Volume 1 Issue 14 | July 2, 2020
Transportation Planning Newsletter
Chair: Kristina Swallow, Nevada DOT Vice Chair: Lynn Weiskopf, New York State DOT

The Committee on Planning addresses all aspects of the transportation planning process including federal regulations, current industry practices, and emerging approaches and concepts. The committee is dedicated to providing State DOTs the expertise, resources and tools they need to implement a robust planning process within their agencies that is multimodal, multidisciplinary, innovative and consensus-oriented.
Committee News
TPM Target Settings Five-Part Webinar Miniseries
Announcing a special five-part webinar miniseries addressing topics in transportation performance management (TPM). Each session will include an FHWA-led introduction followed by expert presentations and audience Q&A. Register today or learn more on the AASHTO TPM Portal at: https://www.tpm-portal.com/tpmmini

The Transportation Performance Management (TPM) pooled fund project helps contributing members to research and assess training and educational needs, develop and deliver training, and facilitate the sharing and retention of performance management best practices. The TPM Portal website is part of this effort, intended to showcase PM best practices, foster collaboration, and serve as a repository for PM resources.
Episode 1: TPM & Target Setting Overview
  • July 15, 2020 - 2PM EDT
This webinar reviews state target setting approaches and lessons learned leading up to the mid-performance period progress report. Topics covered will include target setting in the face of uncertainty and data gaps, coordinating and collaborating on target setting and improving forecasting approaches.

Episode 2: Safety Target Setting
  • July 29, 2020 - 2PM EDT
This webinar is a deep dive into state target setting approaches for federal requirements for safety performance measures. Topics will include a review of the safety report card results, and the impact of external factors and data lags on safety target setting.

Episode 3: Highway Infrastructure Target Setting
  • August 5, 2020 - 2PM EDT
This webinar focuses on state target setting for federal PM2 infrastructure condition measures. This webinar will cover specific target setting issues related to pavements and bridges, including data considerations, collaboration and coordination with partner agencies and aligning TPM projections and agency plan goals.

Episode 4: Target Setting for System Performance Measures
  • August 12, 2020 - 2PM EDT
This webinar covers transportation agency target setting for federal PM3 system performance and reliability, including policy, planning and performance considerations related to target setting. Presentations will address data gaps, modeling and forecasting for system performance targets, and moving the needle on the national system. 

Episode 5: Traffic Congestion and Emissions Reductions Target Setting
  • August 26, 2020 - 2PM EDT
This webinar focuses on transportation agency target setting for federal PM3 CMAQ measures. Presentations will address decision analysis methods for setting targets, making CMAQ targets meaningful to the public, and target setting and related planning and programming challenges.

COVID-19

State departments of transportation are actively supporting their residents, businesses and local communities in response to the current COVID-19 outbreak. And in turn, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is working to support state DOTs in those efforts.

AASHTO remains committed to responsibly following federal and state recommended workplace actions related to COVID-19. We hope you’ll find the resources available at https://www.transportation.org/home/covid19/ useful.

If AASHTO staff can assist you with comments or questions regarding COVID-19, please email us at committeeonplanning@aashto.org.
Industry News
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

New York opens traffic-clogged streets to people during pandemic, the city’s latest redesign in times of dramatic change
The Conversation

This bridge used to be a highway—now it’s for pedestrians
Fast Company

Austin Transportation piloting e-scooter parking, charging stations
KTBC-TV

918 Trails Network aims to tie regional bike trails together as transportation, touring system
Tulsa World

More on DC’s new “Slow Streets:” DDOT engineer explains purpose, criteria, laws on pedestrians on the street
Forest Hills Connection
 
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

Passing infrastructure bill, Democrats go all-in on climate
Roll Call

California Passes Nation's First Zero-Emission, Electric Truck Goal
CapRadio

Climate panel urges sweeping change, deep carbon cuts
Roll Call

Perks for electric vehicle owners set to expire in Hawaii
AP

Ohio Announces State-Wide Approach to EV Charging
Ohio DOT

FREIGHT
 
Need For Speed Drives Ships Toward Pacific Ports
FreightWaves

INFRASTRUCTURE

House approves $1.5T plan to fix crumbling infrastructure
AP

How the $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill would impact rural America
Capital Press

White House opposes $1.5 trillion House infrastructure measure
Reuters

INTERNATIONAL
 
Measuring air pollution could help London transport planners fight COVID-19
University of Birmingham

MOBILITY  

How Los Angeles Took Control Of Its Mobility Data
Cities Today

City Leaders Introduce LinkUS Mobility Corridors Initiative
Spectrum News 1

Four U.S. cities selected for Digital Curb Challenge
Mass Transit

MPOs
 
Meramec Regional Planning Commission TAC learns about Missouri’s Safety Circuit Rider Program
Rolla Daily News

PLANNING
 
Governors eye expanding public-private partnerships for infrastructure financing
Transportation Today

Mayors, policy leaders release playbook for infrastructure
Transportation Today
 
New look at Columbus transportation coming, leaders say it could heal economic divides
WTTE/WSYX-TV

What Happens to Public Space When Everything Moves Outside?
Bloomberg CityLab

Lawmakers approve Kemp’s appointment to Georgia DOT planning post
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

RAIL
 
AAR says the INVEST in America Act does not meet freight railroad’s needs
Logistics Management
 
Passenger rail between Duluth, Twin Cities hurt by lack of state backing
Duluth News Tribune

No New Money For Scranton-Hoboken Train In 10-Year Transportation Plan
Times-Tribune

ROADWAYS
 
Cities Ponder What Policy Changes Work Best to Reduce Traffic
Governing

Racial Justice Group Albina Vision Trust Withdraws Its Support for I-5 Rose Quarter Expansion in Oregon
Willamette Week

TECHNOLOGY

Smart Cities and Transportation: 4 Common Typologies and Pilot Project Approaches  
Metro

TRANSIT
 
Transit agencies weigh security forces amid calls to defund police
SmartCitiesDive

Studies Point to Link Between Public Transit and Coronavirus Risk
WRC-TV

The coronavirus has highlighted the transit inequalities in America
Marketplace

Nearly 30 years after the ADA, the nation’s transit agencies report successes and shortfalls
Washington Post

Montgomery County Purple Line study reveals most stations are not pedestrian-friendly
WTOP Radio

Poor communities at risk as strapped public transit starts up again
Axios commentary
 
SFMTA approves temporary transit-only lanes to counter rising congestion
San Francisco Examiner

Marin County Transit Agencies Leverage Uber App, Expertise
Government Technology

New SoCal Rail Transit Line Puts Its Stations on a Parking Diet
Next City

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
 
TRB Webinar: Transportation Asset Management in a COVID-19 World
TRB

TRB Webinar: How Performance and Data Informs Transportation Decision Making
TRB