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 »

The MDOT requested public feedback for the draft of its 2016-2020 Five-Year Transportation Program Friday. MDOT officials will soon give the draft to the State Transportation Commission for final approval, which will last until January. The draft is available on MDOT’s website. It includes all of the projects, their locations, descriptions and the planned years for implementation. Read More »

Airlines for America (A4A) congratulated the U.S. House of Representatives for approving the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2014, HR 644, Friday. A4A also encouraged the U.S. Senate to pass the legislation before 2015 ends. The bill is important to the border clearance process as it serves to help with shipping and promote economic activity. Read More »

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently released a Safety Alert on how oversize loads affect U.S. bridges. Within the United States, commercial motor vehicles play a major role in carrying goods throughout the nation. When these vehicles carry oversize loads throughout the national highway system, though, it can be detrimental to the safety of bridge structures.  Read More »

Traffic patterns on Interstate 65 will return to normal within the construction zones in Greenwood and Edinburgh, Ind. Northbound traffic can now use the northbound lanes on I-65. The two construction zones will be removed so that people can travel normally throughout the winter months. Crews installed additional travel lanes between Main Street/Greenwood and State Road 44. Read More »

USDOT recently released the most recent phase of its "Case Studies in Delivering Safe, Comfortable and Connected Pedestrian and Bicycle Networks." FHWA has been collaborating with planners, safety advocates and local as well as state departments of transportation to evaluate safety. The goal is to establish ways to make traveling safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. Read More »