Posts Tagged ‘American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’

Transportation Funding in a Changing Political Environment

Monday, October 4th, 2010

A series of events toward the end of September addressed the challenge of inadequate transportation funding, a quandary that has long bedeviled transportation advocates. Collectively, these events paint a picture of a transportation community that is eager to increase investment in infrastructure but struggles in vain to find the means to pay for it — and probably can expect little help from the next, more fiscally conservative Congress, bent on reducing spending.

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More Projects and Paychecks: Transportation’s Summary of Recovery

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
The transportation investment in stimulus is working—and in every state across the nation. More than $40 billion in highway and transit projects have been approved and are moving forward—almost $30 billion are under contract on 16,761 different projects. More than 63,000 direct on-project jobs have been created or sustained in August as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and states have already paid out $3.2 billion in payroll.

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TRANSPORTATION REBOOT: Connecting Rural and Urban America, Part 3 of a Series

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
This report, the third in a series on the nation’s transportation capacity needs, focuses on the need to tap the economic might of rural America, be it through access to energy resources, tourism or agriculture. It also identifies underserved cities whose future growth depends on Interstate access. Finally, it underscores the capacity improvements needed to ensure the nation’s security.

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Reactions to Obama’s Infrastructure Announcement

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

“…I am announcing a new plan for rebuilding and modernizing America’s roads and rails and runways for the long term. I want America to have the best infrastructure in the world. We used to have the best infrastructure in the world. We can have it again. We are going to make it happen.”
-President Barack Obama

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Winners of AASHTO’s “Faces of Transportation 2010″ Photo Contest

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Nearly 100 photos were submitted from state DOTs across the country for this competition. The photos represent the positive effects of transportation on individuals and/or communities. The environmentally-friendly project that is enriching a neighborhood, the new bridge that is making commuting times shorter; the widening project that revitalized a neighborhood; the resurfacing of a rural road that employed members of the community. Also, view the separate album with this year’s winning photos.
-American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on Facebook

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High-Speed Rail: Are We Going Fast Enough?

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

High-speed rail could be the most exciting development in transportation since the construction of our national highway system. America 2050, AASHTO, the United States Conference of Mayors and, of course, the Obama Administration are just a few of HSR’s many advocates. Construction is beginning soon in Florida, and other states and regions already have plans in the works. A national high-speed rail system is more attainable than ever, but will it come fast enough?

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Transportation Reboot: Restarting America’s Most Essential Operating System

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
America faces a freight transportation capacity crisis. Our highways, railroads, ports, waterways, and airports require investment well beyond current levels to maintain—much less improve—their performance. All systems are aging and stretched to capacity. The collapse of the economy in late 2008 temporarily reduced demand at seaports, and reduced truck and rail freight volumes. The time it takes for the economy to recover will give highway, rail, and port systems a breather before the capacity of the freight system will again constrain U.S. economic growth. During this period, decision makers will need to find a way to fund the improvements needed to improve the national freight system.

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Transportation TV: 10,000 Recovery Projects Underway

Monday, June 28th, 2010

President Obama holds a news conference to break ground on the 10,000th Recovery highway project. We’ll take you to Ohio, for the big event. This week also marks the first anniversary of the tragic METRO Rail crash near the nation’s Capitol. Several U.S. Senators held a news conference calling for tough, federal regulation of the nation’s transit systems. We’ll also tell you about a memorial service held to remember the nine victims who died in last year when the two METRO trains collided. And several members of Congress took a ride with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood this week, down Pennsylvania Avenue.

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Guest on The Infra Blog: John Horsley, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

John Horsley is Executive Director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). From 1993 to 1999 he served as Associate Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation. A native of the Northwest, Horsley was elected to five terms as County Commissioner in Kitsap County, a community just west of Seattle. He is Past President of the National Association of Counties, and was founding Chairman of the Rebuild America Coalition.

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Unlocking Gridlock: Part 1 of a Series

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
Expanding the ability of the transportation system to meet the needs of the traveling public is critical to the health of our economy and the quality of life of our citizens. Meeting future needs will require a balanced approach, which preserves what has been built to date, improves system performance, and adds substantial capacity in highways, transit, freight rail and intercity passenger rail.

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