The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) published airline cost and consumption of fuel data Tuesday for the month of October. For the airline industry’s scheduled services, the cost of fuel per gallon was $2.68 in October 2014. In September 2015, this cost fell to $1.58. During October 2015, the airlines’ scheduled services spent $1.65 for each gallon of fuel. Read More »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its updated 5-Star Safety Ratings Tuesday called the "New Car Assessment Program" (NCAP).NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings help customers purchase vehicles based on safety. The ratings consider how vehicles perform during crash tests. NHTSA offers extra credit to vehicles with better or advanced safety features. Read More »

Officials from the FMCSA proposed a rule to make all passengers of large commercial trucks buckle their safety belts. This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would effectively eliminate the safety gap for passengers who are traveling in commercial motor vehicles that carry property. Commercial drivers have had to buckle their safety belts due to 49 CFR 392.16, which is a federal rule. Read More »

The FMCSA accepted a Final Rule Thursday, requiring all commercial truck and bus industries to use electronic logging devices (ELDs). The purpose of the rule is to improve the safety of U.S. roadways. Using the new technology will help drivers comply with the specific hours-of-service regulations, preventing drivers from growing fatigued and compromising safety. Read More »

In honor of Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, the Federal Highway Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Roadway Safety Foundation introduced a new safety resource for transportation Thursday. The resource, entitled the "Clearinghouse for Older Road User Safety" (ChORUS), is designed to address safety concerns specifically for elderly drivers. Read More »

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics published its latest Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) Wednesday to show freight rates for October 2015. The Freight TSI is calculated by how much U.S. freight transports within the for-hire transportation industry. Comparing September to October, there was a 0.4 percent increase in the quantity of freight transportation. Read More »

MDOT officials opened the Main Street M-139 bridge Wednesday located in Niles, Mich. The new bridge crosses the St. Joseph River. This bridge is meant to help the community maintain its historic aesthetics. Crews and officials gathered input from the local community to guarantee that the new bridge would serve residents and visitors while maintaining historical value. Read More »

The AAR published U.S. rail traffic data Wednesday from the week that ended with Dec. 5. The cumulative weekly rail traffic for this week amounted to 542,050 intermodal units and carloads. This is a decrease of 6.6 percent when compared to the same time in 2014. Cumulative carloads amount to 271,1774 carloads for this week, showing a decrease of 12.9 percent. Read More »

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bipartisan bill that effectively reforms and reauthorizes the STB. The Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015, is designed to improve how the STB manages the freight rail industry within the United States. In 1996, the STB was originally created to solve service and rate disputes concerning the railroad. Read More »

The FTA recently authorized a second grant to Jacksonville to further its First Coast Flyer BRT. Jacksonville opened the first phase of its BRT system, since the region is a community that relies heavily on public transit. Running between the Rosa Parks Transit Station near downtown north Jacksonville to Interstate-295, the line extends 9.4 miles and includes real-time information. Read More »

The ADOT has scheduled closures for Loop 101, which is also called Pima Freeway, Sunday and Monday while crews work on Black Mountain Boulevard bridge. The closures will occur in the East Valley and begin at 9 p.m. on Dec. 13 and end at 5 a.m. Monday. The closure will be in place from Cave Creek Road to State Route 51 so that the crews can conduct the necessary bridge work. Read More »

MDOT appointed Erick Kind as its engineer for Grand Region Thursday. Kind’s new role makes him the top administrator for the area. He will oversee approximately 1,400 miles of trunkline throughout 13 west Michigan counties. He will also supervise 187 employees, a yearly maintenance budget amounting to $36 million and a capital program amounting to $80 million. Read More »

The New York City Transit (NYCT) recently conducted a complete review of the city’s subways, and found that there are service improvements needed for the A and C lines in the city. Read More »

The CDOT recently scheduled a demonstration of the new safety features that they have added in crosswalks throughout the city of Sacramento. This innovative safety feature is YPB, a yellow border comprised of LED lights. The border encompasses the signal head as soon as a pedestrian presses the cross button, alerting drivers to pedestrians who are looking to cross.  Read More »

The FHWA, which is a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation, was included in a list of the Best Places to Work within the federal government Dec. 8. This is the fourth consecutive year that the FHWA has been listed in the ranking, which is released by the Partnership for Public Services each year. The FHWA was within the top 5 percent of the companies listed in the ranking. Read More »

The Federal Highway Administration granted $2 million in emergency relief funds Friday to repair the roads and bridges that were recently damaged by floods in Oregon and Washington. The funds were given to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) as well as the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The roads were damaged due to heavy rainfall. Read More »

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bipartisan bill Thursday to support and improve the national Coast Guard in guarding U.S. shores, saving countless lives and defending living marine resources surrounding the United States. HR 4188 will enable the Coast Guard and the Federal Maritime Commission to maintain their authority until the fiscal year of 2017. Read More »

Gov. Pat McCrory introduced new customer service improvements Monday that will be added to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) in 2016. These improvements, which will be made at the office level, are expected to decrease wait times, especially for new identification cards and driver's licenses. It will also take less time to update online features. Read More »

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), has developed a novel pavement system that is made with solar panels. This development, which is part of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, was the result of a research topic from the FHWA. Officials asked for a new pavement system that could create power. Read More »

NCDOT granted an award to widen Kerr Avenue in Wilmington. The contract, which is worth $22 million, will help to improve the safety of the road. The city of Wilmington will also add funds to the project, specifically for the sidewalks as well as bicycle lanes. New traffic signals will also guarantee that traffic will move efficiently and smoothly. Read More »