Keith Laing
Pay-as-You-Go Surprise: GOP Backs VMT Fees While Democrats Balk
A construction worker on the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. (Al Drago/Bloomberg News)
The debate over how to pay for the nation’s roads, bridges and transit systems is leading some normally anti-tax Republicans to embrace higher levies on motorists — even a new one based on miles driven instead of fuel purchased.
June 11, 2021Automakers Want Aid for Car-Grade US Chip Production
Vehicle frames sit on an assembly line at the Ford Motor Co. Chicago Assembly Plant. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News)
Automakers want a portion of the money Congress approved for addressing the global semiconductor shortage to be reserved for vehicle-grade chips — warning of a potential 1.3 million shortfall in car and light-duty truck production in the U.S. this year.
April 6, 2021NYC-N.J. Tunnel Plan Has ‘Sense of Urgency,’ Buttigieg Says
Buttigieg (Cliff Owen/Associated Press)
The Biden administration is prioritizing the Gateway rail tunnel project between New York City and New Jersey with urgency because of its “national significance” to the economy, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told lawmakers.
March 26, 2021Deputy DOT Pick Trottenberg Would Prioritize N.Y.-N.J. Rail Tunnel
Polly Trottenberg speaks at an event on the future of transportation in 2016. (Chris Goodney/Bloomberg News)
President Joe Biden’s pick to be second in command at the U.S. Department of Transportation pledged March 3 to help the administration prioritize the proposed Gateway rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey if she is confirmed by the Senate.
March 3, 2021Biggest Electric School Bus Deal in US Approved in Maryland
A SAF T- Liner EC2 electric school bus, manufactured by Thomas Built Buses. (Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg News)
A school system outside Washington is poised to become the nation’s biggest operator of electric school buses.
February 24, 2021Buttigieg Pledges to Make Transportation Systems COVID-Safe
Pete Buttigieg told the Senate in his confirmation hearing that he would look to ensure transportation systems were managed safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Joe Buglewicz/Bloomberg News)
President Joe Biden’s pick to run the Department of Transportation says he will focus on preventing the spread of COVID-19 on the nation’s transportation systems if he is confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
January 21, 2021NHTSA Eyes Exemptions From Some Safety Rules for Self-Driving Cars
A self-driving vehicle from Intel company Mobileye's autonomous test fleet navigates Detroit streets. (Mobileye via Associated Press)
President Donald Trump’s administration is starting to update federal motor vehicle safety standards to exempt self-driving cars from crashworthiness standards that are applied to cars operated by humans, a move questioned by safety advocates.
January 14, 2021Railroads Install Crash-Prevention System Ahead of US Deadline
A Norfolk Southern freight train rolls through downtown Pittsburgh in March 2018. (Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press)
U.S. railroads have completed installation of an automated crash-prevention system that covers 57,536 miles of freight and passenger tracks ahead of an end-of-year deadline that was previously extended, the Federal Railroad Administration announced Dec. 29.
December 29, 2020Biden Win Is Pressuring Carmakers to Unite on Tailpipe Rules
Traffic moves along Highway 101 in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 25. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg News)
Carmakers that signed up for President Donald Trump’s battle with California over auto emissions are now being pressured to join a peace plan brought on by the election of Joe Biden.
December 2, 2020Toyota Recalls Additional 1.52 Million Vehicles on Stall Risk
(Akio Kon/Bloomberg News)
Toyota Motor Corp. added 1.52 million vehicles to a recall due to potentially defective fuel pumps that may cause stalling. That brings the number of recalled Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles sold in the U.S. to 3.34 million.
October 28, 2020