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The Eno Center for Transportation > Articles > Week of January 29, 2018

Eno Transportation Weekly

Week of January 29, 2018
Infrastructure, TIFIA, White House, WIFIAFebruary 2, 2018 - We still expect President Trump’s infrastructure plan itself to rely on $200 billion in federal budget authority. But the big news from Trump's address was that the amount of money leveraged by that $200 billion from non-federal sources had jumped from $800 billion (under discussion all last year) to $1.3 trillion, for a grand total of $1.5 trillion. How, you may ask, are all these divergent totals possible?
State of the Union Speech Increases Expectations for Highly Leveraged Infrastructure Bill
February 2, 2018 - We still expect President Trump’s infrastructure plan itself to rely on $200 billion in federal budget authority. But the big news from Trump's address was that the amount of money leveraged by that $200 billion from non-federal sources had jumped from $800 billion (under discussion all last year) to $1.3 trillion, for a grand total of $1.5 trillion. How, you may ask, are all these divergent totals possible?
Environment, GAO, Project DeliveryFebruary 2, 2018 - In 2005, 2012, and 2015, Congress enacted three rounds of new laws with the goal of decreasing project delivery time for transportation projects, most notably through streamlining requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970 (NEPA). Earlier this week, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) gave a much-awaited update of how state departments of transportation are using these new legal authorities.
GAO: Progress is Already Being Made on Permitting Reform, but More Data Is Needed
February 2, 2018 - In 2005, 2012, and 2015, Congress enacted three rounds of new laws with the goal of decreasing project delivery time for transportation projects, most notably through streamlining requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970 (NEPA). Earlier this week, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) gave a much-awaited update of how state departments of transportation are using these new legal authorities.

In This Issue

Amtrak, FY18, Gateway, Rail
Hudson Tunnel May Be Key Sticking Point in FY18 Negotiations
March 2, 2018 – Perhaps the biggest differences between the House and Senate versions of the transportation budget for 2018 initially approved by the appropriators last year revolve around the Gateway Program of rail projects in New York and New Jersey.
By Jeff Davis
Shared-use mobility, Transit
Mobility-as-a-Service: Coming to a City Near You Soon…
Creating Mobility-as-a-Service (Maas) ecosystems will result in better information and better connectivity – helping cities and organizations face increasing urbanization and demographic shifts while also providing safe, efficient, and functioning transportation that customers expect.
By Andy Taylor
Airports, Amtrak, Aviation, Rail, Senate Commerce Committee
Trump Nominates Board Members for Amtrak, MWAA
February 2, 2018 – President Trump today announced his intention to nominate new members of the Boards of Directors of Amtrak and of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
By Jeff Davis
House Homeland Security Committee, Transportation Security, TSA
House Hearing Looks at Surface Transportation Security Technology
February 2, 2018 – On January 30, the House Homeland Security Committee’s Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications and Transportation and Protective Services Subcommittees held a joint hearing to address the current status of surface transportation security. The hearing was convened shortly after the first attempted suicide bombing of an American method of surface transport, occurring [...]
By Shannon Walsh
Senate Commerce Committee, Transportation Security, TSA
Senate Commerce Discusses Emerging Threats to Surface Transportation
January 31, 2018 As a response to the rise in international terrorist attacks involving multiple surface transportation modes, a Senate subcommittee held a hearing on January 23 to review transportation security initiatives at the Department of Ho... Sorry - you don't have access to this item. Please log in below, or check out our membership [...]
By Greg Rogers
MPOs, Planning
Bringing MPOs Into the FAST Era
February 2, 2018 – The policy and practice under which metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) operate has not kept up with shifts in federal policy. It is time to update the role MPOs play.
By Alexander Bond
Infrastructure, Transportation
Transportation and Infrastructure in the State of the Union Address, 1997-2017
January 30, 2018 – As we all await President Trump’s State of the Union address tonight, in which he is expected to give some details of his forthcoming infrastructure plan, it is worth looking back at the times that recent Presidents have used the SOTU to speak to transportation and infrastructure issues (or declined to [...]
By Jeff Davis
Autonomous Vehicles, NHTSA
Understanding NHTSA’s Voluntary Approach to Automated Vehicles
February 2, 2018 Over the past several years, collaboration with industry - rather than prescriptive regulations - has become the cornerstone of the federal government’s strategy for overseeing the safe development of emerging technologies. Automa... Sorry - you don't have access to this item. Please log in below, or check out our membership options.
By Greg Rogers