Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

DOT looks to AI as it prepares to cut workforce

WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy assured lawmakers that safety will not be sacrificed in the wake of a major workforce reduction plan that he is getting ready to roll out.

“We are working through some ideas right now on how we can streamline the department, and when we’ve completed those ideas we will no doubt share them with you for your consideration,” Duffy told a House Appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday.

Duffy testifying on Wednesday. Credit: House Appropriations...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dot-looks-to-ai-as-it-prepares-to-cut-workforce

NHTSA truck brake rule under review at OMB

WASHINGTON — The White House is reviewing a proposed rule to establish a safety standard to require and/or standardize the performance of automatic emergency braking systems (AEB) on heavy trucks.

According to a “statement of need” received by the Office of Management and Budget on Tuesday, the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration believes there is potential for AEB “to improve safety by reducing the likelihood of rear-end crashes involving heavy vehicles and the severity of crashes,”...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/nhtsa-truck-brake-rule-under-review-at-omb

Cummins plans $1B+ investment in engine plants, hydrogen equipment

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Cummins Inc. will spend more than $1 billion to modernize engine plants in three states and invest...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cummins-plans-1b-investment-in-engine-plants-hydrogen-equipment

Transportation industry representatives attack infrastructure law rollout

WASHINGTON — Transportation officials representing trucking, rail and seaports took aim at priorities touted by Democrats over the past two years — including the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) — at the opening hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday.

They took their cue from the committee’s Republicans, who now lead the 65-member panel after Republicans took control of the House in January.

“Although I did not support the IIJA, I...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/transportation-industry-representatives-attack-infrastructure-law-rollout

DOT announces $1.2B for 9 ‘megaproject’ winners

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WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday announced $1.2 billion in federal funds to be...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dot-announces-12b-for-9-megaproject-winners

FMCSA names members of new Women of Trucking panel

Female truck driver in truck

The Biden administration announced Monday a list of 16 women to serve on a new federal advisory panel aimed at boosting the ranks of females in trucking.

The founding members of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Women in Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB) include five current commercial truck drivers, four former drivers, trainers and executives. They work for small, medium and large trucking companies and as independent owner-operators. Others represent trucking associations, labor...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-names-members-of-new-women-of-trucking-panel

Safety groups urge NHTSA to reconsider underride guard rule

Back of truck on highway.

A coalition of safety groups want federal regulators to postpone a recent rule on truck-trailer performance standards until the new regulation can be significantly improved.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulation, scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 11, 2023, is “fatally flawed,” the safety groups assert, because it failed to consider crucial data on crashes in which passenger cars slide under the rear end of tractor-trailers due to insufficient protection on the back of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/safety-groups-urge-nhtsa-to-reconsider-underride-guard-rule

Inflation means Biden’s infrastructure package gets less bang for the buck

Highway bridge half-finished.

Road, rail and port projects may have to be curtailed or delayed because of the effect that rising inflation is having on the purchasing power of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill enacted last year.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which President Joe Biden calls a “once-in-a-generation” funding bill, sets aside roughly $660 billion over five years for grants and program funding for freight, transit and other transportation projects overseen by the U.S. Department of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/inflation-means-bidens-infrastructure-package-gets-less-bang-for-the-buck

DOT unlocks money for clean-truck parking capacity

Aerial view of parked trucks.

The Biden administration wants to leverage funds from a new pot of $6.4 billion earmarked for pollution-cutting transportation projects to boost much-needed truck parking capacity across the country.

The money will flow to individual states through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Carbon Reduction Program (CRP), administered by the Federal Highway Administration. The five-year program was authorized by the federal infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden last year.

State5-year...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dot-unlocks-money-for-clean-truck-parking-capacity

Viewpoint: Infrastructure spending awaits congressional approval

In November, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, marking a significant commitment to invest in all major sectors to confront new and enduring issues facing the country. The law established a $1 trillion infrastructure package, which includes about $550 billion in new spending on roads, bridges, broadband access, and more. Now, Congress must pass appropriation bills to define the law’s spending guidance.

With the many competing priorities in Washington, the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/viewpoint-infrastructure-spending-awaits-congressional-approval

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