Even in a nation’s capital typically behind the curve on technological matters, autonomy and self-driving automobiles continue to grab headlines. Case in point: The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed a bill unanimously in October crafted to expedite the testing and deployment of partly and fully autonomous vehicles. While the bill must still pass the full Senate, a similar bill in the U.S. House of Representatives has already passed. Both measures have the same goals in mind – adjust traditional car standards to allow greater room for innovation and technological advancement by carmakers and give the federal government the ultimate authority on related governance.
View this complete post...Archive for the ‘Rail’ Category
Freight Rail is a Driver of Innovation
Monday, November 6th, 2017Dismantling a National Transportation Network
Thursday, October 19th, 2017
Despite Congress’ rejection of deep cuts, the Trump Administration has resurrected the idea of dismantling Amtrak’s national network of passenger rail service routes. This discussion of eliminating “unprofitable” Amtrak routes is occurring while the nation’s transportation infrastructure is deteriorating and the nation is struggling to reach a consensus on how to address a decades-long pattern of underinvestment in our infrastructure.
View this complete post...Rail and the California Economy
Friday, September 1st, 2017
A broad investment in all types of transport has been critical to California’s economic success, and rail is a fundamental component of the transportation system. Rail has helped define California’s history, with westward expansion creating communities and allowing for growth in agriculture, and other early drivers of the state’s economy. With the coming high-speed rail system and record traffic in containerized freight, it is also helping to define the state’s future.
View this complete post...Tallulah Falls, GA: Abandoned Piers of the Tallulah Falls Bridge
Friday, June 23rd, 2017
The Tallulah Falls Railway crossed Tallulah Falls Lake on a 585-foot bridge built in 1913 as the lake was filling. The deck-style plate girder bridge replaced an earlier wooden truss structure. When the railroad was abandoned in the early 1960s, the steel spans were removed and recycled. The concrete piers were left standing because they had no salvage value and demolition would have been costly.
View this complete post...Guest on The Infra Blog: Edward R. Hamberger, President and CEO, American Association of Railroads (AAR)
Thursday, May 11th, 2017
“There is an incredible need to educate. One of the big frustrations in our freight rail industry is that people do not appreciate the importance of freight and don’t realize that we are—along with the trucking industry and along with the barge and towing industry—critical to the nation’s economy. People just seem to think about freight railroads when they’re sitting, watching it go by, and being frustrated that the gate is down at a grade crossing. It is, from a public policy standpoint, critical that Congress and the Administration will recognize the importance of freight.”
View this complete post...Guest on The Infra Blog: Patrick J. Foye, Executive Director, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017
“Interesting fact: two thirds of the people that used to travel between Washington and New York used to travel by the shuttle, by air, and a third by rail; and now the numbers are reversed: it’s two thirds by Amtrak or other regional rail and a third by air, and I think that speaks to the resurgence in rail. And I think also increasing numbers of travelers are interested in being responsible commuters, whether it’s a trip across the Hudson or a trip to Washington, and I think that influences their choice of commute and travel as well.”
View this complete post...Freight Railroads & International Trade
Thursday, April 6th, 2017
Globalization has harmed some U.S. workers, and policymakers should work to ameliorate that harm. However, shrinking from America’s central role in international trade would significantly weaken our nation’s economy, our standard of living and our quality of life. Policymakers must not deprive Americans of the tremendous advantages and opportunities brought about by engaging fully in the global economy.
View this complete post...Guest on The Infra Blog: Norma Jean Mattei, 2017 President, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Thursday, March 16th, 2017
“I think one of the problems is we have gotten into the habit of just waiting until things break, and when you have many sectors at a “D,” it just takes one major event to shut something down and have something fail. And then we throw a lot of money at it. But that’s not a wise way of handling things, because when you’re dealing with a disaster, you’re throwing four times the money at what is now broken, instead of maintaining something in a condition that’s at least average condition.”
View this complete post...Making the Grade: Ports, Inland Waterways and Rail
Wednesday, March 15th, 2017
Ports, Inland Waterways, and Rail infrastructure systems play an integral role in the U.S. freight network and how America moves things. ASCE’s 2017 Infrastructure Report Card graded ports a C+, inland waterways a D, and rail a B. Watch the video and learn more at https://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/.
View this complete post...2017 Infrastructure Report Card
Thursday, March 9th, 2017
Our nation is at a crossroads. Deteriorating infrastructure is impeding our ability to compete in the thriving global economy, and improvements are necessary to ensure our country is built for the future. While we have made some progress, reversing the trajectory after decades of underinvestment in our infrastructure requires transformative action from Congress, states, infrastructure owners, and the American people…Our nation’s infrastructure challenges are significant but solvable. Through strategic, sustained investment, bold leadership, comprehensive planning, and careful preparation for the needs of the future, America’s infrastructure will be improved and restored.
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