infrastructure and Operations
Date: March. 11, 2008
Contacts: Maureen O'Leary, Director of Public Information
Luwam Yeibio, Media Relations Assistant
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail news@nas.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Climate Change Will Have a Significant Impact on Transportation Infrastructure and Operations; Research, Tools, Action Needed to Pinpoint Vulnerabilities
WASHINGTON -- While every mode of transportation in the U.S. will be affected as the climate changes, potentially the greatest impact on transportation systems will be flooding of roads, railways, transit systems, and airport runways in coastal areas because of rising sea levels and surges brought on by more intense storms, says a new report from the National Research Council. Though the impacts of climate change will vary by region, it is certain they will be widespread and costly in human and economic terms, and will require significant changes in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of transportation systems.
The U.S. transportation system was designed and built for local weather and climate conditions, predicated on historical temperature and precipitation data. The report finds that climate predictions used by transportation planners and engineers may no longer be reliable, however, in the face of new weather and climate extremes. Infrastructure pushed beyond the range for which it was designed can become stressed and fail, as seen with loss of the U.S. 90 Bridge in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
"The time has come for transportation professionals to acknowledge and confront the challenges posed by climate change, and to incorporate the most current scientific knowledge into the planning of transportation systems," said Henry Schwartz Jr., past president and chairman of Sverdrup/Jacobs Civil Inc., and chair of the committee that wrote the report. "It is now possible to project climate changes for large subcontinental regions, such as the Eastern United States, a scale better suited for considering regional and local transportation infrastructure."
The committee identified five climate changes of particular importance to U.S. transportation; 1) increases in very hot days and heat waves; 2) increases in Arctic temperatures; 3) rising sea levels; 4) increases in intense precipitation events; and 5) increases in hurricane intensity.
In addition to climate changes, there are a number of contributing factors that will likely lead to vulnerabilities in coastal-area transportation systems. Population is projected to grow in coastal areas, which will boost demand for transportation infrastructure and increase the number of people and businesses potentially in harm's way; erosion and loss of wetlands have removed crucial buffer zones that once protected infrastructure; and an estimated 60,000 miles of coastal highways are already exposed to periodic storm flooding.
"Rising temperatures may trigger weather extremes and surprises, such as more rapid melting of the Arctic sea ice than projected," Schwartz said. "The highways that currently serve as evacuation routes and endure periodic flooding could be compromised with strong hurricanes and more intense precipitation, making some of these routes impassable." Transportation providers will need to focus on evacuation planning and work more closely with weather forecasters and emergency planners.
Infrastructure vulnerabilities will extend beyond coastal areas as the climate continues to change. In the Midwest, for instance, increased intense precipitation could augment the severity of flooding, as occurred in 1993 when farmland, towns, and transportation routes were severely damaged from flooding along 500 miles of the Mississippi and Missouri river systems. On the other hand, drier conditions are likely to prevail in the watersheds supplying the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes as well as the Upper Midwest river system. Lower water levels would reduce vessel shipping capacity, seriously impairing freight movements in the region, such as occurred during the drought of 1988, which stranded barge traffic on the Mississippi River. And in California, heat waves may increase wildfires that can destroy transportation infrastructure.
Not all climate changes will be negative, however. Marine transportation could benefit from more open seas in the Arctic, creating new and shorter shipping routes and reducing transport time and costs. In cold regions, rising temperatures could reduce the costs of snow and ice control and would make travel conditions safer for passenger vehicles and freight.
Preparing for projected climate changes will be costly. Transportation decision makers continually make short- and long-term investment decisions that affect how the infrastructure will respond to climate change. Response measures range from rehabilitating and retrofitting infrastructure to making major additions to constructing entirely new infrastructure. The committee noted the need for "a more strategic, risk-based approach to investment decisions that trades off the costs of making the infrastructure more robust against the economic costs of failure." In the future, climate changes in some areas may necessitate permanent alterations. For example, roads, rail lines, and airport runways in low-lying coastal areas may become casualties of sea-level rise, requiring relocations or expensive protective measures, such as sea walls and levees.
The report calls for the federal government to have a strong role in implementing many of its recommendations that require broad-based action or regulation, such as the creation of a clearinghouse for information on transportation and climate change; the establishment of a research program to re-evaluate existing design standards and develop new standards for addressing climate change; creation of an interagency working group on adaptation; changes in federal regulations regarding long-range planning guidelines and infrastructure rehabilitation requirements; and re-evaluation of the National Flood Insurance Program and updating flood insurance rate maps with climate change in mind.
Many of the committee's recommendations need not wait for federal action. Local governments and private infrastructure providers can begin to identify critical infrastructure that is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Professional organizations can single out examples of best practices, and transportation planners and climate scientists can begin collaboration on the development of regional scenarios for likely climate-related changes and the data needed to analyze their impacts. Focusing on the challenges now could help avoid costly transportation investments and disruptions to operations in the future.
This report is a collaborative effort between the Transportation Research Board and the Division on Earth and Life Studies of the National Research Council. The sponsors of this report are the Transportation Research Board, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, U.S. Department of Transportation, Transit Cooperative Research Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A committee roster and two charts follow.
Copies of Potential Impacts of Climate Change on U.S. Transportation are available from the Transportation Research Board; tel. 202-334-3213 or on the Internet at http://www.TRB.org.
Overview of FY2009 Presidential Budget Request for Transportation
Despite Amtrak’s record ridership numbers for Fiscal Year 2007, for the second year in a row the Bush Administration proposes slashing Amtrak’s budget. After being funded by Congress at $1.325 billion in Fiscal Year 2008 (operations, capital improvements, and debt service), the President’s budget requests $800 million for Amtrak -- $275 million for operations and $525 for capital improvements. In addition, the budget promotes inner-city passenger rail by including $100 million for matching capital grants to states to use at their direction. Last fall, the Senate passed a six-year, $11.4 billion Amtrak reauthorization bill, and the House Transportation Committee is expected to draft and take up a similar measure in the first few months of 2008.
Mass Transit - The President's budget would cut $202.1 million below the $10.3 billion guaranteed in SAFETEA-LU.
Airport Improvement Program (AIP) - Reduces funding commitments to AIP by $765 million, representing a 22% decrease of current spending. The Administration also announced its intent to withhold the awarding of $3.5 billion in FY08 AIP grants until the FAA is reauthorized.
Essential Air Service (EAS) - Reduces funding by $60 million.
The Administration proposes $688 million to upgrade the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic control capabilities from its existing air navigation system to the Next Generation Air Transportation System, a seemingly critical step to safely and efficiently handle the increase in air travel in the coming years and decades. This funding also includes the ability to hire over 300 new air traffic controllers. Overall, the FAA safety and operations budget is $11.9 billion, a $493 million increase.
A 50-cent per flight ticket tax/user fee, a highly unpopular idea in Congress in the last several years, is included to help pay for increases in security operations at the Transportation Security Administration.
The Federal Highway Administration sees a reduction in its budget, limiting its obligations to $39.4 billion, down $1.8 billion from Fiscal Year 2008. The Department of Transportation will see about a 10% cut in its overall budget. SAFETEA-LU guarantees $41.2 billion for highways in FY 2009, but the Administration proposes to provide only $39.4 billion.
House T&I Chairman Oberstar Applauds House Budget Resolution
"I am extremely pleased that the fiscal year 2009 Budget Resolution, approved by the Committee on the Budget, recognizes the critical importance of meeting our nation’s infrastructure investment needs, even while achieving a balanced budget by 2012. The Budget Resolution vigorously rejects the short-sighted policies of the President’s budget, which cuts virtually every infrastructure investment program within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, including highways, public transit, airports, Amtrak, wastewater treatment, and water resources development."
To read Oberstar’s complete floor statement, please visit http://transportation.house.gov/Media/File/JLO%20statement%20FY%202009%20budget%20resolution.pdf.
NHI Training: FHWA-NHI-380073 Fundamentals of Planning, Design, and Approval of Interchange Improvements to the Interstate System
This training provides participants with a basic knowledge of freeway systems and interchange types, FHWA policy on justification for interchange access approval, and applications of technical knowledge and policy understanding to interchange project decisions. Topics covered in this course include service and system interchange types, 8-point interchange justification process, interchange study and selection process, fundamentals of freeway system operations and planning, urban freeway diagnosis, geometric design considerations, and technical and documentation procedures. For additional details, click here.
New Strategy to Help the Nation's Ports Go Green
EPA has unveiled a new plan of action for working with public port authorities and other interested groups to reduce the environmental impacts of moving goods through ports. The "Vision, Mission, and Strategy for Sustainable Ports" recognizes the steady growth in global maritime commerce and the critical role American ports and related transportation and supply chain partners play in managing the environmental impacts of moving goods across the country.
EPA's Strategy focuses on six themes:
- Clean Air and Affordable Energy
- Clean and Safe Water
- Healthy Communities and Eco-systems
- Global Environment
- Ports Communications
- Enforcement
There are more than 70 possible actions, including working with port authorities, their business partners and other sectors of the transportation industry to quantify and reduce air emissions from all sources along the shipping supply chain; setting up state innovative financing funds to help small owner-operators of diesel equipment finance the upgrading or replacement of older, dirtier engines; and collaborating with the international port community on innovative technologies and development of international standards.
EPA's strategy complements the recent resolution and guiding principles on port sustainability issued by the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). EPA programs will work with AAPA, individual port authorities, private port operators, transportation supply and logistics companies, government agencies, states, communities, and other interested groups to promote and implement sustainable practices at ports and their related operations. EPA regions will work collaboratively with individual ports to select (from among the full menu of possible actions in the EPA Strategy) a specific set of activities to work on together. These shared action plans will address the unique environmental impacts and opportunities for ports in different parts of the country.
To learn more about EPA Strategy for Sustainable Ports and the ports sector, please visit http://www.epa.gov/sectors/ports/.
Updated March 10, 2008
Open Letter to US Senate
NARC joins representatives of the aviation community in calling on the Senate to make FAA reauthorization a priority for this year. To view the letter, click here.
Updated March 6, 2008
Register Today for the next “Talking Freight” Seminar Series session addressing “Tolling and Pricing”
FHWA's Office of Freight Management and Operations and Office of Planning’s next monthly net-conference session in the "Talking Freight" Seminar Series will be held on March 19, 2008. This seminar series is designed to provide a convenient, no-cost way for transportation practitioners in all sectors to broaden their freight knowledge base and develop/strengthen their skills.
FHWA's Office of Freight Management and Operations and Office of Planning’s next monthly net-conference session in the "Talking Freight" Seminar Series will be held on March 19, 2008. This seminar series is designed to provide a convenient, no-cost way for transportation practitioners in all sectors to broaden their freight knowledge base and develop/strengthen their skills.
The next session, entitled “Tolling and Pricing” will be held on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 (1:00 - 2:30 PM (EDT)).
As FHWA look’s for solution sets that enable efficient freight movement, the option of dedicated truck lanes and freight value pricing are being actively explored. Hear from GA DOT and IN DOT on their needs, plans and activities in this area.
Plenty of "seats" are still available for this session. To register for this session, as well as future sessions, please go to http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/FPD/talking_freight.htm. Information on each seminar can be found by clicking on the seminar name. To register, click on the "Enroll" button next to the seminar(s) in which you are interested. In addition, the FHWA's Freight Planning website (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/freightplanning) is another good source of information on freight transportation issues, including the "Talking Freight" Seminar Series.
Updated February 28, 2008
President Signs Temporary FAA Authorization Extension
President Bush signed into law today a temporary authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration, whose current authorization expires February 29th. HR 5270 authorizes the agency to collect ticket and fuel taxes, as well as obligate the money collected, and through June 30th. This represents another in a string of extensions enacted for the agency since its last long-term reauthorization (PL 108-176) expired Sept. 30th.
Beyond extending the FAA’s authority to collect and spend revenue, HR 5270 also extends through June 30th the agency’s authority to issue new contracts ($2.76 billion in AIP contract authority) for airport projects. The measure also would restore some airports’ eligibility for the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which had expired at the end of September, and provides subsidies for air carriers into small communities.
Very little progress has been made in reaching an agreement a four-year reauthorization due to disagreements on how to raise revenue to pay for a new air traffic control system.
The House has passed a four-year measure (HR 2881) on September 20, 2007, but the Senate continues to wrangle over a draft approved by the Senate Commerce Committee (S 1300) and a draft approved by the Senate Finance Committee (S 2345).
Updated February 25, 2008
FHWA Publication: Quick Response Freight Manual II
The FHWA released a new version of their publication, Quick Response Freight Manual II. This publication provides background information on the freight transportation system and factors affecting freight demand, helps planners locate available data and freight-related forecasts compiled by others, shows how to apply this information in developing forecasts for specific facilities, and provides simple techniques and transferable parameters that can be used to develop freight vehicle trip types. To view the publication, click here.
Updated February 13, 2008
CBO Analyzes History of Infrastructure Spending
The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released the PowerPoint slides of a February 5, 2008, presentation by Joseph Kile, Assistant Director for Microeconomic Studies, before the Institutional Investor's Infrastructure Investment Forum. The presentation accompanies a report released by CBO in August, 2007, that analyzes the history of spending on infrastructure by the federal, state, local governments. To view the presentation, click here.
Updated April 19, 2007
FHWA Issues Memo on Oversight of Federal-aid Projects
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has issued a memo concerning the oversight of Federal-aid Projects administered by local public agencies to FHWA Directors of Field Services and Division Administrators. Included with the memo is the final report on the National Review of locally administered projects that was recently conducted by the agency. NARC has posted the memo, the final report, as well as some background documentation on the issue here.
US DOT & the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission
The US Department of Transportation is moving forward with the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission, the second commission called for under SAFETEA-LU. The first meeting has been scheduled for April 25, 2007, from 9:30am to 4:30pm in the DOT headquarters. There is some uncertainty about the fate of this commission since the House passed a SAFETEAU-LU Technical Corrections bill that repeals the section calling for this commission (11142).
New Life-Saving Technology for All Passenger Vehicles
The US Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters recently announced plans to make new crash prevention technology standard equipment on every new passenger vehicle sold in the US by 2012. It is estimated that the new technology could save up to 10,000 lives each year on America’s roadways. Specifically, the agency has issued a final rule to require the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) on all new passenger vehicles starting with model year 2009. By 2012, this feature will be standard equipment on all passenger vehicles. ESC uses automatic computer controlled braking to keep drivers from losing control on slippery roads or in emergency maneuvers. The estimated average cost of ESC is approximately $111 per vehicle, assuming the model already features ABS brakes. View a copy of the final regulation and the accompanying regulatory analysis. Learn more on the ESC technology.
It has been an active few weeks for the Coalition of America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors as it held its first-ever national summit of major US trade corridors to discuss the future of goods movement in the US. Participants included representatives from thirteen national corridors, local, state and federal transportation agencies, representatives of all modes and members of the private sector. Specifically, the summit focused on opportunities and challenges corridors face in facilitating the reliable, safe, secure and efficient movement of goods necessary for future global economy. The Coalition is now working with participants and other stakeholders to evaluate the points of agreement and dissent and develop a report from the Summit. The report will be submitted for consideration by the National Surface Transportation Policy & Revenue Study Commission and Congress.
In other freight-related news, CAGTC, in conjunction with the LA Chamber of Commerce, hosted a goods movement briefing on Capitol Hill. The event served as a "pep rally" for freight, and brought together Members of Congress and staff interested in the future of goods movement.
National Cooperative Highway Research Program Announces Two New Products
A recently-completed guidebook, "Guidance for Cost Estimation and Management for Highway Projects During Planning, Programming, and Preconstruction" (NCHRP Report 574), is available from the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) website.
A second phase of NCHRP Project 08-49, entitled "Right-of-Way (ROW) Methods and Tools to Control Project Cost Escalation," was recently initiated to define additional processes, methods, and tools focused on ROW cost estimation and management to complement NCHRP Report 574. Additionally, NCHRP Web-Only Document 98 (Final Report for NCHRP Report 574) provides additional background information and an overview of the methodology used by the research team in developing NCHRP Report 574.
Posted March 30, 2007
Notice on Available FHWA Funding
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) re-issued a call for certain Federal-Aid Highway Funds available in FY2007 through Federal Highway Discretionary Grant Programs. Applications – either new or amended – are being solicited for the following programs: the Ferry Board Discretionary Program, the Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program, the Interstate Maintenance Discretionary Program, Public Lands Highway Discretionary Program, the Highways for Life Pilot Program, the Transportation Community and System Preservation Program, the Truck Parking Facilities Pilot Program and the Delta Region Transportation Development Program. FHWA is seeking applications that both meet the programs’ criteria and emphasize the proposed projects’ highway safety and congestion reduction benefits. In addition, FHWA encourages applicants to coordinate their responses on congestion for this initiative with other congestion initiative solicitations.
The deadline for this program, originally set for March 30, 2007, has been extended by 30 days. Applications are now due on April 30, 2007, with one exception with regard to the Highways for Life Pilot Program, which will close on April 5, 2007.
This week, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced its FY 2007 Apportionments Notice, as well as funding notices for three programs to include the following:
· Bus and Bus Facilities Discretionary Program Grants
· Solicitation of Applications for Certain Funding Available in FY 07 under the Federal Transit Administration’s Section 5309 Bus and Bus-Related Facilities Discretionary Grant Program to Support Urban Partnership
· Alternative Analyses Discretionary Program
More information including guidance and requirements for these FTA assistance programs can be found on FTA’s website.
Cooperative Highway Research Program Publishes Guidebook on Freight Issues
The National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) announced the availability of a Guidebook for Freight Policy, Planning, and Programming in Small- and Medium-Sized Metropolitan Areas ( NCHRP Report 570). This new report explores how freight policy, planning, and programming processes can be most effectively designed, initiated, and managed in metropolitan areas of these sizes. The report examines "lessons learned" from experiences in small- and medium-sized metropolitan areas that resulted in more effective consideration of freight issues in policy, planning, and programming decisions. This report is available via TRB’s website.
10th Anniversary Transportation Summit to be held in Irving, Texas
NARC is pleased to be co-hosting the 10th Anniversary Transportation Summit in Irving, Texas on August 7 – 10, 2007. This summit will feature a prestigious group of local, sate, national and international dignitaries in the transportation field. The 10th Anniversary Summit will celebrate the success that the first nine summits have brought and will continue to work on promoting the development of a National Multimodal Transportation Policy to guide the future of transportation in the nation.
The theme for this year’s summit will be "The Future Starts Today." Experts will review, discuss and outline the factors driving growth and change in transportation over the next 50 years from highways, transit, freight and high-speed rail, seaports, aviation, security, safety, financing and intelligent transportation issues. For further information about this event, contact Trudy Hester or Amy Kemble, City of Irving transportation and public policy consultants for Dean International, Inc. at 214.750.0123 or thester@dean.net, akemble@dean.net. Or, visit the website.