July - 2019

Archive

DOT Must Redo Railroad Hazmat Plan Rule, DC Circ. Told

Law360 (July 15, 2019, 6:58 PM EDT) -- A new U.S. Department of Transportation rule ensuring railroads are prepared to handle oil spills and other accidents involving trains carrying hazardous materials must be retooled to safeguard railroads' confidential information, Union Pacific told the D.C. Circuit on Monday. Union Pacific Railroad Co. asked the D.C. Circuit to order the DOT's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to redo part of a rule it finalized in

Three Austin-area roads could be reversible by 2045

Three Austin-area roads could have reversible lanes by 2045 under a proposal that is receiving mixed reviews from local officials. But area transportation officials said implementing the directional changes, in which a lane of traffic may travel in either direction depending on the time of day to alleviate congestion, are a long way from being recommended. A regional study released in June by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization proposes to implement reversible

Connected vehicles need reserved spectrum, DOT says

The Department of Transportation wants to preserve the spectrum that has been set aside for connected vehicle communications, according to one of the agency's top managers. "We do believe the spectrum should be preserved" for safety applications such as Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) in vehicle-to-vehicle technology, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Finch Fulton said at a "State of Autonomy" event on July 11. The Transportation Department doesn't want to ch

House-passed NDAA includes amendment blocking federal funds from being used to purchase Chinese stat

The United States House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on the afternoon of July 12 that included an amendment prohibiting the use of federal transit funds to purchase vehicles manufactured by Chinese State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and other state-supported companies. “China’s ‘Made in China 2025’ initiative is an unmistakable effort to harm American manufacturers by subsidizing Chinese rail and bus industries,” said Rep. Harley Rouda (

The Longest Driverless Test-Track Opens in Ohio

A new state-funded facility for testing driverless cars and other “smart” vehicles has opened in the latest expansion of Ohio’s Transportation Research Center. The new Smart Mobility Advanced Research Test, or SMART, Center, in Logan County about 40 miles northwest of Columbus, includes a six-lane, high-speed “smart” intersection, complete with a traffic light, that companies and researchers can use to test new vehicle technology. The new center cost $45 million, of which $25

With test, Merck takes temperature-controlled drug delivery by drone from remote idea to remote loca

Drugmakers have speculated about delivering temperature-sensitive vaccines and drugs to remote locations using drones. Now, Merck & Co. is testing the method. Merck initiated the idea, and a collection of players coordinated by humanitarian aid organization Direct Relief have now moved to proof-of-concept missions. They developed and flew a drone with a temperature-controlled payload over the waters around the Bahamas. "This successful pilot demonstrates the potential of inno

After More Than Six Decades, Freight Traffic May Have Another Way Around Dallas

Until the last U.S. Census, there was still a slice of Dallas County land deemed rural. County Judge Clay Jenkins is hoping that running a frontage road through it will boost southern Dallas’ economy and allow for the beginnings of a new, slightly denser chapter. “It’s not that people don’t have jobs,” says Jenkins, “it’s that they’re not good jobs.” The process dates back more than six decades, and we’re finally creeping toward a start date for the southeast portion of Loop

The Great American Train Debate

Years before frenzied rallies, red hats and alternative facts, there was another American president with a signature infrastructure plan: Barack Obama. In April 2009, President Obama unveiled a blueprint for building high-speed rail systems in ten different parts of the country. “These efforts will save money by untangling gridlock, saving lives by improving our roads, and save or create 150,000 jobs,” said the then-new president, just under four months into his first term. “

DOT Says Unions Can't Block Use Of Mexican Rail Crews

Law360 (July 8, 2019, 7:41 PM EDT) -- The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration have told the D.C. Circuit it should end a lawsuit brought by railroad workers' unions objecting to the use of non-U.S. train crews on the U.S side of the Texas-Mexico border. In a brief filed Friday, the government said there's no basis for the court to allow the unions — the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the transportation division of th

A Texas clash of public safety and property rights

Union Pacific warned at an April 16 Texas House hearing that the proposed route further endangers public safety due to its “potentially fatal flaw:” High-speed rail’s electromagnetic system can interfere with the freight line’s low-voltage current. Freight railroad’s signaling and traffic control systems for gates at railroad crossings depend on the absolute integrity of Union Pacific’s low-voltage current. Union Pacific engineers and safety experts also warned of massive hig

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