Transportation Planning Newsletter

Volume 1 Issue 21 | September 3, 2020

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.

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Committee News

AASHTO 2020 Joint Policy Conference - NOW VIRTUAL

Registration is now open for the AASHTO 2020 Joint Policy Conference, held the week of September 28. The event will be conducted in plenary, technical, and cross-disciplinary sessions featuring the country’s leading transportation practitioners, making this event a true interactive exchange of perspectives and innovative solutions to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

The AASHTO Committee on Planning, Special Committee on Freight, Committee on Transportation System Security & Resilience, and Council on Active Transportation will have business meetings on October 1. Full event details, including draft agenda are available by visiting https://2020policyconference.transportation.org/. Please check back often as additional agenda information is constantly being updated.

There is no registration fee to participate. Each day of this virtual conference will have a unique registration link. All registration information can be accessed by clicking this link. Once registered, additional information will be sent about links to technical sessions, joint sessions, and committee business meetings as well as more detailed agendas for each session.

Join us. Together, we’ll connect the DOTs.

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

Shared Mobility Poised to Make a Comeback After COVID-19

Via News

https://via.news/business/shared-mobility-comeback-after-covid-19/

Trail recreation on the rise as bikes become scarce

Bristol Herald Courier

https://heraldcourier.com/townnews/commerce/trail-recreation-on-the-rise-as-bikes-become-scarce/article_87480558-ea1a-11ea-b4ec-6f31068adf1c.html

Dallas temporarily bans scooter program due to misuse

Dallas Morning News

https://wacotrib.com/ap/state/dallas-temporarily-bans-scooter-program-due-to-misuse/article_cc5dd6a2-27a7-512d-b236-6c2204dc05cc.html

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

Mid-Atlantic, Northeast states collaborate to cut carbon emissions from transportation

Yale Climate Connections

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/08/mid-atlantic-northeast-states-collaborate-to-cut-carbon-emissions-from-transportation/

RIDOT offers free access to electric vehicle chargers

WJAR-TV

https://turnto10.com/news/local/park-and-plug-ridot-offers-free-access-to-electric-vehicle-chargers

FUNDING

States Eyeing Gas Tax Hikes Due to COVID-19

ForConstructionPros.com

https://www.forconstructionpros.com/infrastructure/news/21173569/states-eyeing-gas-tax-hikes-due-to-covid19

Report: Utahns would rather raise taxes for specific benefits than cut services

Salt Lake Tribune

https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2020/09/01/report-utahns-would/

Transportation development districts offer innovative way to fund infrastructure projects

Cincinnati Business Courier commentary

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/08/28/tdds-offer-innovative-way-to-fund-transportation.html

INFRASTRUCTURE

Maryland Studying Three Sites For A New Chesapeake Bay Crossing, Report

Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/maryland-is-studying-three-sites-for-a-new-chesapeake-bay-crossing-report-says/2020/09/01/36256c7e-ec7c-11ea-99a1-71343d03bc29_story.html

MOBILITY

New Yorkers flee for Florida and Texas as mobility surges

National Mortgage News

https://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/articles/new-yorkers-flee-for-florida-and-texas-as-mobility-surges

MPOs

New director sees a more active Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2020/08/30/Vincent-Valdes-Southwestern-Pennsylvania-Commission-new-executive-director/stories/202008290010

Interview: All Things Hyperloop and Passenger Rail with Thea Ewing of Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission

Underground Columbus

https://www.columbusunderground.com/interview-all-things-hyperloop-and-passenger-rail-with-thea-ewing-bw1

Crater Planning District Commission appoints new executive director

Independent-Messenger

http://www.emporiaindependentmessenger.com/news/article_aaaca39c-e88e-11ea-ab1a-6399328c1133.html

OTHER

The Case For Making Virtual Public Meetings Permanent

Governing

https://www.governing.com/now/The-Case-for-Making-Virtual-Public-Meetings-Permanent.html

PLANNING

MDOT's public online survey on state long-range transportation plan extended through Oct. 31

Michigan DOT

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9620_11057-538373--,00.html

RAIL

Regional business group kicks off effort to unify the greater Washington region’s passenger rail network

Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2020/09/01/capital-region-rail-vision-project/

ROADWAYS

Crashes On Eastbound Span Of Chesapeake Bay Bridge Decline Since Start Of All-Electronic Tolling

Capital Gazette

https://www.capitalgazette.com/news/ac-cn-bay-bridge-traffic-20200901-vozuvx6qybbrzm2f2upvimzthy-story.html

How Washington has managed its toll roads during COVID shutdowns

KIRO Radio

https://mynorthwest.com/2130851/chokepoint-grab-bag-toll-roads-school-zone-cameras/

COVID-19 Gives Rise to ‘Slow Streets,’ Curb Creativity

Government Technology

https://www.govtech.com/fs/transportation/Pandemic-Gives-Rise-to-Slow-Streets-Curb-Creativity.html

How to Design a Street for Hands-Off Play

Route Fifty

https://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2020/09/how-design-street-hands-play/168167/

SAFETY

Oregon transportation agency can do more to make work zones safer, audit finds

Statesman Journal

https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/2020/09/02/audit-oregon-department-transportation-work-zone-safety/5691281002/

PennDOT Data Shows Pennsylvania Roundabouts Reducing Fatalities, Injuries, and Crashes

Pennsylvania DOT

https://www.penndot.gov/pages/all-news-details.aspx?newsid=761

TRANSIT

Filling Funding Shortfall May Not Be Biggest Challenge for LA Metro's Free Transit Plan

KNBC-TV

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/filling-funding-shortfall-may-not-be-biggest-challenge-for-metros-free-transit-plan/2420771/

California Approves Bill to Speed Up Public Transit Projects

San Francisco Chronicle

https://www.govtech.com/transportation/California-Approves-Bill-to-Speed-Up-Public-Transit-Projects.html

RTD Board Signals Intention To Crack Into Boulder Train Savings Account

Colorado Public Radio

https://www.cpr.org/2020/09/02/rtd-board-signals-intention-to-crack-into-boulder-train-savings-account/

Rural California Transit Agency Reinvents Itself During COVID

Governing

https://www.governing.com/now/Rural-California-Transit-Agency-Reinvents-Itself-During-COVID.html?utm_term=READ%20MORE&utm_campaign=Rural%20California%20Transit%20Agency%20Reinvents%20Itself%20During%20COVID&utm_content=email&utm_source=Act-On+Software&utm_medium=email

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD

TRB Webinar: Envisioning the Next Generation of Traffic Management Systems (TMSs)

TRB

https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/09-08-2020/trb-webinar-envisioning-the-next-generation-of-traffic-management-systems-tmss