Tag: Department of Transportation: Page 2

Roadbuilding

Russo named first director of Oakland DOT

The City of Oakland, California, announced that Ryan Russo has been named director of the newly formed Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT), taking over from interim director Jeffrey Tumlin on May 8. He comes from the New York City Department of Transportation, where he served as deputy commissioner for transportation planning and management. “Oakland’s streets need transformation, and […]

June 7, 2017

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Trump taps Derek Kan to be Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy

President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Derek Kan, the general manager of ride sharing service Lyft, to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the White House reports. If confirmed, he will serve as Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy. Kan was unanimously confirmed by the Senate to serve on the Board of Amtrak in 2015. Prior to […]

April 17, 2017

Roadbuilding

10 DOTs win 2016 Perpetual Pavement Award

The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) presented 10 departments of transportation with 2016 Perpetual Pavement Awards. The award recognizes state transportation departments and local agencies for asphalt pavements at least 35 years old that have proven, high-quality structural design and are performing well. The pavement must have had a structural failure, should have an average of at least 12 years between […]

April 10, 2017

Roadbuilding

Caltrans demos its souped-up $1 million surveying SUV

The California Department of Transportation has released a new video in its News Flash series, and in it, you can watch as a Caltrans worker uses the department’s “revolutionary” surveying vehicle. “Some call it a Google car on steroids, at Caltrans we call it Mobile Terrestrial Laser Scanner,” spokesman Gilbert Mohtes-Chan said. Caltrans said in a press release […]

March 23, 2016

Roadbuilding

Highway workers recover family’s stolen heirlooms from ditch

Renee and Paul Bantista never thought they’d find the old jewelry box stolen from their home back in September. But the keen eye of an Illinois Department of Transportation worker reunited the couple with their lost treasures. According to the Herald & Review, the jewelry box was stolen while the couple was on vacation and a […]

March 15, 2016

Roadbuilding

Utah Senate OKs deal to transfer millions from transportation to water and education

The Utah Senate approved a measure that would siphon off about $337.7 million from the state’s transportation fund to be used on education and water projects. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the bill allows the state to send $172.2 million from transportation to the general fund over the next seven years, mostly for education, along […]

March 14, 2016

Roadbuilding

Texas launches campaign to urge Spring Breakers not to drink and drive

There were more than 45o alcohol-related crashes involving young people during Spring Break 2015 in Texas, with 16 deaths and 43 serious injuries. But the state’s Department of Transportation is hoping to change that this year. TxDOT is running a “Plan While You Can” campaign during the peak Spring Break period of March 1-19. In addition to […]

March 8, 2016

Roadbuilding

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet secretary steps down

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Sec. Mike Hancock has stepped down from his position this week and will be replaced by Deputy Sec. Greg Thomas. According to the Lexington Herald Leader, there was no reason given for Hancock’s departure. Hancock had been secretary since being appointed in 2010 by former Gov. Steve Beshear. Gov. Matt Bevin wasted no time in […]

March 7, 2016

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North Dakota DOT closing rest areas, making other cuts due to $69 million shortfall

The North Dakota Department of Transportation will close five rest areas, keep 20 jobs open and cut back temporary employees in order to make up for a revenue shortfall this year. According to the Dickinson Press, NDDOT Director Grant Levi announced the cuts at a recent Transportation Committee meeting, and said they were necessary in […]

February 24, 2016

Roadbuilding

Obama proposes $10-per-barrel tax on oil production to fund green infrastructure

President Barack Obama is aiming to implement more measures to combat climate change, and this time he’s eyeing oil companies to foot the bill. The Hill reported that the White House announced Obama will propose with his budget request next week a $10-per-barrel fee on oil production in order to fund a new $32.4 billion per-year “green transportation plan.” The plan […]

February 4, 2016

Roadbuilding

Caltrans workers clear Highway 299 after a landslide

A minor landslide earlier this month turned into a much larger problem in California after El Nino pounded northern California. The California Department of Transportation spent two days digging Highway 299 out from 1,500 cubic yards of debris that fell on the highway. For two days, the road was closed disrupting a connection between 130,000 people […]

February 1, 2016

Roadbuilding

Watch Caltrans use explosives to move a 20-ton boulder

A 20-ton boulder blocking a rural road might seem like an pretty difficult thing to move, but not when you have explosives. After the massive boulder fell onto U.S. Highway 50 about 80 miles north of Sacramento, the California Department of Transportation cleared the area and brought in the big guns – well, big explosives. In […]

January 21, 2016