Government

About Government News...

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.

Government, Business, Safety

September Was Wisconsin’s Safest in 70 Years

Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation reported Oct. 4 that the state’s 45 traffic deaths in September were the fewest in that month since the end of World War II.

David Elfin | Staff Reporter
October 4, 2016
Government, Business

Rural Indiana Counties Split $80 Million in Federal Transportation Grants

Indiana officials in Pike, Greene and Knox Counties will be cashing in on millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements funded through federal transportation funds.

Mike Grant | Washington (Ind.) Times-Herald
October 4, 2016
Government, Business

NTSB Slams FMCSA, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in Wake of Fatal 2015 Crash

More stringent drug testing and an expanded examination of truck drivers’ records behind the wheel could have prevented the June 25, 2015, crash that killed six people and injured four others, the National Transportation Safety Board said Oct. 4.

David Elfin | Staff Reporter
October 4, 2016
Government, Business, Safety

States Receive $20 Million in Pipeline Safety Grants

Grants totaling $20 million will be distributed to state agencies so they may improve their strategies for dealing with transportation accidents involving hazardous materials, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration announced Oct. 3.

October 4, 2016
Government, Fuel, Business

Chris Christie Announces Deal for 23-Cent Gas Tax Increase for N.J.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Sept. 30 announced a deal with Democratic legislative leaders to add 23 cents per gallon to New Jersey’s 14.5-cent gasoline-tax levy and reduce consumer taxes elsewhere.

Elise Young | Bloomberg News
October 4, 2016
Government, Business

California Rail Transit Authority Blocks Tanker Deliveries

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit Authority, or SMART, prevented a North Coast freight operator from delivering a dozen more railcars filled with an estimated 396,000 gallons of flammable gas to a storage site south of Sonoma, escalating tensions between the rail agencies.

Derek Moore | The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.)
October 4, 2016
Special Coverage, Government, Business

Darling Says Final Rule is Near for Driver Training, Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

LAS VEGAS — A final rule for minimum entry-level driver training requirements and a drug-and-alcohol clearinghouse final rule are being reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget and are expected to be published in the Federal Register by the end of the year, the head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said in a speech here.

Eric Miller | Senior Reporter
October 4, 2016
Fuel, Business, Government

Price of Diesel Fuel Rises 0.7¢ to $2.389

The U.S. retail diesel average price rose 0.7 cent to $2.389 a gallon Oct. 3 and follows a decline of the same amount the previous week, the Department of Energy reported.

October 3, 2016
Government

Atlanta Fed Downgrades Third Quarter GDP View

NEW YORK — The U.S. economy is on track to grow at a 2.2% annualized rate in the third quarter, the Atlanta Federal Reserve's GDP Now forecast model showed Sept. 30, following data that showed a surprise drop in construction spending in August.

Richard Leong | Reuters
October 3, 2016
Government

Colorado State Patrol Cracks Down on Unsafe Trucking Operations

The Colorado State Patrol found nearly 100 violations during an operation in the Platteville, Colorado, aimed at identifying truckers and trucking companies that weren’t in compliance with safety rules.

October 3, 2016