Tag: DOTs: Page 295

Roadbuilding

Michigan legislators propose 2 transportation funding bills after Proposal 1 defeat

The major defeat of Proposal 1 in Michigan last week, which would have provided funding for transportation projects via a sales tax increase, prompted lawmakers to propose two bills in attempt to raise monies for road improvements. Michigan voters rejected Proposal 1 by an 80 percent to 20 percent margin. The constitutional amendment would have […]

May 12, 2015

Roadbuilding

Louisiana panel approves bill to cancel $400 million in road funding

About $400 million in annual funding for Louisiana roads and bridges is in jeopardy after the state’s Senate Finance Committee approved a new bill on Thursday. The Advocate reports the committee approved Senate Bill 221 to provide up to $100 million as opposed to the $400 million that was initially planned. However, the initial plan for $400 […]

May 11, 2015

Roadbuilding

Orange Country Transportation Authority takes lead on Interstate 405 lanes

The Orange Country Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors have approved taking the lead on portions of the Interstate 405 Improvement Project, a $1.7 billion plan designed to update a 14-mile stretch of the freeway between Costa Mesa and the Los Angeles county line. OCTA will have oversight of the I-405 express lanes between State […]

May 11, 2015

Roadbuilding

Pennsylvania DOT co-hosts high friction surface treatment demonstration

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) highlighted the effectiveness of high friction surface treatments (HFST) in speedy application and improving friction qualities of pavements during a recent demonstration in North Cornwall Township. HFST involves using long lasting and water-resistant aggregates to increase tire “grip” on pavements to minimize slippage and improve stopping time in wet […]

May 11, 2015

Roadbuilding

ARTBA, APTA aim Highway Trust Fund ad campaign at legislative leaders

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) are running 30-second radio ad spots aimed at legislative leaders urging them to “stop playing games with the federal transportation funding and find a permanent solution for the federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF).” The associations say the ads are running […]

May 11, 2015

Roadbuilding

GOP won’t tackle transportation funding before trade deal

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) wants Congress to make the looming expiration of transportation funding a top priority, but some Republican Senators want to move the issue to the wayside until a trade deal is secured. Reid threatened on Monday to block the legislation to give President Barack Obama the authority to fast-track international […]

May 8, 2015

Roadbuilding

Three highway funding bills fail within one week in the Colorado Legislature

Potential funding for Colorado roads went three up and three down in the Legislature this week. The failure of all three bills leaves the state’s roads without any extra help from legislators next year, the Colorado Business Journal reported. The funding failures began Monday as the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee voted Senate […]

May 8, 2015

Roadbuilding

Missouri DOT cuts planned highway, bridge projects by 30% over next 5 years

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has released for public review its draft Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for fiscal years 2016-2020. The plan outlines state and regional transportation projects planned during the period of July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2020. Due to the scheduled drop in MoDOT’s construction budget, from $596 million in […]

May 8, 2015

Roadbuilding

White House releases infrastructure planning and design guide

The White House has made available the “Federal Resource Guide for Infrastructure Planning and Design” as part of President Obama’s Build America Investment Initiative launched last July. The guide was released May 5, the same day the White House held a roundtable with infrastructure experts in partnership with the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations. The meeting’s purpose […]

May 7, 2015

Roadbuilding

Budget resolution calls for large reduction in transportation funding

The Senate and House of Representatives passed a joint budget resolution on Tuesday that calls for massive cuts in transportation funding. The budget resolution proposes a 22-percent decrease in transportation funding, according to the National Journal. But the joint resolution is not set in stone and isn’t yet law. It sets the goals Congress will try to […]

May 7, 2015

Roadbuilding

GOP’s Fischer: Short-term highway funding fix is ‘very likely’

The deadline for Congress to act on transportation funding is looming closer each day, but a Republican senator eased some concerns Tuesday. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb) said at the start of a Senate hearing on the matter that she thought that an extension of federal road funding is “highly likely.” The current Highway Trust Fund […]

May 6, 2015

Roadbuilding

23 state DOTs spent more than $1 billion on snow, ice maintenance this winter

Between October 2014 and March 2015, 23 states spent $1.13 billion to plow and treat roadways to keep traffic flowing, according to results from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) “Winter Operations Survey.” (http://downloads.transportation.org/AASHTO_2014- 2015WinterSurvey.xlsx) States surveyed included Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, […]

May 6, 2015