Government

About Government News...

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.

Government, Business

Texas DOT Begins Looking at Axing Tolls

The Texas Department of Transportation is beginning a legislatively mandated look at what it would cost to eliminate toll roads in the state, the agency’s new executive director said.

Marty Schladen | El Paso (Texas) Times
February 19, 2016

Daily 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.

Government

Transportation Bills Lack Traction With Idaho Legislature

Idaho senators apparently have no appetite for transportation funding proposals this session.

William L. Spence | Lewiston (Idaho) Tribune
February 19, 2016
Business, Government, Safety, Logistics

Amazon Expands Deliveries by Its 'On-Demand' Drivers

SAN FRANCISCO — Amazon.com Inc. is quietly inviting drivers for its new "on-demand" delivery service to handle its standard packages, as the online retailer known for low prices and razor-thin profit margins looks to speed up delivery times and tamp down its growing multibillion-dollar logistics bill.

Mari Saito | Reuters
February 18, 2016
Government, Business

Traffic Deaths Jump by Most Since 1966, Safety Group Says

Traffic fatalities increased in 2015 by an amount not seen in 50 years, alarming road safety advocates. The trend in Texas, which has the deadliest highways in the country, remained largely unchanged.

Dug Begley | Houston Chronicle
February 18, 2016
Government, Business, Safety, Logistics

Biden Calls for Increased Transportation Infrastructure Investment

Vice President Joe Biden called for greater public investment in transportation infrastructure during a Feb. 17 visit to a logistics yard east of  Memphis, Tennessee.

Daniel Connolly | The (Memphis, Tenn.) Commercial Appeal
February 18, 2016
Government, Logistics

N.Y. State Senator, UPS Oppose Rail Merger

New York State Sen. Kathleen Marchione and UPS Inc. are among those who are opposing the merger of Canadian Pacific Railway and Norfolk Southern Corp., according to letters on file with the Surface Transportation Board.

Eric Anderson | Times Union (Albany, N.Y.)
February 18, 2016
Government, Business, Safety

Pennsylvania Facing Transportation Funding Shortfall

Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Leslie Richards dropped a bit of a bombshell on the state’s transportation world when she announced that her department was facing a shortfall of at least $6 billion.

David Elfin | Staff Reporter
February 17, 2016
Government, Business

Lawmakers to Look at Legislation to Fix Hours-of-Service Rule ‘Glitch’

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill will look at legislation that would provide a short-term authorization of the Federal Aviation Administration to attach technical language pertaining to an hours-of-service rule for truckers in a fiscal 2016 funding law.

Eugene Mulero and Eric Miller | Senior Reporters
February 17, 2016
Government

Maryland Democrats Have Plan to Restrict Governor on Transportation Decisions

The Democratic leaders of Maryland's General Assembly want to restrict the governor's power to decide what transportation projects to fund.

Michael Dresser | The Baltimore Sun
February 17, 2016
Government, Business

Rhode Island Truck-Toll Plan Still Needs FHWA Approval

Even though Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo signed RhodeWorks into law on Feb. 11, her trucks-only tolling plan still needs to be approved by the Federal Highway Administration before it can roll smoothly toward a projected opening of the 14 tolling gantries in 18 to 24 months.

David Elfin | Staff Reporter
February 16, 2016