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.
Arizona Governor Presses Trump Administration for Freight Expansion Dollars
Increasing vehicle capacity to alleviate congestion and improve safety along Interstate 10 between Phoenix and the ports in the Los Angeles area is among the infrastructure projects for which Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) would welcome funding assistance from the federal government.
March 7, 2017Daily Briefings from Transport Topics
Transport Topics has partnered with Spoken Layer to make one-minute daily briefings available on all your smart devices. Simply say “Alexa, play Transport Topics” or “Okay Google, talk to Transport Topics” to get the day’s biggest trucking headlines.
Results of FMCSA Restart Study Did Not Benefit Driver Safety, Fatigue, DOT Says
A congressionally mandated study on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s hours-of-service restart rule showed that it “did not explicitly identify a net benefit on driver operations, safety, fatigue and health,” the Department of Transportation Inspector General said March 2.
March 6, 2017US Will Reclaim Global Supply Chain, Trump Trade Aide Says
The United States is seeking more “reciprocal” trade with other countries in a bid to boost growth, reduce the trade deficit and keep American production capacity out of foreign hands, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said.
Mayors to Congress: Help Fund Major Infrastructure Projects
Big-ticket infrastructure projects around the country need a boost from the federal government, more than 30 mayors meeting in Washington, D.C., last week told congressional leaders and Trump administration officials.
Koch Group Warns Trump Infrastructure Plan Could Be ‘Spending Boondoggle’
An influential conservative group backed by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch is questioning a plan to spend $1 trillion on the nation’s infrastructure and warning that one of President Trump’s signature policy initiatives could become a “spending boondoggle.”
Editorial: Week Spent Looking to the Future
Conference halls from coast to coast were teeming with talk of transportation last week, with no shortage of prognostications from industry leaders about what the future holds.
March 6, 2017Opinion: Virginia Increases Availability of TWICs at DMVs
As reported in Transport Topics in early December 2016, (12-12, pp. 4, 43) American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear told a roundtable of lawmakers at a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C., that the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, or TWIC, represents the future of secure transportation.
Trump Urges Congress to Pass $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill
WASHINGTON — Addressing Congress for the first time, President Trump was short on specifics when he called for passage of a $1 trillion infrastructure investment plan that he suggested would modernize the country’s transportation network.
Governors Acknowledge Every Funding Option Necessary for Infrastructure
A toolkit of options for financing big-ticket infrastructure projects is required to compensate for lack of federal funding, governors noted in a policy outline for 2017.
Service Industries Grow at Fastest Pace Since October 2015
American service companies expanded in February at the fastest rate since October 2015 amid stronger orders, signaling momentum in the economy’s biggest sector.