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Archive for the ‘Policy’ Category

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Bicyclist Safety Must Be A Priority

Wednesday, June 4th, 2014
bike fatalities1

LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS
This year, the U.S. Department of Transportation will decide how it will hold states accountable for public safety on our nation’s roadways. The League strongly believes that the Federal Highway Administration needs to set a national performance measure for safety that includes non-motorized safety.

Based on our experience with Every Bicyclists Counts, there is a clear role for the USDOT and state DOTs in reducing the number of bicyclist fatalities and improving our understanding of the risks bicyclists face.

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Posted in Biking, Infra Views, Policy, Roads, Urban Planning

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The All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy as a Path to Sustainable Economic Growth

Monday, June 2nd, 2014
Figure 1-1: U.S. Crude Oil Production and Net Imports

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
The All-of-the-Above energy strategy has three key elements: to support economic growth and job creation, to enhance energy security, and to deploy low-carbon energy technologies and lay the foundation for a clean energy future. This report lays out these three elements of the All-of-the-Above energy strategy, and takes stock of the progress that has been made to date and the work that remains to be done.

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Posted in Bipartisan, Competitiveness, Energy, Infra Views, National, Policy, Sustainability

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Hopes for a Long-Term Transportation Bill Are Fading

Tuesday, May 27th, 2014

Innovation Newsbriefs
Vol. 25, No. 7
With federal transportation spending outpacing tax receipts by some $1.25 billion/month, the cash balance of the Federal Highway Trust is drawing perilously close to the point where the U.S Department of Transportation will be obliged to institute cash management strategies—such as slowing down or delaying state reimbursements — to keep the Trust Fund account solvent. Based on current spending and revenue trends, this point —a cash balance of $4 billion in the Highway Account —will be reached in late July according to the latest U.S. DOT estimate However, CBO estimates that “both the highway account and the transit account will end the end of the fiscal year with a positive balance” according to an April 14 memo from the Congressional Budget Office (Subject: CBO’s Highway Trust Fund Runs, April Baseline)

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Posted in Funding, Guest Post, Highway, Innovation Newsbriefs, National, Policy, Roads, Tax, The Infra Blog

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Air Pollution Takes a Heavy Toll Around the World

Monday, May 26th, 2014

Outdoor air pollution, much of it from road transport, is costing advanced economies plus China and India an estimated USD 3.5 trillion a year in terms of the value of lost lives and ill health, according to new OECD research. Without government action to limit vehicle emissions, the costs will rise in the years ahead.

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Posted in Global, Policy, Pollution, Show Us Your Infra, Sustainability

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Why Infrastructure Investment Needs to be a National Priority

Friday, May 23rd, 2014
Deborah Wince-Smith, President & CEO, Council on Competitiveness

The U.S. receives an enormous return on infrastructure investments. Maintaining the status quo is not acceptable. America’s infrastructure underpins the U.S. economy. It is the thread that knits our great nation together. To compete in the global economy and raise our standard of living, we must renew and update America’s aging public infrastructure. Time is running out.

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Posted in Aging Infrastructure, Competitiveness, Global, Guest Post, Guests on The Infra Blog, National, Policy, The Infra Blog

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Racial Bias in Driver Yielding Behavior at Crosswalks

Friday, May 23rd, 2014
Figure 1: Number of cars that passed before pedestrian could cross (by pedestrian race)

PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Minority pedestrians are more likely to be killed in a motor vehicle crash even after controlling for increased traffic exposure in urban areas, socioeconomic status, and alcohol use (CDC, 2013). One potential and unexplored contributing factor to these disparate outcomes is whether driver behavior differs toward pedestrians by race. Similar to other types of intergroup interactions, roadway interactions between drivers and pedestrians are likely influenced by drivers’ subtle racial attitudes and biases. The current study focuses on pedestrians’ street crossings, as pedestrians are most vulnerable when crossing traffic lanes.

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Posted in Equity, Infra Views, Local, National, Policy, Roads, Urban Planning

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Guest on The Infra Blog: Paul Yarossi, Executive Vice President, HNTB

Wednesday, May 21st, 2014
Paul Yarossi, Executive Vice President, HNTB

Paul Yarossi is Executive Vice President of HNTB and President of HNTB Holdings, Ltd. As president of HNTB Holdings Ltd, Paul Yarossi serves on the company’s board of directors and is responsible for overseeing and directing the firm’s governance, capitalization strategy, compliance and audit functions, as well as its external and government relations. He also participates in a number of high-level roles on behalf of the industry, which gives him a broad perspective on current issues and trends. He previously served as chairman of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, the U.S. transportation construction industry’s representative in Washington, D.C. ARTBA is bringing recommendations forward regarding the next federal highway funding bill. Yarossi has presented testimony to the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, and the U.S. House Oversight Committee.

“…We continue to look at infrastructure rehabilitation and expansion as a cost rather than an investment…I think we need to change how we talk about infrastructure and start telling people less about what they won’t have and more about what they’ll get in return for their money.”

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Posted in Aging Infrastructure, Funding, Guests on The Infra Blog, National, Policy, The Infra Blog

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Infrastructure Planning And Investment: A Widening Gap

Wednesday, May 21st, 2014
HUDSON VALLEY INFRASTRUCTURE: REDUCED PUBLIC INVESTMENT

HUDSON VALLEY PATTERN FOR PROGRESS
In the past few months, the tragic gas explosion in Harlem and Vice President Biden’s description of LaGuardia Airport as a “third world airport” made national news. In the Hudson Valley, the massive rebuilding of the Tappan Zee Bridge and a proposed $153 million private desalination plant have made headlines. The common topic: Infrastructure. Today, the world demands solid and dependable underpinnings to the activities of daily life. Infrastructure means livelihoods—think of the 14.2 million workers employed nationally in the sector (Brookings, 2014). It means survival, especially in terms of critical resources such as water and roads. And it means a set of unprecedented challenges, at all levels.

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Posted in Aging Infrastructure, Competitiveness, Employment, Funding, Infra Views, Jobs, Local, Policy, Private Investment

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Dangerous By Design 2014

Tuesday, May 20th, 2014
FIGURE 1 U.S. pedestrian fatalities, 2003–2012

SMART GROWTH AMERICA
American communities are poised for a renaissance in walking. We’re walking more often, for fun and to get to places in our neighborhood. We turn to WalkScore.com when figuring out where to live and our most walkable places often are among the most economically vibrant in the country. Hundreds of cities have adopted Complete Streets policies to ensure walking is at the forefront of our decisions regarding street design. Public health organizations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Office of the Surgeon General to the local doctor’s office are encouraging us to get out for a walk for physical activity and to combat chronic disease. And indeed, we are walking: six out of 10 people walk for physical activity, and the share of adults who said they walk for transportation grew 6 percent from 2005 to 2010, according to the most recent data available. But we are still dealing with a legacy of roadways that fail to account for the safety of people on foot.

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Posted in Equity, Infra Views, National, Policy, Roads, Smart Growth, Urban Planning

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Beyond Shovel-Ready: The Extent and Impact of U.S. Infrastructure Jobs

Monday, May 19th, 2014
Seven Infrastructure Sectors

METROPOLITAN POLICY PROGRAM
BROOKINGS INSTITUTION
This report sheds new light on the widespread contributions that infrastructure jobs make to the nation’s economy, including their importance at the metropolitan level. Since many of these jobs offer more equitable wages, require less formal education for entry, and are projected to grow over the next decade, they represent a key area of consideration for policymakers aiming to address the country’s ongoing infrastructure and jobs deficit.

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