The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) recently proposed new rules for sidewalk closures in work zones. A revised Director’s Rule for Pedestrian Mobility in and Around Work Zones (SDOT DR 10-2015) places a stricter city review of requests to close sidewalks due to construction. The goal is to make Seattle’s sidewalks safer and easier for pedestrians. Read More »

Officials plan to open the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge's new toll plaza, which took 16 months to complete, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday. "The journey to this celebration began seven years ago when we commissioned the initial study to identify the project scope and cost," International Bridge Administration Chief Financial Officer Peter Petainen said. Read More »

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this week will introduce a long-term, bipartisan surface transportation bill, according to committee member Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY).“It is a three-year authorization for transportation programs, with a built-in trigger for another three years once additional funding is secured,” Zeldin told TI News Daily on Monday. Read More »

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Daphne Jefferson wants more women to join the trucking industry. Jefferson said while she was speaking the recent Women in Trucking conference in Dallas, said met countless women involved in the trucking industry’s multiple facets, including drivers, fleet owners, marketing professionals and logistics experts. Read More »

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) said its crews have started to conduct pre-winter inspections to prepare for snow and ice this coming winter in the Fort Wayne area. The officials expect all INDOT trucks in Fort Wayne will complete their inspections by the end of October. In addition to the inspections, plow drivers must participate in required ice and snow training every year. Read More »

The newly renovated interchange at Veterans Parkway/Seventh Road and U.S. 31 in Plymouth, Indiana, represents more than a meaningful collaboration between the Indiana Department of Transportation and Marshall County. The interchange also represents one of the final objectives of Indiana's Major Moves initiative, a $2.6 billion plan to improve and expand the highway infrastructure in Indiana. Read More »

The Association of American Railroads has released its latest report for U.S. rail traffic figures during the week that ended with Oct. 10.The total carloads and intermodal units for that week amounted to 56,233, a decrease of 2.8 percent compared to the same period in 2014. Total carloads amounted to 281,073, a decline of 5.8 percent compared to the same period in 2014. Read More »

A new institute affiliated with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently announced that it will host its first live webinar to increase public awareness of options for transportation investment. The webinar will be about an innovative public-private partnership that will replace or repair hundreds of bridges that are structurally inadequate. Read More »

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) said Tuesday it is seeking to further advance rail safety following its investigation into the CSX train derailment in West Virginia in February. The FRA said the derailment was due to a broken rail caused by a vertical split head rail defect, which was overlooked in two separate inspections before the accident. Read More »

The White House and the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently held a ceremony to honor 11 people throughout the U.S. who are considered “White House Transportation Champions of Change”; Anthony Foxx, who is the U.S. transportation secretary, and the White House chose these people because of their achievements in innovation and outstanding leadership. Read More »

The Port of Monroe recently gained a loan worth $3 million for improvements dedicated to updating larger vessels with more shipping capacity, and McKeil Marine, which operates barges and tugs between the United States and Canada, has added a bulker ship to its fleet. Algoma Central Corporation also confirmed its commitment to update its fleet through a conditional contract. Read More »

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently released updated guidelines for Americans with disabilities and their service dogs; currently, every time employees with public transit agencies encounter questions involve passengers who have a service dog, the employees must access the transportation regulations from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which takes significant time and effort as provisions dedicated to service animals are located in three different sections of the regulat Read More »

U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), who is also the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced Wednesday that the committee has scheduled a 10 a.m. meeting for Oct. 22 in room 2167 of the Rayburn House Office Building, in order to discuss the transportation reauthorization legislation. Read More »

Construction recently started on the Berkeley Street overpass above Interstate 5 in Lakewood, Washington, and motorists who typically use Berkeley Street should notice activity and construction work around the overpass as the crews begin their work; the project is the responsibility of contractor crews who will build a double-turn lane connecting southbound I-5 and Berkeley Street. Read More »

Large truckload carriers recently reported that they have experienced an increase in second quarter driver turnover rates, amounting to 87 percent; in spite of this three percent increase, the 87 percent is still less than the most recent average: this figure is at its lowest point ever since 2011’s second quarter, and it is also below the average of 95 percent from the year 2014. Read More »

The Bureau of Transportation (BTS), a division of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), recently released updates on its airline employment webpage to show the full-time and part-time employment data from Aug. 2015; the report contains figures for total employment, which includes both full-time as well as part-time employees, with all U.S. airlines, whether they are charter, passenger or cargo airlines. Read More »

Officials with the Washington Department of Transportation (WDOT) recently announced that 1st Ave. S. Bridge was closed today because of boat traffic; for motorists, the north bound as well as south bound lanes of State Route 99 over 1st Ave. S. Bridge (MP 26) were closed beginning at 12:50 p.m. because of boat traffic, and the drivers experienced a delay amounting to approximately 15 minutes. Read More »

Thanks to public feedback in a survey, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has chosen the best option for necessary lane closures on Interstate 275; the survey for public feedback concerned road closure options that are needed for crews to complete the I-275 project next year, and the survey was conducted online from Oct. 2 through 9. Read More »

America’s freight rail system is second to none in the world and continues to play a critical role in the country’s economic growth, Ed Greenberg, spokesman for the Association of American Railroads, recently told TI News Daily. Greenberg said freight railroads provide a vital link for American farmers, manufacturers and resource producers to the domestic and global marketplace. Read More »

Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) recently announced that it has chosen the new TC10 by Allison Transmission Holdings Inc. as one of its Class 8 truck purchases for the 2015 to 2016 year; MVT ran real-world comparisons of automated manual, manual and automatic transmissions to choose its selection -- now, approximately one third of MVT’s fleet will use the TC10 in 2016. Read More »