| DOTs and toll agencies: taxpayers are your customers |
| June 26, 2012 HNTB |
| KANSAS CITY, MO. — Performance management is a proven method for increasing credibility and transparency by making transportation and toll agencies measurement efforts more strategic and adding two important steps: analysis and action. According to Pete Rahn, HNTB leader national transportation practice, this creates a "continual cycle of measure, analyze, act, then repeat" that helps agencies identify ways to better and more cost-effectively serve their customers. |
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| Atkins to design Colorado’s I-70 Twin Tunnels widening project |
| June 26, 2012 Atkins |
| TAMPA, FL — Atkins has begun the design work for a major Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) project that is intended to improve the Interstate 70 Mountain Corridor east of Idaho Springs. The project involves widening eastbound I-70 to accommodate three traffic lanes — including expanding the eastbound bore of the Idaho Springs Twin Tunnels — as well as building a new bridge and 1.6 miles of retaining walls. |
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| Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board approves $11.4 billion in transportation improvements |
| June 26, 2012 Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board |
| RICHMOND, VA. — The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) approved $11.4 billion in allocations for transportation improvement projects over the next six years beginning July 1. The Six-Year Improvement Program distributes funding for highway, road, and bridge projects as well as rail, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and other transportation improvements across the state. |
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| Six months into SR 520 tolling, traffic and revenue on track |
| June 26, 2012 WSDOT |
| SEATTLE — For the first six months, tolling on the SR 520 bridge is working as planned. Weekday traffic is free flowing for the first time in decades during the peak commute times, and revenue generated by tolling is ahead of forecasts. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), this trajectory puts it slightly ahead of the finance plan, keeping track with making the debt payments needed to pay for the bridge construction. |
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| TDOT Commissioner announces new Environmental Advisory Council |
| June 20, 2012 Tennessee DOT |
| NASHVILLE, TENN. — Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Commissioner John Schroer announced the formation of a new Environmental Advisory Council for the department. The group will focus on enhancing TDOT’s commitment to protecting Tennessee’s natural resources while building, operating, and maintaining the state’s transportation system. |
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| Highway Friction Tester available for free demonstrations |
| June 20, 2012 The Transtec Group |
| AUSTIN, TEXAS — The Transtec Group announced the immediate availability of demonstrations of the Dynatest 6875H Highway Friction Tester (HFT). Demonstrations are offered free of charge to departments of transportation through an equipment demonstration program sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The purpose is to provide an overview of the fixed-slip continuous measurement friction tester. Demos typically span from a half day up to one week. |
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| State advances plan to develop non-interstate rest areas |
| June 20, 2012 Ohio Department of Transportation |
| COLUMBUS, OHIO — In an effort to generate millions of dollars for the construction of some of the state’s largest, most expensive transportation projects, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is moving forward with a plan to explore the commercial development of certain state-owned rest areas. |
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| NC Quick Pass transponder sales surpass 20,000 |
| June 20, 2012 North Carolina Turnpike Authority |
| RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Turnpike Authority sold its 20,000th NC Quick Pass transponder Wednesday, June 13, just eight months after opening the NC Quick Pass Customer Service Center in Morrisville and launching sales on the NC Quick Pass website — 5,315 transponders have been sold at the customer service center and 14,718 were purchased via the Internet, bringing the current total to 20,033. |
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| Caltrans offers webinar to educate public about safety of Bay Bridge |
| June 14, 2012 Caltrans |
| OAKLAND, CALIF. — The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) followed up on its call for the Sacramento Bee to retract a false story on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge by announcing a webinar to educate the public about the engineering, construction and safety of the Bay Bridge. The webinar will give the public the opportunity to hear directly from bridge engineers and experts about important project details, including protocols required to ensure the highest possible level of seismic safety. |
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| Northeast states earn top transportation project awards |
| June 14, 2012 AASHTO |
| BALTIMORE — Projects that improved safety for drivers and pedestrians, eliminated major traffic snarls, and helped communities rebuild and recover from natural disasters were all recipients of top honors in the regional America's Transportation Awards competition. Now in its fifth year, the America's Transportation Awards competition — sponsored by AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — recognizes the very best of America's transportation projects in three main categories: Ahead of Schedule, Under Budget, and Best Use of Innovation. |
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| Montana DOT looks to GPR for pavement rehab design |
| June 8, 2012 Infrasense Inc. |
| ARLINGTON, MASS. — Infrasense Inc. recently completed a study to evaluate the feasibility and value of expanding the Montana Department of Transportation's (MDT) ground penetrating radar (GPR) program to pavement design and rehabilitation, and to network level evaluation. The study included a field evaluation project designed and implemented to evaluate the accuracy of GPR pavement thickness data on Montana pavements, and to correlate these findings with the accuracy requirements of the individual applications. |
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| Iowa Transportation Commission approves State Transportation Plan |
| June 8, 2012 Iowa Transportation Commission |
| AMES, IOWA — The Iowa Transportation Commission approved the State Transportation Plan: Iowa in Motion – Planning Ahead 2040. The plan builds on the success of the previous long-range plan developed by the Iowa Department of Transportation and will provide direction for each mode (aviation, bicycle and pedestrian, highway, public transit, rail and waterways) of transportation. |
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| Caltrans calls for retraction of Sacramento Bee Bay Bridge story |
| June 8, 2012 Caltrans |
| SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — In an effort to raise public awareness about the safety and integrity of the new east span of the Bay Bridge, Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty called on the Sacramento Bee to retract a recent story that made false claims about the bridge. In a letter to Sacramento Bee executive editor Joyce Terhaar, Dougherty outlines the major flaws in the May 27 story by reporter Charles Piller and calls on the paper to set the record straight. A Caltrans review of the Bee’s assertions has determined that they are completely inaccurate. According to Caltrans, every part of the new span has been thoroughly tested by expert engineers and independent experts who have determined that the bridge is safe and sound. |
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| Crews break ground on pit for SR 99 tunnel boring machine |
| June 7, 2012 WSDOT |
| SEATTLE — It won’t float, but it will be as big as a ferry boat. So it’s only fitting that crews building the State Route 99 Tunnel Project have started digging a Puget Sound-sized pit where the world’s largest diameter tunnel boring machine will begin its historic journey beneath downtown Seattle. |
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| Maryland SHA plants thousands of trees to help filter highway runoff |
| June 7, 2012 Maryland State Highway Administration |
| ANNAPOLIS, MD. — The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) is taking a major step to improve and sustain Chesapeake Bay water quality by planting thousands of trees at key locations throughout Maryland. The trees will act as natural filters to help reduce nutrients that wash into waterways and ultimately into the Bay. |
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| ADOT presented with State Leadership Award for transit programs |
| June 7, 2012 Arizona DOT |
| PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation's (ADOT) Multimodal Planning Division was recently honored with the 2012 State Leadership Award by the Community Transportation Association of America at its annual conference in Baltimore. The award recognizes one state DOT for its service to transit riders, while providing innovative technical assistance, initiating responsive training, and pushing for timely advocacy at the state and local levels. |
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| ODOT frees up $400 million for future transportation projects |
| June 7, 2012 Ohio Department of Transportation |
| COLUMBUS, OHIO — Improved department efficiency, workforce and vehicle fleet reductions, higher than projected gas tax receipts, the elimination of federal earmarks, and savings from a mild winter are allowing the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to dump $400 million into the budget for major new construction projects throughout the state. It means some construction projects will see future delays significantly reduced or eliminated. |
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| Virginia governor announces draft Public-Private Transportation Act ‘pipeline’ of projects |
| June 6, 2012 Virginia Governor's Office |
| RICHMOND, VA. — Governor Bob McDonnell announced the Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships' (OTP3) "pipeline" of candidate projects. The pipeline contains both well-established transportation public-private projects long identified as priorities, as well as new transportation concepts under consideration for delivery via Virginia's Public-Private Transportation Act (PPTA). |
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| Free cost estimate model offered for transportation management plans |
| May 30, 2012 Mineta Transportation Institute |
| SAN JOSE, CALIF. — The Mineta Transportation Institute (transweb.sjsu.edu) released a peer-reviewed research report, “Cost Estimate Modeling of Transportation Management Plans for Highway Projects.” The research team developed a systematic cost estimation modeling process for transportation management plans (TMP) that automatically estimates TMP costs for highway projects using pre-established TMP elements grouped by TMP strategies. This process will be especially valuable to relevant engineers at Caltrans and similar agencies. |
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| Transportation director outlines the ‘State of ODOT’ |
| May 30, 2012 Ohio Department of Transportation |
| COLUMBUS, OHIO — On May 29, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Jerry Wray opened the state agency’s doors to the public for an insider’s look at the “State of ODOT” and its current short-term and long-term financial outlook. |
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| TxDOT planning for Panama Canal expansion |
| May 30, 2012 Texas DOT |
| AUSTIN, TEXAS — To prepare for the upcoming expansion of the Panama Canal, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is creating a Panama Canal Stakeholder Working Group comprised of a wide variety of entities with an interest in the expansion of the canal and is seeking input from them on promoting port activities in state transportation planning, tackling highway bottlenecks — bridges and links to terminals, and supporting rail investment, especially for exports. |
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| ASCE honors NYSDOT engineers and project |
| May 30, 2012 N.Y. State Department of Transportation |
| NEW YORK — New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald announced that two Department engineers and one of its highway improvement projects are being honored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Assistant Commissioner Phillip Eng, the department’s chief engineer, is being named as the ASCE Metropolitan Section’s Herbert Howard Government Civil Engineer of the Year. The award, to be given on May 31 in Flushing, is presented annually to an outstanding civil engineer who has contributed substantially to the field. |
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| Minnesota unveils a 50-year vision and guiding principles for transportation |
| May 30, 2012 AASHTO |
| WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a two-minute State DOT Update video, Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Commissioner Thomas Sorel tells Transportation TV, "Creating a 50-year transportation plan is something states don't typically do. Yet, MnDOT worked in collaboration with partners from across Minnesota to build a very strong and compelling vision for transportation." |
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| ODOT launches program to generate ‘millions in new revenue’ |
| May 21, 2012 Ohio Department of Transportation |
| COLUMBUS, OHIO — The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is hoping to generate millions of dollars in new money by launching a program that will permit advertising and sponsorship opportunities at interstate rest areas and welcome centers throughout Ohio. The department began seeking competitive bids for the Sponsorship, Maintenance, and Advertising Revenue Tartgeted (SMART) program. |
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| APA announces 2011 Perpetual Pavement Award winners |
| May 10, 2012 Asphalt Pavement Alliance |
| LANHAM, MD. — The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) announced the winners of its 2011 Perpetual Pavement Awards program. These national awards are given to road-owning agencies for asphalt pavements that are at least 35 years old and have never had a structural failure. The average interval between resurfacing of each winning pavement must be no less than 13 years, and the road must demonstrate excellence in design, quality in construction and value for the traveling public. |
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| Georgia DOT launches more than $73 million in new work |
| May 10, 2012 Georgia Department of Transportation |
| ATLANTA — Major transportation improvement projects all across the state have been initiated by the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT). Bids have been awarded for $73.7 million in new work, including significant, multi-million-dollar projects in Gordon, Hall, Fulton, and Dougherty counties. In all, 32 new projects will mean mobility improvements for dozens of Georgia communities. |
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| Draft FY 2013-2017 Iowa Transportation Improvement Program presented to the Iowa Transportation Commission |
| May 10, 2012 Iowa DOT |
| AMES, IOWA — The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) presented the Iowa Transportation Commission with the draft Fiscal Year 2013-2017 Iowa Transportation Improvement Program. The program reflects Iowa’s multimodal transportation system through inclusion of investments in aviation, transit, railroads, trails, and highways. |
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| Road Safety Audit (RSA) webinar: Focus on implementation |
| May 3, 2012 National Highway Institute |
| WASHINGTON, D.C. — A decade ago, only a few states had ever heard of a Road Safety Audit (RSA) and now every state has some experience with the RSA process. A National Highway Institute webinar — May 17, 2012, at 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time — will showcase how states have developed RSA programs with a strong focus on implementation. |
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| NAPA Midyear Meeting focuses on ‘Magnificent Opportunities for Asphalt’ |
| May 3, 2012 National Asphalt Pavement Association |
| LANHAM, MD. — The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) opened registration for its 2102 Midyear Meeting, being held July 16–18 at the historic Drake Hotel on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. The theme for the 2012 meeting is “Magnificent Opportunities for Asphalt: Overcoming Challenges, Delivering Solutions,” which reflects the central messages of the event’s plenary sessions. |
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| Texas moves to address energy industry impacts on roadways |
| May 3, 2012 Texas Transportation Commission |
| AUSTIN, TEXAS — Communities will begin to see repair and rehabilitation take place on roadways used frequently by the energy industry after the Texas Transportation Commission gave approval for $40 million for maintenance and safety improvement projects relates to the industry's activities. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will begin the work this summer, as contracts are signed and executed to repair and widen some roads, and make intersection improvements to others. The funding will support projects located in north and south Texas. |
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Department of Transportation makes steps to ensure the structure's ecological footprint is as small as possible, leaving room for natural habitats to flourish.
