Government
Transport Topics government and regulatory coverage keeps managers of a highly-regulated industry aware of the policy decisions that can shape their businesses. Covering both the legislative and regulatory aspects of policy-making, at both the state and national levels, the news in this category includes looks at infrastructure, hours of service, emissions rules, funding measures, leadership appointments, and more. Readers can follow what’s happening in Congress, at the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Administration, and in state and local governments.
US DOT Provides 40 States $768 Million in Emergency Funds to Fix Roadways
Forty states will split $768.2 million in federal emergency funds to help them fix roadway infrastructure damaged by severe weather events in recent years, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced this week.
Wisconsin Lawmakers Buck Gov. Scott Walker, Drop His Transportation Plan From Budget
In a move not seen in at least 24 years, top Wisconsin lawmakers yanked dozens of provisions from Gov. Scott Walker's budget bill, including the entire transportation plan put forward by their fellow Republican.
Supreme Court Declines to Review a Driver's Sleep Apnea Lawsuit Against Crete Carrier Corp.
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case involving an obese truck driver who claimed in a lawsuit that his employer, Crete Carrier Corp., should not have required him to submit to a sleep study to determine if he had sleep apnea.
Oklahoma Transportation Official Urges Congress to Reform Permitting Process
WASHINGTON — Transportation authorizers need to consider ways to reform the planning and approval process for highway infrastructure projects, Mike Patterson, executive director of Oklahoma’s Department of Transportation, told a House subcommittee April 5.
Consumer Comfort Rises for Fifth Time in Last Six Weeks
Americans’ confidence climbed for the fifth time in the last six weeks, resulting in the strongest quarterly sentiment since 2007, Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index figures showed April 6.
How Infrastructure Disrepair Is Holding Back Autonomous Vehicles
On April 4, Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao spoke to a group of business leaders at a town hall-style event with business CEOs and suggested that an infrastructure package could come as soon as May.
Trump’s Infrastructure Plan ‘Hopes to Unleash’ Private Investments, Secretary Chao Says
WASHINGTON — A $1 trillion infrastructure funding plan President Donald Trump intends to unveil would seek to connect private investors with officials managing big-ticket projects, the country’s top transportation officer told port executives April 5.
Senate Commerce Committee Endorses Deputy Transportation Secretary Nominee Jeffrey Rosen
A Senate panel on April 5 endorsed the nomination of President Donald Trump’s pick for the No. 2 spot at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Trucking Executive Calls on Congress to Raise Fuel Taxes
WASHINGTON — Raising the federal tax on fuel and indexing it to inflation would be the most ideal approach for restoring long-term funding for big-ticket infrastructure maintenance programs, Werner Enterprises Inc. CEO Derek Leathers told a Senate panel on April 4.
Service Industries Grow at Slowest Pace in Five Months
American service companies expanded in March at the slowest pace in five months, adding to signs of tepid economic growth in the first quarter, a survey by the Institute for Supply Management showed April 5.