Federal grants target idling buses

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is helping America's public transit agencies make start-stop and anti-idle buses a priority.Research has shown that idling engines of heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles wastes approximately 6 billion gallons of fuel and produces about 60 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Approximately 50 percent of that idling is done by commercial vehicles, including transit buses. Read More »

Texas House OKs resolution to pursue transportation-funding amendment

The Texas House of Representatives adopted a resolution over the weekend to dedicate billions of dollars to transportation funding, one day after the state Senate adopted the resolution’s conference committee report. Senate Joint Resolution 5 calls for the creation of a constitutional amendment, which will be on the Nov. 3 ballot, that would allocate a specific amount of general sales tax revenue toward the State Highway Fund. Read More »

Study finds rumble strips significantly cut crashes on Michigan highways

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) said Monday that a Wayne State University (WSU) study found that rumble strips on state highways significantly reduces head-on, sideswipe and run-off-the-road crashes. MDOT started a major rumble strip program in 2008, when centerline and shoulder rumble strips were installed on all rural, nonfreeway highways with posted speed limits of 55 mph and appropriate paved lane and shoulder widths. To date, MDOT has placed 5,700 miles of centerline ru Read More »

Union Pacific to invest $383 million this year in Texas rail projects

Union Pacific plans to make a $383 million investment in Texas' transportation infrastructure this year, the company said on Friday. "We constantly evaluate our customers' needs to make targeted investments that enhance our efficiency and deliver the goods American businesses and families use daily," Brenda Mainwaring, Union Pacific's vice president for public affairs-Southern Region, said. Read More »

St. Paul, Minn., city engineer says strong infrastructure key to economic development

St. Paul, Minnesota’s city engineer said a strong infrastructure is needed to draw new business to cities and foster economic development, and uncertain federal transportation funding works against that. “It takes a lot of money to run our basic infrastructure and we’re severely underfunded,” said John Maczko, city engineer at the St. Paul Public Works Department. Read More »

Arkansas congressman calls for tapping Medicaid to fund Highway Trust Fund

Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, introduced legislation that calls for transferring monies from Medicaid to fund the beleaguered Highway Trust Fund. Called the Prioritizing American Roads and Jobs Act, Westerman told TI News Daily in a written statement his plan would free up more than $15 billion per year in mandatory spending that is going only to three out of five states that expanded Medicaid. Read More »

Echo Global Logistics completes acquisition of Command Transportation

Echo Global Logistics said on Monday that it has completed its acquisition of Command Transportation, LLC, which will operate as a subsidiary. As part of the acquisition agreement, Echo will take on outstanding membership units that amount to approximately $420 million; $25 million of this purchase was made in both common stock and restricted common stock, which was issued to 33 employees of Command to accommodate Nasdaq listing regulations. Read More »

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