AASHTO Press Release

America’s Top Ten Transportation Topics for 2010

(Washington, D.C.) — As America enters a new decade, what will be the buzz about transportation? Clearly a safe, efficient, and viable transportation network should be at the forefront of issues facing policymakers at all levels of government and in all areas of our society in the coming months.

“In the year 2010, we’ll be seeing more job-creating construction zones on our highways, but we will still need a long-term solution to address everything from fixing potholes to making needed repairs to our aging infrastructure,” said Larry “Butch” Brown, president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation. “Even more critically for the long-term health of this nation, 2010 must also be about how smart we become at enabling goods and products to get from one point to another with speed and efficiency.”

Looking ahead, AASHTO has developed a list of the top ten transportation topics that it forecasts will be part of the national conversation in 2010 – in the media, in government and around the dinner table.

1) Adopting a long-term transportation funding bill
The current legislation that establishes funding levels and policy priorities for highways and transit expired on September 30, 2009. Since then, there have been four extensions – the most current being a short-term surface transportation authorization that will allow state departments of transportation to continue to use federal funds for highway, transit, and other projects until Feb. 28. Stop-gap extensions create difficulties for state departments of transportation since they cannot make long-term plans and commitments for more ambitious projects. In addition, without action by the Congress by March 1, state DOTs will lose $12 billion in 2010 for their highway programs. State DOTs need program continuity and stability through an extension of at least a year to adequately plan, execute and manage transportation capital programs.

2) Adopting a New Jobs Creation bill
The Senate is expected to begin debate on a jobs creation bill in mid-January. The House bill, Jobs for Main Street Act, contains several important transportation provisions including an extension of surface transportation authorization through Sept. 30, 2010. Funding would include $27.5 billion for highways and $8.4 billion for mass transit; Amtrak would receive $800 million while airports would get $500 million and shipyards $100 million. States have identified more than 9,500 ready-to-go projects that can fund projects quickly and put people to work. A jobs bill will enable states to build on last year’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects and keep the momentum going.

3) Deterring Distracted Driving
Nearly 6,000 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes involving some form of driver distraction during 2008. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia prohibit drivers from text messaging while driving; 12 of those laws passed in 2009. Florida and Kentucky have already pre-filed texting ban bills for the 2010 legislative session, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. President Obama has banned texting by federal government employees while on official business or using government property and AASHTO has passed a resolution encouraging employers and state departments of transportation to enact similar bans. The year ahead will offer more public information campaigns and driver education, more sanctions and additional research to determine the extent of the problem, whether hands-free devices are an effective solution, and whether effective enforcement strategies can be developed and/or implemented. See http://safety.transportation.org for information.

4) Ensuring Safer Roads
In Spring 2010, AASHTO will publish the Highway Safety Manual. This manual will assist highway agencies as they consider improvements to existing roadways or as they are planning, designing, or constructing new roadways. AASHTO is working with the Federal Highway Administration and the Transportation Research Board to develop training, information sessions and other implementation tools that will be made available to states and others in the highway industry. AASHTO’s goal: cut today’s 38,000 highway fatalities 50 percent in 20 years.

5) Moving on High-Speed Rail Grants
Early in 2010, a new era in U.S. intercity passenger rail service will be launched with the announcement of $8 billion in ARRA grants for state projects to initiate or improve high-speed and intercity passenger rail service. Later in the year an additional $2.5 billion will be awarded through the State Capital Grants Program of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act to carry out President Obama’s strategy for passenger rail. http://www.aashtojournal.org/Pages/110609transit.aspx

6) Taking Action to Address Climate Change
With autos and light-duty trucks contributing approximately 17 percent of the greenhouse gases (GHG) in the United States, state and local governments are developing climate change action plans and looking at the best ways to reduce emissions through technology, research, smarter travel, better cars and fuels, and improved efficiency and operation of our roads. In the year ahead, Congress will address this issue in both climate change and transportation authorization legislation. AASHTO’s Climate Change Steering Committee is working to provide technical expertise and assistance to state DOTs to reduce GHG emissions. http://realsolutions.transportation.org/Pages/default.aspx

7) Responding to Increased Congestion Due to Capacity Issues
In 2008, high gas prices drove thousands of commuters from their cars and onto buses, subways and other transit options. As gas prices moderated, however, many of these riders went back to their vehicles. In fact, despite the economic downturn, 64 of the 100 most populated cities saw increased congestion in the first six months of 2009. This congestion will only continue to worsen as more people move to metropolitan areas and little is done to increase the capacity of the overall transportation system. In early 2010, AASHTO will issue a new report that outlines a four-point plan to address the urban mobility challenge. Other reports on the transportation needs of rural and underserved areas as well as freight will follow.

Adopting Social Media to Provide the Latest Traffic and Travel Information
Eighty percent of state departments of transportation are now using Twitter as well as an array of other “social media” to release information on traffic incidents, road closings, weather emergencies and other transportation-related information. Thousands of travelers have signed up to use this service. In Mississippi, Twitter sites have been set up to guide drivers through hurricane evacuations. Other media being accessed by states to educate their publics include Facebook, weekly news webchannels, podcasts and RSS feeds to spread their message. States are encouraging the use of these media “before they go” to avoid distracted driving.

9) Enhancing Safety through Roadway Improvements
On two-lane rural roads and major highways, rumble strips are now being installed to warn drivers when their vehicles start to leave the travel lane. On divided highways, cable median barriers are being installed to prevent fatal crashes in which vehicles run off the road into the median and cross over into oncoming traffic. With more than half of the highway fatalities occurring on rural roads, highway agencies are focusing on installing these types of lower-cost treatments to reduce these crashes. As additional studies are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of these treatments, they will be installed on more roads across the country.

10) Creating more livable communities
The Administration has made livable communities a key aspect of their agenda. In June of 2009, EPA, HUD and USDOT entered into a Sustainable Communities Partnership to help improve access to affordable housing, provide more transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide. Efforts by state DOTs in the coming year will include building transportation enhancement projects such as bikeways, pedestrian walkways, historic restoration and beautification projects; improving metropolitan mobility; ensuring more transit services are available in rural areas and to serve aging populations; and adding capacity to our transportation network to reduce congestion and the amount of time commuters, truckers and other drivers are stuck in traffic and so have more time with their families.

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The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the “Voice of Transportation” representing State Departments of Transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation.

AASHTO Press Release

State departments of transportation are acting quickly to boost the economy and are delivering jobs and large, complex multi-million dollar projects across the country, according to Oklahoma DOT Secretary Gary Ridley, who testified today on behalf of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). At a hearing before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Ridley said that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has been an unequivocal success.

“More than 5,400 highway and bridge projects valued at $14 billion are under construction in every part of the country,” Ridley said, citing newly released reports from the Federal Highway Administration that found that almost 80 percent, or more than $21 billion, of the ARRA funds set aside for transportation projects have gone through the federal approval process and are proceeding to construction. In his home state of Oklahoma, Ridley said 90 percent of the highways funds have been obligated to projects and 83 percent are already under construction. “We have moved much faster than the law required,” Ridley said. He attributed the successful implementation of ARRA to early planning and enhanced transparency, accountability, and oversight requirements, including an intensive risk management strategy.

Ridley noted that not all ARRA projects are small in scope. He testified that states have used ARRA funds for a number of large, complex multi-million dollar projects. Oklahoma is using ARRA funds as part of a $70+ million improvement project on Interstate 244 in downtown Tulsa. The project required closure of the Interstate to facilitate pavement replacement and the replacement of approximately 40 bridges. Overall, Ridley said that in the nearly 10 months since enactment of ARRA, the Oklahoma DOT has paid out more than $240 million to construction contractors.

Ridley said states are encouraged that President Obama is ready to endorse additional funding to “continue modernizing our transportation network as one means to accelerate job growth.” The state departments of transportation have identified an additional 9,500 projects valued at $70 billion that could be quickly advanced, creating and sustaining thousands of jobs across rural and urban areas in all states. In closing, Ridley also urged Congress to take timely action to develop “a growing, consistent, long-term federal investment strategy that identifies and considers all possible revenue sources.”

CDOT Press Release

Colorado Department of Transportation Chief Engineer Pam Hutton, already a trailblazer as the first woman to ever hold the position of Chief Engineer at CDOT, has been named the 2009 winner of the Thomas H. MacDonald Memorial Award from the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Hutton received her award during an AASHTO national conference in Palm Desert, CA, on Oct. 26.

This award was established 1957 to honor the long-time chief of the Bureau of Public Roads and is focused on highways. It is considered to be the highest award made to an individual by AASHTO. Hutton was nominated and awarded for her “exemplary leadership of the Department’s comprehensive safety program. She also serves as the Governor’s representative for highway safety. In her role of leading CDOT’s program, she has taken a particular focus on motorcycle safety and helped implement Colorado’s “Live to Ride” public-safety campaign. She is also actively leading an effort to employ innovation and new technology to provide real-time, accurate information so that motorists can make the best possible decisions.

During her 30-year CDOH/CDOT career, Hutton has served in various positions at CDOT in the disciplines of design, plan preparation, and accident analysis. She has served as CDOT Region 1 Traffic & Safety Engineer, Region 1 Program Engineer, and Region 6 Transportation Director.

While attending the same AASHTO meeting Pam accepted on the behalf of CDOT The 2009 AASHTO Safety Award during the AASHTO Board of Directors meeting.

The award was made on a variety of criteria, including safety performance, safety leadership, safety partnerships, safety planning, safety innovations, and safety results. The award focused on roadway safety, including CDOT’s Strategic Plan for Improving Roadway Safety, the Integrated Safety Plan, roadway safety engineering improvements, and programs to help improve occupant safety in vehicles along the state’s 9,000+ miles of state and federal highways. Because of the scope of the award, many workgroups and programs contributed.

While accepting the award on CDOT’ behalf Hutton referenced the many partnerships responsible for declines in roadway fatalities, including the CDOT safety program targeting drunk driving (“The Heat is On”/”Over the Limit, Under Arrest”); safety belt use (“Click it or Ticket”); child safety seats; and educating teen drivers; the CDOT Traffic Engineering program; the CDOT Office of Transportation Safety; and external partners such as the Colorado State Patrol, the Federal highway Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Administration.

Even after the nomination was completed and submitted by the July 30 deadline, more good safety news arrived at CDOT. For example, many regions and maintenance sections achieved their monthly goals during the 100 Safe Days of Summer campaign this past year. Also, end-of-summer statistics showed a huge 50% decline in Colorado drunk driving fatalities for the Memorial Day to Labor Day summer driving season in 2009 as compared to 2008, due in no small part to awareness campaigns and aggressive drunk driving enforcement all around Colorado.