DOT

November 4, 2009 -- Washington DC – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski announced Wednesday that they are launching a joint effort to evaluate technologies that may help curb the dangerous epidemic of distracted driving.

The DOT-FCC partnership will also include outreach efforts to educate the public about the dangers of texting while driving, talking on cell phones while driving, and other distracting behavior that can lead to deadly accidents.    » read more »

Recovery Putting People to Work on Investments with Long-Term Benefit

Nov. 3, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – The Federal Highway Administration crossed the $20 billion mark in approved obligations for highway, road and bridge projects this week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today. Of the $26.6 billion available for federal highway and bridge projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more than 75 percent has now been obligated.

“Even though winter is right around the corner, highway and bridge projects are still getting underway, creating thousands of jobs and saving thousands more,” said Secretary LaHood. “The Recovery Act is helping repair America’s roads and bridges while putting people back to work.”    » read more »

Transportation Agreement Mandates Jobs for U.S. Mariners

October 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Acting Maritime Administrator David T. Matsuda today approved the construction of a deepwater port for liquefied natural gas (LNG) off the coast of Florida. As part of the approval agreement, officials for Port Dolphin Energy, LLC, agreed to provide employment and training opportunities to American mariners on ships using the port. The Maritime Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“This energy project is a win for Florida consumers, and for U.S. maritime workers,” said Transportation Secretary LaHood. “We will continue our focus on creating job opportunities for American seafarers and other maritime workers.”    » read more »

Funds Will Be Used to Improve Hazardous Materials Planning and Training

October 19, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that it is awarding $20.9 million to states, territories and Native American tribes to improve the nation’s response to transportation incidents involving hazardous materials. The grants will help train first responders to react to incidents involving hazardous materials and to meet the safety challenges posed by new chemicals and alternative energy products such as ethanol.    » read more »

FHWA, Oklahoma State University to Partner on Critical Research Endeavor

October 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – FHWA will conduct an ambitious new study to better understand and prevent motorcycle crashes, Administrator Victor Mendez announced today.

Despite years of steadily improving highway safety and roadway fatalities at historic lows, motorcycle riders remain one of the highest-risk groups on America’s roads. Nearly 5,300 motorcycle riders died in roadway crashes in 2008, accounting for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, and 96,000 were injured.    » read more »

Schumer, Gillibrand: It is Critical That We Invest in Environmentally Friendly Transportation to Reduce Both Pollution and our Reliance on Foreign Fossil Fuel

September 30, 2009 -- U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that a $10,315,033 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant has been allocated to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. The grant will be used to purchase hybrid buses in Buffalo to improve the city's public transit and reduce its environmental impact.    » read more »

New Interagency Program to Address Climate Change and Energy Security

September 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson today jointly proposed a rule establishing an historic national program that would improve vehicle fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gases.    » read more »

August 31, 2009 -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the Federal Transit Administration last week achieved a crucial milestone: it beat the September 1st deadline to provide all states and local communities 50 percent of their Recovery Act transit formula dollars.

In fact, FTA provided nearly 90 percent of its $7.5 billion transit stimulus money to states and local communities. FTA is managing an additional $900 million in discretionary funds for New Starts projects, the Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction and Tribal Transit programs and oversight for a total of $8.4 billion.    » read more »

DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization to Create New Bond Fee Reimbursement Program

August 31, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced $20 million in recovery funds to create the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Bonding Assistance Program, an initiative that will help small and disadvantaged businesses better compete for work on transportation projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).    » read more »

August 28, 2009 -- WICHITA, Kan. – U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary John D. Porcari today kicked off construction of the I-135 Interchange, the first highway project in Wichita with construction costs fully funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“The reconstruction of the I-135 interchange here in Wichita is a great example of a stimulus project that’s going to leave a lasting impression,” Deputy Secretary Porcari said. “This project is going to relieve a chronic bottleneck and open the door to new commercial and retail development.”    » read more »

Cash for Clunkers Wraps up with Nearly 700,000 car sales and increased fuel efficiency

August 26, 2009 -- The CARS program came to a close Tuesday night with nearly 700,000 clunkers taken off the roads, replaced by far more fuel efficient vehicles. Rebate applications worth $2.877 billion were submitted by the 8 p.m. deadline, under the $3 billion provided by Congress to run the program.

Cars made in America topped the most-purchased list, from the Ford Focus to the Toyota Corolla to the Honda Civic.    » read more »

June 18, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation today proposed a new, consumer-friendly replacement tire label which would include, for the first time, information about the tire’s impact on fuel economy and CO2 emission reductions. Tires with lower rolling resistance – and proper inflation pressure - can contribute to improved fuel economy.

In addition to the new fuel efficiency ratings, the proposal by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also would provide consumers with two other key pieces of tire performance information - wet weather traction and tread wear. All three ratings would be prominently displayed on a removable label attached to the replacement tire at the point of sale.    » read more »

Airlines continue to send repair work abroad despite security and safety concerns

June 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill this week followed up on a series of Department of Transportation Inspector General reports that have exposed gaping loopholes in the security and oversight of foreign repair work on domestic, commercial aircraft.

McCaskill questioned the heads of the national and regional airline associations about the industry’s increasing outsourcing of airline maintenance, including to non-FAA certified repair facilities.    » read more »

June 17, 2009 -- The Department of Transportation moved another step closer to realizing President Obama’s vision for high-speed rail in America today, publishing guidelines for states and regions to apply for federal funds as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“The time has finally come for the United States to get serious about building a national network of high-speed rail corridors we can all be proud of,” Secretary Ray LaHood said. “High-speed rail can reduce traffic congestion and link up with light rail, subways and buses to make travel more convenient and our communities more livable.”    » read more »

Tri-City Corridor Project Could Qualify for Federal Funds Under New Guidelines

June 17, 2009 -- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, welcomed news that the Tri-City Corridor project could qualify for federal grant funding under new guidelines announced today by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Under these guidelines, states and regions may now apply for the $8 billion in grants for high speed rail projects provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.    » read more »