Government

Transportation committees on Capitol Hill are planning in-depth examinations of the circumstances surrounding the derailment this month of a freight train in Ohio.

House Transportation leaders are asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency for details related to assistance programs linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As negotiations resume between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and management’s Pacific Maritime Association, concern is mounting at the West Coast ports that the slow pace of contract talks is damaging import and export shipping business.

The rosters for key committees with jurisdiction over transportation policy affairs include senior lawmakers.

Ohio Republican Rep. Bob Latta pointed to the potential for considering legislation regarding autonomous vehicle technology during this session of Congress.  

To help accelerate construction of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the Federal Highway Administration has extended until July 2024 a waiver of Buy America requirements for steel, iron, manufactured products and construction materials used to build electric vehicle chargers.

The national average price of diesel continued to dive, shedding 6.8 cents to settle at $4.376 a gallon, according to Energy Information Administration data released Feb. 21.

Lightning eMotors, a Loveland, Colo.-based manufacturer and seller of electric vehicles for commercial fleets, has been certified under the “buy America” program, making its products eligible for federal grants designed to help electrify the nation’s transportation.

The panel responsible for drafting funding legislation for federal transportation programs and operations will be led by Sen. Brian Schatz, the chamber’s leaders announced recently.

U.S. business activity steadied in February as the service sector regained its footing, suggesting a resilient economy that is keeping some pricing power intact.