| Seattle offers new web-based map of street trees |
| January 18, 2012 Seattle Department of Transportation |
| SEATTLE — Seattle residents frequently ask the city who owns the trees along the street where they live, what kind of trees they are, and whose responsibility it is to maintain them. Residents can now obtain that information using a new web-based map showing most of Seattle’s street trees. This access to the city’s tree inventory is timely because the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is in the midst of drafting an ordinance that will aid in regulating and managing street trees. |
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| AASHTO Journal features outstanding state DOT projects |
| January 11, 2012 AASHTO |
| WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) launched a "Project of the Week" section in the AASHTO Journal to highlight excellent state transportation department projects that are completed on time, under budget, and/or using innovative management. |
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| MDOT appoints McConnell deputy executive director - chief engineer |
| January 11, 2012 Mississippi Department of Transportation |
| JACKSON, MISS. — The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) appointed Mark McConnell to the position of deputy executive director – chief engineer, according to MDOT Executive Director Melinda McGrath. As chief engineer, McConnell will oversee highway and bridge construction projects as well as MDOT’s maintenance program throughout Mississippi. |
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| Mississippi Transportation Commission appoints MDOT executive director |
| January 5, 2012 Mississippi Department of Transportation |
| JACKSON, MISS. — The Mississippi Transportation Commission unanimously voted to appoint Melinda L. McGrath as executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT). Since February 2011, McGrath has served as interim executive director/chief engineer of MDOT. Prior to that, she served as deputy executive director/chief engineer since August 2008. |
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| RIDOT to receive 2011 IRF GRAA Award in asphalt research |
| January 5, 2012 Rhode Island Department of Transportation |
| PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The International Road Federation (IRF) announced the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) as one of the winners of the 2011 Global Road Achievement Awards (GRAA) in the category of research. Eight countries and nine projects were represented this year. Awarded projects were chosen by an international panel of judges whose expertise lies in the industry of roadway development. |
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| New Transportation TV program launches to highlight innovation |
| January 5, 2012 AASHTO |
| WASHINGTON D.C. — Innovations in transportation are numerous, and beginning today, industry professionals and the general public can turn to Transportation TV to keep up with the very latest trends and developments. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials launched “News in Design” with Keith Platte, AASHTO's associate program director for project delivery. Platte's show will feature innovative transportation products and programs being tested and/or implemented by state departments of transportation across the country. |
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| DDOT Director Bellamy: Innovation, efficiency, and reliable federal funding are critical |
| December 22, 2011 AASHTO |
| WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a new Two-Minute State DOT Update video produced by AASHTO’s Transportation TV, District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Director Terry Bellamy talks about the District of Columbia’s extraordinary responsibility of meeting the needs of a growing metropolitan region while also satisfying the unique responsibilities associated with being the nation’s capital. |
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| VDOT advertised more than $2 billion worth of road and bridge contracts in 2011 |
| December 22, 2011 Virginia DOT |
| RICHMOND, VA. — The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) advertised more than $2 billion worth of construction and maintenance contracts during 2011. Contracts include repaving, bridge repairs and replacements, intersection and safety improvements, and road widenings, among several other transportation projects across the state. |
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| DelDOT celebrates final stages of Indian River Inlet Bridge construction with displays and time capsule |
| December 21, 2011 Delaware DOT |
| DOVER, DEL. — As the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) prepares to celebrate the opening of the new Indian River Inlet Bridge (IRIB) in January 2012, it announced that it is partnering with the Division of Cultural Affairs to create two displays that tell the story of Delaware's Indian River Inlet, including the archaeology, environmental impacts, history of bridges in this area, as well as attributes of the new bridge. These displays showcase the complex task of bridge building, as well as celebrating the near completion of one of Delaware's most iconic bridges. |
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| PCA: DOT procurement practices hinder cost-saving benefits |
| December 21, 2011 Portland Cement Association |
| SKOKIE, ILL. — A recent report by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) shows that some states’ departments of transportation (DOT) procurement practices hinder “free market” dynamics economics. These practices could be costing states and taxpayers billions of dollars in unnecessary paving initiatives. |
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| ADOT selects Parsons Brinckerhoff as quarterly DBE Consultant Champion |
| December 21, 2011 Arizona DOT |
| TEMPE, ARIZ. — The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) selected the Tempe, Ariz., office of Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global infrastructure strategic consulting, engineering and program/construction management organization, as the quarterly Consultant Champion for its commitment to the Arizona Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. |
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| TxDOT plan defining best practices in pavement management earns international award |
| December 16, 2011 Texas DOT |
| AUSTIN, TEXAS — An international road advocacy group recognized the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) recently for the agency’s innovative four-year maintenance management plan that establishes best practices methodology to improve pavement conditions across the state. TxDOT is the recipient of the International Road Federation’s (IRF) 2011 Global Road Achievement Award (GRAA) in the category of maintenance management. |
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| Tennessee construction company and Georgia DOT agree to pay $1.5 million penalty to resolve Clean Water Act violations |
| December 16, 2011 U.S. EPA |
| WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wright Brothers Construction Co. and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) have agreed to pay a $1.5 million penalty and spend more than $1.3 million to offset environmental damages to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The civil penalty is one of the largest ever under the CWA provisions prohibiting the unauthorized discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States. |
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| Virginia governor outlines 2012 transportation plan |
| December 16, 2011 Virginia Governor's Office |
| NORFOLK, VA. — Speaking to more than 700 hundred industry and transportation agency professionals during the 2011 Governor's Transportation Conference in Norfolk, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell outlined his transportation policy and funding plans for the upcoming 2012 General Assembly Session. The governor's new proposals follow the successful passage of his 2011 transportation agenda, which put the most new funding into roads and rail in the state in 25 years. |
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| Washington HOT lanes revenue exceeds operational costs |
| December 8, 2011 WSDOT |
| AUBURN, WASH. —The HOT Lanes on State Route 167 have accelerated into the black, according to the SR 167 Third Annual HOT Lanes Performance Summary released by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). |
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| VDOT enters P3 agreement to build a second Midtown Tunnel in Hampton Roads |
| December 8, 2011 Virginia DOT |
| RICHMOND, VA. — The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) entered into a comprehensive agreement with Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC) to build a new Midtown Tunnel, rehabilitate the existing Midtown Tunnel as well as the Downtown Tunnels, and extend the Martin Luther King Freeway. The comprehensive agreement has been under negotiation for almost five months between VDOT, ERC and the new Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships (OTP3). |
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| New AASHTO president says innovation must pave the way during lean times |
| December 7, 2011 AASHTO |
| WASHINGTON, D.C. — Accelerating the implementation of innovative solutions to speed project delivery and save precious resources are just some of the top priorities for 2012 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) President Kirk T. Steudle, P.E., director of the Michigan Department of Transportation. Also high on the President's priority list are utilizing asset and performance management solutions to generate data-driven decision making, and working for the passage of a new surface transportation reauthorization bill. |
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| TDOT touts more than 100 million Twitter reads |
| December 7, 2011 Tennessee DOT |
| NASHVILLE, TENN. –Two years after the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) began using the social networking service Twitter to share travel information, the department’s Twitter account postings have been read more than 100 million times. |
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| Breakthrough of the Caldecott Tunnel's fourth bore marks a major project milestone |
| December 2, 2011 Caltrans |
| OAKLAND, CALIF. —Caltrans reached a milestone with the breakthrough of the top portion of the Caldecott Tunnel's fourth bore — joining the tunnel's eastern and western sides and bringing the region one step closer to traffic congestion relief. When the fourth bore opens to traffic in late 2013, it will eliminate the need to reverse the traffic direction in the existing center bore twice a day to accommodate peak traffic flows, with dedicated westbound and eastbound traffic lanes. |
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| FHWA cuts red tape, frees state DOTs to deploy innovative solutions |
| December 2, 2011 AASHTO |
| WASHINGTON, D.C. — Innovations that minimize the impact of vehicle crashes and increase the visibility of road signs are among hundreds of cutting-edge products that will now be more easily available to states due to new guidance released by the Federal Highway Administration. |
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| VDOT certifies Virginia Beach to deliver its own construction program |
| November 29, 2011 Virginia DOT |
| RICHMOND, VA. — The city of Virginia Beach has become the first locality in Virginia to be approved under the Urban Construction Initiative (UCI) Certification Program. The Urban Construction Initiative (also known as the First Cities Initiative) moves local administration from the project level to the program level, providing municipalities with the opportunity to manage their entire construction program. |
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| Caltrans releases documents related to technician's falsified reports |
| November 22, 2011 Caltrans |
| SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — Caltrans released hundreds of official records — including test results, correspondence, and certified engineering reports — related to its response to an employee caught falsifying data during a construction project in September 2008. |
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| U.S. DOT awards $21 million to improve California’s intercity passenger rail service |
| November 21, 2011 U.S. Department of Transportation |
| WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the award of $21 million for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for engineering to begin on three projects to improve Southern California’s Pacific Surfliner Corridor, one of the nation’s most popular passenger corridors. |
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| Ohio River Bridges project review recommends cost-savings proposal for two new bridges |
| November 21, 2011 Ohio River Bridges |
| LOUISVILLE, KY. — An updated environmental review recommends a cost-saving approach for building two new bridges across the Ohio River and rebuilding the downtown Louisville interchange — setting the stage for construction to begin next year. |
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| Two organizations honor New York State DOT commissioner |
| November 21, 2011 N.Y. Department of Transportation |
| ALBANY, N.Y. — New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald recently received the Service to Humanity Award from the March of Dimes New York Chapter. Women’s Transportation Seminar of Greater New York, an international organization dedicated to the professional advancement of women in transportation, also honored her as Woman of the Year. |
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| MoDOT director notes accomplishments |
| November 21, 2011 Missouri Department of Transportation |
| JEFFERSON CITY, MO. — The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) accomplished several major goals during the past year, but is only spending about half of what it should on needed projects because of a lack of funds, the director of the agency told the Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight. Kevin Keith told legislators that Missouri highways are in better shape — 86 percent of major roads are in good condition — and traffic fatalities have dropped 35 percent since 2005, the lowest they have been since 1949. |
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| TxDOT seeks P3 for Grand Parkway Project |
| November 18, 2011 Texas DOT |
| AUSTIN, TEXAS — Traffic relief is in sight for the greater Houston area as the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) moves forward with the State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway) project. TxDOT hopes to enter into a public-private partnership (P3) to complete the next phase of the 184-mile outer beltway in 2015. |
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| Wyoming DOT's response to lean times is focus of video |
| November 16, 2011 AASHTO |
| WASHINGTON D.C. — In a video released by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) Director John Cox describes his department's strategy for preserving highways and bridges during Wyoming's current transportation funding crisis. |
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| DOT veteran joins Cardno TBE |
| November 16, 2011 Cardno TBE |
| CLEARWATER, FLA. — Cardno TBE announced that Walt Childs joined the firm as Department of Transportation/Utilities Liaison, after 42 years of employment with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). In 1977, Childs pioneered the concept of using utility work by highway contractor agreements (UWHCA) to prevent delays during construction and was instrumental in drafting the first UWHCA still being used successfully in Florida today. |
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| Former WSDOT director joins CH2M HILL |
| November 16, 2011 CH2M HILL |
| DENVER — CH2M HILL announced that Ron Paananen, P.E., former administrator and project director with Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), joined the company’s Transportation Business Group. |
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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.
