John Hennessy III,
P.E.
U.S. PIRG EDUCATION FUND
FRONTIER GROUP
America is in a long-term transportation funding crisis. Our roads, bridges and transit systems are falling into disrepair. Demand for public transportation, as well as safe bicycle and pedestrian routes, is growing. Traditional sources of transportation revenue, especially the gas tax, are not keeping pace with the needs. Even with the recent passage of a five-year federal transportation bill, the future of transportation funding remains uncertain.
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS (ASCE)
NATIONAL CAPITAL SECTION
The District of Columbia has 265 bridge structures; 226 of the bridges are owned by the D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the remaining 39 are owned by the National Park Service (NPS). The average age of a bridge in D.C. is 58 years, and 80% of the bridges will need to be replaced or rehabilitated in the next 10 years. However, the District made significant strides to reduce the number of structurally deficient bridges from 8% to 3% in just three years. Despite this progress, more than 220,000 trips are taken over a structurally deficient bridge every day and a quarter of bridges have at least one major component in fair condition.
Arizona Department of Transportation Employees give an update on the ongoing project east of Superior, AZ.
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TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
This study reviews the demand for interregional travel in the United States and the uncertainties that arise in supplying transportation services and infrastructure to accommodate it. Consideration is given to relevant experience in other countries, especially in providing intercity passenger rail. A central finding is that appropriate analytical tools and up-to-date data on long-distance travel in the United States are lacking, which complicates decisions about how to invest in the country’s interregional corridors in ways that will serve future travelers most effectively and further other policy goals such as protecting the environment, enhancing safety, and curbing energy use.
The Colorado Department of Transportation introduces RoadX and HERE, two 21st-century technologies to help make driving safer and more efficient statewide.
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We broke ground on several important projects including the first phase of Interstate 11 that will eventually connect Las Vegas to Phoenix, and the U.S. 95/215 “Centennial Bowl” in Northwest Las Vegas that will greatly enhance traffic mobility and motorist safety.
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New Yorker Byran Dai travels Nevada’s portion of Highway 50, The Loneliest Road in America. While many have traversed this legendary stretch of road, very few have captured the entire journey start to end time-lapse style.
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ODOT and contract crews reopen Oregon 230 (West Diamond Lake Highway) after heavy snows and fallen trees block the roadway for more than a week. Several times crews had to leave due to falling trees. Hazard trees that had been sprung by the snow were also removed.
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TRIP
An efficient, safe and well-maintained transportation system provides economic and social benefits by affording individuals access to employment, housing, healthcare, education, goods and services, recreation, entertainment, family, and social activities. It also provides businesses with access to suppliers, markets and employees, all critical to a business’ level of productivity and ability to expand. Conversely, reduced accessibility and mobility – as a result of traffic congestion, a lack of adequate capacity, or deteriorated roads, highways, bridges and transit facilities – diminishes a region’s quality of life by reducing economic productivity and limiting opportunities for economic, health or social transactions and activities.
Innovation Newsbriefs
Vol. 26, No. 8
The FAST Act, signed by the President on December 4, marks the beginning of the end for the Highway Trust Fund as we have known it. The $305 billion 5-year measure draws heavily on general funds (to the tune of $70 billion), and relegates to a virtual anachronism the “user pays” principle that was the philosophic foundation of the federal-aid highway program for the past 60 years.
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