Government
Transport Topics government and regulatory coverage keeps managers of a highly-regulated industry aware of the policy decisions that can shape their businesses. Covering both the legislative and regulatory aspects of policy-making, at both the state and national levels, the news in this category includes looks at infrastructure, hours of service, emissions rules, funding measures, leadership appointments, and more. Readers can follow what’s happening in Congress, at the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Administration, and in state and local governments.
FHWA Extends Comment Period on State Performance Measurement Requirement to Nov. 15
Federal Highway Administration officials have extended the public comment period on a proposal that includes a provision that would drop an Obama administration requirement that state departments of transportation measure the percentage of change in tailpipe carbon dioxide from a base of 2017 levels.
Senators Advance Nominee for Top Job at FMCSA
A Senate panel easily advanced the nomination of Ray Martinez on Nov. 8 to lead the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Paper Logs Can Ease ELD Transition, FMCSA Officer La Tonya Mimms Says
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Drivers bracing for the upcoming electronic logging device rule should practice driving with the new units and old-fashioned paper logs, according to La Tonya Mimms, transportation specialist with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Congressional Watchdog Faults DOT FASTLANE Grant Selection Process
U.S. House transportation leaders have requested that a congressional watchdog agency be permitted to continue oversight of a five-year Department of Transportation grant program after investigators concluded that it lacked transparency in how it selected 18 projects totaling $759 million in 2016.
Pennsylvania Legalizes Gambling at Truck Stops
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed a law Oct. 30 that expands the state’s gaming options by allowing gambling at truck stops, in airports and online.
Rhode Island Truck-Only Tolling Plan Pushed to Spring 2018
Rhode Island transportation officials are delaying implementation of the initial phase of a trucks-only toll plan until February or March to shore up work on the plan’s environmental permitting, technical, engineering and financial requirements, a state Department of Transportation spokesman said.
Senate Panel to Vote on FMCSA Nominee Ray Martinez
The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled a Nov. 8 hearing to consider the nomination of Ray Martinez as the country’s top trucking regulator.
Building Resilient Communities Best Way to Reduce Risks, FEMA Chief Says
The extreme weather events that destroyed vital infrastructure this year in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands illustrate the need to build resilient communities, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long said
Bid to Save Pacific Rim Trade Pact Comes to a Head
The push to salvage a Pacific Rim trade pact will come to a head this week as nations diverge on whether it should be preserved, abandoned or renegotiated from scratch after President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal.
Diesel Jumps 6.3¢ to $2.882 a Gallon
The U.S. average retail price of diesel jumped 6.3 cents to $2.882 a gallon as oil climbed to its highest price since June 2015.