U.S. Department of Transportation

Proposed US DOT Rule Would Adopt Pedestrian Accessibility Standards
Under the new rule, state and local governments would be required to adhere to a specific set of accessibility guidelines when designing, constructing, or altering pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way, including transit stops.

Witty Highway Safety Messages Fall Flat with US DOT
Feds are concerned that overly creative digital billboard messages could confuse drivers, but state transportation officials disagree.

Small Cities at Disadvantage to Win Federal Safe Street Grants
Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed at making streets safer is being awarded through a competitive grant program, but it’s not going to the communities that need it most, an investigation shows.

USDOT Launches AI Initiative for Complete Streets
The agency will distribute $15 million for the development of AI applications that further safe transportation infrastructure.

USDOT Awards New Round of Safe Streets Grants
Over 200 cities and towns will receive $82 million for Complete Streets and other road safety planning and demonstration programs.

Cascadia High-Speed Rail Corridor Seeking Federal Funding
The state of Washington is hoping federal infrastructure funding can pay for $198 million of the $348 million necessary to plan the Cascadia High-Speed Rail project.

Federal Fuel Economy Rules Take Different Path than Emission Standards
The traditional approach for federal fuel economy and emissions standards is for the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency to propose regulations simultaneously. This year is different.

Road Funding Options: The Alternative to the Alternative
The inverse relationship between electric vehicle sales and gasoline tax revenues has caused the federal government and many states to investigate mileage fees as an alternative funding option to fuel taxes. Iowa is going a different route.

NJ v. U.S. DOT: Cordon Pricing in Manhattan
The State of New Jersey filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday to halt the Manhattan cordon pricing project approved in June by the FHWA, charging that they violated the National Environmental Protection Act.

National Mileage Fee Pilot Program Late to Launch
EV sales are increasing–good news for the environment but bad news for road funding, as they pay no fuel taxes. Fortunately, the bipartisan infrastructure law has $125 million earmarked to "demonstrate a national motor vehicle per-mile user fee."

USDOT Federal Grant Program Will Fund Wildlife Crossings
The funding will support projects that reduce the risk of vehicle-wildlife collisions and improve habitat connectivity.

USDOT Awards Reconnecting Communities Grants
The first $185 million in grants were awarded to projects that aim to improve mobility and reconnect neighborhoods isolated by highways and other infrastructure projects.

$1.66 Billion in Federal Infrastructure Funding Awarded to U.S. Bus Systems
The Federal Transit Administration announced the winners in the Bus and Bus Facilities and Low or No Emission Vehicle (Low-No Program) programs in August.

Biden Administration Proposes New Rule to Track Emission Reductions by State DOTs
Some skepticism is warranted about the potential impact of a proposed federal rule for states and regional planning agencies to track greenhouse gas reductions from transportation investment.

$368 Million in Rail Investments Announced
The Federal Railroad Administration announced a round of grant funding for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act tripled the amount of funding for the program.

L.A.'s San Fernando Valley $909 Million Closer to Light Rail
The last time rail transit crossed L.A.'s San Fernando Valley was in the early 1950s.

Federal Highway Administration Moving Toward Complete Streets
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a report to Congress this week that takes initial steps toward making complete streets the default model for funding and designing federally controlled roads.

U.S. DOT's 2022 RAISE Grants to Target Emissions Reductions, Racial Equity
The RAISE grant program continues to make history as a distinct departure from U.S. transportation planning tradition.
Watch: Secretary Buttigieg's Keynote Address to TRB 2022 Annual Meeting
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg addressed attendees of the Transportation Research Board’s 2022 Annual Meeting during a plenary session on January 12, 2022.

How RAISE Grants Promote Car-Free Mobility
While there are many reasons to break away from automobile dominance, the RAISE grant program is the only federal effort fully reflecting a public transit and active transportation priorities.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research