MY ETT News » traffic

DOT proposes to eliminate deadlines for replacing traffic signs

Rhonda Flathman — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:42:16 +0000

The U.S. Department of Transportation is considering lifting the deadlines it imposes on states to replace traffic signs, instead letting local and state transportation agencies decide when such markers should be upgraded. Currently, the DOT dictates how often traffic signs should be replaced, which can create a financial burden for states if new ones aren’t needed. The move could save local and state governments millions of dollars. Some deadlines deemed critical to public safety will be retained under the proposal. The FHWA also is soliciting public comments for this proposed rule for the next 60 days.

The Obama administration announced the elimination of dozens of burdensome regulations on traffic signs which cash-strapped state and local governments expect will save them millions of dollars. The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing that communities replace traffic signs when they are worn out rather than requiring signs to be replaced by a specific deadline. The proposed changes will eliminate 46 deadlines mandated by federal traffic control regulations.

In January, President Obama called for a governmentwide review of regulations already on the books. The purpose was to identify rules that needed to be changed or removed because they were unnecessary, out-of-date, excessively burdensome or overly costly. “A specific deadline for replacing street signs makes no sense and would have cost communities across America millions of dollars in unnecessary expenses,” says U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

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Carriers, East Coast brace for the wrath of Irene

Rhonda Flathman — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:50:02 +0000

As Hurricane Irene churns ever closer to shore, carriers along the East Coast and particularly the Northeast, which is expected to bear the brunt of the storm, have their disaster preparedness plans already in motion. Carriers like UPS and FedEx are closely monitoring the storm and ready to take action needed to protect employees, vehicles and freight based on conditions. Ports in the areas that could feel the storm’s effects closed up shop early today ahead of Irene’s arrival, and in New York, the possibility of closing bridges and tunnels–and some even potentially banning tractor-trailers–was announced by the Port Authority of New York, which operates them. Currently hovering at Category 2 strength, Irene is projected to make landfall tonight and into Saturday morning.

As Hurricane Irene bears down on the East Coast, and in particular the Northeast, this weekend, trucking fleets are busy preparing for the storm. Whether it is rerouting trucks or battening down the hatches at terminals, carriers are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.

“We are closely monitoring the movement of Hurricane Irene and do have contingency plans to [protect equipment] and our employees,” Sally Davenport, FedEx spokesperson, told Fleet Owner.

Those plans would include moving aircraft and rerouting trucks “so they are not driving into the storm,” Davenport said. “Everything we do is to protect our employees, equipment, and our customers’ freight.”

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Annual NAFTA trade up 24.3% in 2010

Rhonda Flathman — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:36:23 +0000

Though the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Transportation indicate a significant increase in surface transportation trade between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico from 2009 to 2010, the value of North American surface trade remains below 2007 and 2008 levels. From 2009 to 2010, trade among North American Free Trade Agreement partners rose 24.3 percent, the largest year-to-year increase since the agreement took effect in 1994. U.S.-Canada surface transportation trade totaled $471 billion in 2010, an increase of 22.1 percent compared to 2009, while U.S.-Mexico surface
transportation trade totaled $320.3 billion in 2010, an increase of 27.6 percent compared to 2009.

NAFTA Trade Numbers Grow, Though Value Remains Down
Surface transportation trade between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement partners Canada and Mexico increased by 24.3 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, reaching $791 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The 24.3 percent increase in trade was the largest year-to-year increase for the years covered by these data. NAFTA went into effect in 1994.

BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that despite the increase from 2009 to 2010, the value of North American surface trade in 2010 remained below the levels of 2007 and 2008.

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Nation’s highway traffic reaches highest level since 2007

Rhonda Flathman — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:19:26 +0000

Using the latest record numbers of vehicle miles traveled from the Department of Transportation, Secretary Ray LaHood emphasized the need for repairing the nation’s deficient roads and bridges. In 2010, Americans travelled three trillion miles, the most since 2007 and the third-highest ever recorded. The most traveled areas include the South Gulf area, a bloc of eight states ranging from Texas to Kentucky, which showed the greatest regional increase in December. Nebraska led the nation with the largest single-state increase that month, and rural driving outpaced urban driving across the country.

Miles to Go: Americans Post Third-Highest Vehicle Miles Traveled in 2010
Americans drove three trillion miles in 2010, the most vehicle miles traveled since 2007 and the third-highest ever recorded, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday, March 2. The increase in traffic volume comes as the United States in 2009 posted its lowest number of traffic fatalities and injuries since 1950.

“More driving means more wear and tear on our nation’s roads and bridges,” says U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This new data further demonstrates why we need to repair the roads and bridges that are the lifeblood of our economy.”

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Report pitches long-term strategy to transportation

Rhonda Flathman — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:59:32 +0000

President Obama delivered a tall order in his State of the Union address a few weeks ago, by stating his intention to “redouble” infrastructure rebuilding efforts in the country. And as the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee prepares to draft a new highway authorization bill, some groups are lobbying for the government to think big picture instead of short-term. A new report from the National Transportation Policy Project suggests that ideally funding and long-term job growth are tied together in the solution to the country’s aging infrastructure that, if not addressed, will crumble
beneath the demands of expected growth in freight and increased traffic in the next quarter century–all of which can be addressed by a well conceived plan, according to the report’s authors.

Group Stresses Need for Long-Term Transportation Policy
As Rep. John Mica (R-FL) gets set to focus the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on drafting a new federal highway reauthorization bill, a new report from the National Transportation Policy Project warns against short-term thinking in favor of a more comprehensive long-term outlook for the bill.

“A sense of urgency remains regarding the need to provide direction for both short-term spending and longer-term transportation policy reform,” the report’s authors write.

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of American Action Forum, and Martin Wachs, senior principal researcher, Rand Corp., argue in the report titled “Strengthening Connections Between Transportation Investments and Economic Growth,” that the bill, formally known as the Safe, Accountable, and Flexible Transportation Equity Act—A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), needs to take into consideration both funding mechanisms and long-term job growth rather than a short-term solution engaged to help to propel the economy out of its slow recovery from the Great Recession.

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Traffic congestion rebounding with economy

Rhonda Flathman — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:30:51 +0000

Apparently, 2008 was a very good year. A little less congestion, maybe a little less frustration. The just-released 2010 edition of the Urban Mobility Report, published by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) at Texas A&M University, attributes that to the economic downturn and higher fuel prices. But now that things are picking up, the traffic headaches are getting more severe. Congestion costs, wasted fuel and delivery delays are on the rise. And the report attempts to assign dollar values to the often priceless frustration. While these costs are understandably higher in
bigger cities, smaller municipalities can really rack up congestion costs too. No. 97 on the report’s freight delay congestion cost list is McAllen, Texas, which weighed in at $14 million. In Chicago, truck delays resulted in a “congestion cost” of more than $ 3,349 million, and slow traffic in New York cost $3,133 million.

According to the just-released 2010 edition of the Urban Mobility Report, published by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) at Texas A&M University, after two years of slight declines in overall traffic congestion – attributable to the economic downturn and higher fuel prices – leading indicators now suggest that as the economy is rebounding, so too are traffic problems.

While 2008 was the best year for commuters in at least a decade, the problem began to grow again in 2009:

Congestion costs continued to rise: measured in constant 2009 dollars, the cost of congestion has risen from $24 billion in 1982 to $115 billion in 2009.
The total amount of wasted fuel in 2009 topped 3.9 billion gallons – equal to 130 days of flow in the Alaska Pipeline.

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OTA looks to tackle road safety in a roundabout way

Rhonda Flathman — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:35:07 +0000

The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) has announced it will fund a study to determine what roundabout designs can support efficient trucking movement in the province. Generally, roundabouts are backed by civil engineers who find they help improve road safety and lead to more efficient traffic movement. The study will examine and recommend those configurations that don’t impede truck movement in the province’s municipalities. Government entities, associations or OTA members can request a copy of the research by
emailing otapublicaffairs@ontruck.org.

TORONTO, Ont. — The Ontario Trucking Association’s (OTA) board of directors has approved the funding of a study to examine designs for roundabouts that would be conducive to the operation of various truck configurations operating on the province’s roads. The OTA says civil engineers typically support the construction of roundabouts as a benefit to road safety and a more efficient means of moving traffic.

“OTA cannot keep track of and provide analysis on every potential roundabout construction project in the province. Nor is it necessarily appropriate that OTA should, as a matter of course, be opposed to roundabouts. However, it is appropriate and proactive for OTA to take the position that municipalities should ensure that new roundabouts will accommodate all truck configurations,” said Geoff Wood, vice-president of operations and safety at the OTA.

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FHWA finalizing “safety culture” change plan for 2011

Rhonda Flathman — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 20:17:17 +0000

With the introduction of a new “safety culture” plan next year, the Federal Highway Administration hopes to continue to reduce the record low number of highway fatalities that were recorded in 2009, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics. By changing the fundamentals of the approach to vehicle engineering, roadway design, enforcement policies and attitudes, the FHWA’s goal is zero deaths, as evidenced in the title of its plan, “Toward Zero Deaths: A National Strategy on Highway Safety.” The approach is inspired by a long-range strategic plan introduced in
Sweden in 1997. Among the recommendations are the use of roundabouts rather than traffic signals and greater collaboration between government agencies and road design, particularly through better methods of data collection.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is putting the final touches on a long-term strategy it hopes to unveil next year to completely overhaul the “safety culture” around motor transport in the U.S. The plan – titled “Toward Zero Deaths: A National Strategy on Highway Safety” (TZD for short) – is based on a 25-year horizon and seeks to re-engineer vehicles, roadway design, enforcement policies, and especially driver attitudes to make what Jim Toole, FHWA Associate administrator, calls “significant” reductions in highway fatalities and injuries.

Though annual highway fatalities in the U.S. declined to “a record low” of 33,808 in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Toole said “the fact that we are ‘only’ killing just over 33,000 a year is not cause for celebration.”

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Demand for Tiger II funding overwhelms supply

Rhonda Flathman — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:51:52 +0000

Just as happened in the first round of infrastructure funding requests, the demand of requests far exceeded the supply. Almost 1,000 applications for $19 billion of projects from all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia exceeded the $600 million available, proof according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that there is a serious need for highway improvements. The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants will be awarded based on potential economic impact, energy efficiency and safety improvements offered. DOT says it also will give priority to projects that are expected to create and preserve jobs quickly and stimulate rapid increases in economic activity.

Transportation Funding Doled Out Based on Economic Impact Potential
Nearly 1,000 construction grant applications for more than $19 billion from all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia far exceeded the $600 million in Tiger (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) II dollars the U.S. Department of Transportation can award for infrastructure projects ranging from highways and bridges to transit and ports. The DOT announcement followed the August deadline for submissions.

Last Feb. 17, DOT announced 51 grant awards from nearly 1,500 applications for Tiger I grants nationwide. The Tiger I requests were for almost $60 billion worth of projects, 40 times the $1.5 billion available under that program. “The wave of applications for both Tiger II and Tiger I dollars shows the backlog of needed infrastructure improvements and the desire for more flexible funds,” says U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This also shows the opportunities still before us to create jobs, to reduce congestion, make wise environmental choices and help generate lasting economic growth.”

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Traffic fatalities hit record lows in ‘09

Rhonda Flathman — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:06:40 +0000

Despite an increase in vehicular traffic, fatalities declined to record lows in 2009 and injuries from highway crashes continue to drop, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The number of highway deaths in 2009 fell to the lowest number since 1950. But for safety officials, the news kept getting better. Deaths across multiple categories, including truck-involved, motorcycles and alcohol-impaired driving, decreased. Though reduced travel due to the recession may have had some impact, traffic safety professionals felt these numbers reflected the efforts of various programs, such as safety belt and alcohol law enforcement campaigns.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is reporting that traffic fatalities declined in 2009 to record lows. That news comes alongside a continued drop in injuries due to highway crashes. Both developments are remarkable in that there was an increase in vehicular traffic last year.

NHTSA said highway deaths due to crashes fell to 33,808 in 2009; a 9.7% decline from 37,423 deaths reported in 2008. That’s the lowest number since 1950 (when 33,186 people perished in highway collisions) resulting in a fatality rate of 1.13 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for 2009. That compares markedly to a rate of 1.26 deaths per 100 million VMT for 2008.

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