July - 2019

This last-mile delivery startup wants to put robots in bike lanes

A whole host of startups have launched in recent years with the aim of making last-mile deliveries using robots. But a company from Michigan has a new spin on this familiar enterprise: it wants to put those bots in bike lanes, at least part of the time. Refraction AI came out of stealth last week, unveiling its autonomous delivery robot REV-1 onstage at a TechCrunch event. The company’s co-founder and CEO Matthew Johnson-Roberson, a University of Michigan professor, described

Congressional hearing to focus on FTA's capital investment grants

Tomorrow morning, the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit will hold a hearing on the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) implementation of the Capital Investments Grant Program (CIG). The hearing's purpose is to examine how the agency is implementing the CIG program. Scheduled to speak are FTA officials and representatives of the American Public Transportation Association, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, and the Kansas City Streetcar Autho

Will the U.S. Ever Catch a High-Speed Train?

Over 20 countries have high-speed train travel, carrying 1.6 billion passengers a year. The United States is lagging behind. Mark Tully, former Bureau Chief of the BBC, New Delhi, once wrote that flying always feels the same. “The same airports, the same boring boarding procedures, the same in-flight regime, from the first identical safety announcements to the last fasten your seat-belts sign.” According to Tully, air travel doesn’t really allow travelers to experience the jo

House-passed NDAA includes amendment blocking federal funds from being used to purchase Chinese stat

The United States House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on the afternoon of July 12 that included an amendment prohibiting the use of federal transit funds to purchase vehicles manufactured by Chinese State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and other state-supported companies. “China’s ‘Made in China 2025’ initiative is an unmistakable effort to harm American manufacturers by subsidizing Chinese rail and bus industries,” said Rep. Harley Rouda (

The Longest Driverless Test-Track Opens in Ohio

A new state-funded facility for testing driverless cars and other “smart” vehicles has opened in the latest expansion of Ohio’s Transportation Research Center. The new Smart Mobility Advanced Research Test, or SMART, Center, in Logan County about 40 miles northwest of Columbus, includes a six-lane, high-speed “smart” intersection, complete with a traffic light, that companies and researchers can use to test new vehicle technology. The new center cost $45 million, of which $25

A Texas clash of public safety and property rights

Before Election Day 2020, the Trump White House, working through the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Surface Transportation Board will make one of its most consequential decisions regarding the future of public safety and private property rights in America, beginning in Texas. The FRA is currently reviewing the draft Environmental Impact Statement to assess the human environmental impact of a proposal to construct and opera

China's high-speed rail offers model for other countries: World Bank

China's high-speed railway (HSR) has registered rapid growth and offered many viable practices for other countries considering HSR investment, according to a World Bank report released Monday. Key factors enabling the growth include the development of a comprehensive long-term plan and the standardization of designs and procedures, said the report, which summarizes China's HSR development. China's Medium- and Long-Term Railway Plan, which looks up to 15 years ahead, pro

Former CSX exec Kendall joins FRA as deputy administrator

Quintin Kendall is the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) new deputy administrator, the agency confirmed this week. At the FRA, Kendall is responsible for providing executive leadership and guidance on policy, budget, administration, regulation implementation, communications, and stakeholder and government relations, according to his biography on the FRA’s website. His prior experience includes a stint at the U.S. Department of Transportation, where he served as deputy

Congress Considers Jones Act Changes Affecting Oil and Gas, Renewables

On June 26, 2019, the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure reported favorably the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2019 (H.R. 3409) including several Jones Act-related provisions affecting the offshore oil and gas and offshore wind industries. The Jones Act is the popular name for a set of U.S. federal laws that restrict U.S. domestic maritime commerce to qualified U.S.-flag vessels. The Jones Act restricts “any part of the transportation of merchandise”

Secretary Elaine Chao Touts Positive Train Control Installment at Summit

The U.S. Department of Transportation has recorded progress with the implementation of positive train control technology, the country’s top transportation official indicated recently. At a summit in Washington on June 20 to reflect on the department’s safety objectives, Secretary Elaine Chao said, “In the last two years, locomotives equipped with positive train control increased from 42% to 100% for freight and from 41% to 91% for passenger rail.” “Once it’s fully implemented