Government

WASHINGTON — Transportation Research Board executives unveiled their list of critical issues at the group’s annual meeting Jan. 14.

The U.S. petroleum industry is meeting record world demand while decreasing the amount of carbon emissions released into the skies, but challenges lie ahead if it hopes to maintain that momentum, according to the American Petroleum Institute’s annual report, “State of American Energy 2019.”

WASHINGTON — Cooperation from both private sector and federal partners can ease the process for states that are in the midst of adopting automated technology, according to Washington State Transportation Secretary Roger Millar.

WASHINGTON — Time-sensitive delivery is here to stay, and that will change methods of freight movement, said one expert speaking at the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting.

WASHINGTON — Proactive planning and effective collaboration with partners are two tips for success for agencies embarking on accelerated bridge construction (ABC) projects, according to two experts from the engineering services firm WSP.

Cathy Gautreaux, deputy administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, will be leaving the agency, an agency spokesman confirmed.

The Senate Republican caucus chose Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker to lead the Commerce Committee in the 116th Congress. Wicker succeeds Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who was promoted to the role of assistant Republican leader.

The newly elected governors of Kansas and Ohio have announced their choices to lead their states’ departments of transportation.

The Transportation Security Administration plans to begin closing a handful of security checkpoints at airports around the United States as soon as this weekend in response to staff shortages triggered by a partial federal government shutdown now in its third week.