FCC Votes to Put Car Safety Technology at Risk
November 18, 2020
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted today to redeploy airwaves that we’ve had for 21 years for the purposes of developing a vehicle safety system that is on its way to becoming a reality, despite efforts from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), AASHTO, state DOTs, the auto industry, ASCE, ITS America, and others to......
February 06, 2020
Across the nation, state legislatures are considering legislation that would weaken or eliminate professional licensing requirements for civil engineers and other technical professions. This means that the public’s health, safety, and welfare could be at risk. Imagine someone designing a bridge or building critical infrastructure projects like roads, airports, dams, and more – who does......
FCC Moves to Cut Vehicle Safety Airwaves For Faster Wi-Fi; ASCE Urges Agency to Rescind Decision
December 13, 2019
The Following Post is Authored by Blaine Leonard, 2010 ASCE President, and the Transportation Technology Engineer at the Utah Department of Transportation, where he is responsible for planning and deployment of connected and automated vehicles. Most of us will end up spending a good deal of time driving this holiday season, whether it’s traveling to......
Proposal to Improve Bridge Inspection Program Announced
November 15, 2019
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently issued a proposal to the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) that would improve oversight of U.S. bridge inspections. The FHWA proposal addresses requirements set by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Offering states the varying inspection methods in determining inspection intervals for bridges, each......
103-Year-Old FHWA Rule that Prohibits Innovation Repealed
October 01, 2019
For the past century, states were not allowed to use “proprietary” products on their federally funded projects. In other words, states could not use federal aid to use or buy patented or propriety products and also limited specifications or processes for bridge and highway projects eligible for funds under the federal-aid highway programs –even if......
Preserving the Spectrum Saves Lives
July 25, 2019
Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), like technology, is literally changing how people and goods move in our society. Through minimized human error, enhanced ride-share opportunities, and improved mobility in under served communities, CAVs have the ability to reduce traffic accidents, decrease travel time and congestion, and increase accessibility in underserved communities. CAVs provide the benefit......
Innovations in Seismology: Fiber Optics Help Maintain America’s Infrastructure
June 20, 2019
The Seismological Society of America hosted a briefing on June 17 on fiber optic analyses, proving that using fiber optic analyses could be instrumental to the maintenance and safety of America’s infrastructure. Panelists included Herb Wang from the University of Wisconsin- Madison and Nate Lindsay from the University of California, Berkley, and they focused on......
House Transportation Committee Examines Roadway Safety
April 12, 2019
Capitol Hill has been buzzing with infrastructure-related talks as of late, which has spurred hearings, discussions, and meetings as a part of a legislative push aimed at developing and passing robust and broad infrastructure legislation. The House Transportation Committee continued the conversation around this legislative push with one of the most important issues to consider......
Report Reexamines Connected/ Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) and Public Policy
April 03, 2019
It’s no April Fools’ Joke – technology is literally driving how people and goods move and automated vehicles are gaining more traction in the public policy world. On April 1st, Eno Center for Transportation released a report entitled, “Beyond Speculation 2.0: Automated Vehicles and Public Policy.” This report updates the Center’s 2017 report entitled, “Beyond......
Study Shows Public Transit Investment Saves Lives
August 30, 2018
This week, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the Vision Zero Network released newly analyzed data detailing how more frequent public transit use is linked to fewer traffic fatalities. The findings are based on recent Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data. Specifically, NHTSA reported there were a total......