Important U.S. DOT Article

on Truck Parking & Safety

Check out this latest article in Public Roads Magazine titled "The Parking Imperative: A Safe & Healthy Supply Chain Rests with Truck Parking" which sheds light on why truck parking is a critical issue and how state and federal authorities are responding with strategies to address it.

"This heightened focus on truck parking is fostering an environment for new ideas, expanded analysis, and innovative solutions. These solutions can provide better data to states for understanding how truck parking improvements can support highway safety as well as businesses within their State" the authors state.

Public Roads emphasizes the continuing commitment of FHWA to be an international leader in promoting highway research and technology transfer for transportation professionals across the nation and around the world. At over 100-years old, this magazine explores advances and innovations in highway, traffic, and bridge research and technology; critical national transportation issues; program advancement and achievements of FHWA and others in the highway community; and timely subjects of interest to industry professionals.

Read the article in the Winter 2023 Issue of Public Roads

FHWA Innovation Exchange

Nighttime Visibility for Safety

May 18, 2023 | 3:00-4:30pm ET

Nighttime adds another dimension to intersection, roadway departure, and vulnerable road user safety. The nighttime fatality rate on the nation’s roadways is three times higher than the daytime rate. Urban areas usually have streetlights near schools, parks, transit stops, sports complexes, and the like to help illuminate pedestrians, but what are other effective safety countermeasures, including for rural areas? Streetlights, although highly effective, can come at a price.

That's why FHWA is hosting an Innovation Exchange Webinar to discuss options for increasing nighttime safety, including intentionally dark areas.

There's no registration required, just join the webinar at ZoomGov (Meeting ID 161 162 7430, Passcode 889904).

Questions about this upcoming webinar? Contact Karyn Vandervoort with FHWA’s Office of Federal Lands Highway.

Sustainability Webinar Recording Available

CALTAP's "Assessing Environmental Impacts of Construction" webinar is now available to watch on our YouTube channel. If you missed the live event, now's your chance to catch-up on the latest in California's Off-Road (heavy-duty) regulations, sustainability practices at local agencies, and get a peek at our upcoming Sustainable Engineering Training Academy (SETA) curriculum.

Hear from sustainability experts how construction impacts our environment and why incorporating "green" or "sustainable" practices can not only reduce air pollution and material waste, but also align your agency with California's future as an environmentally-focused funding and regulatory leader.

Webinar topics include:

• California's regulatory environment (CARB)
• Sustainability and the State DOT (Caltrans)
• Local agency sustainable practices (City of Lancaster)
• Sustainability design-to-implementation (Griffith Company)
• Sources & measurement of construction emissions (CSULB)
• Practical abatement and mitigation strategies (CSULB)

Learn how to make construction a part of the solution as California advances toward a carbon net-zero future in transportation.

Watch the recording

Caltrans/FHWA Info-Webinar

Build America, Buy America

May 31, 2023, 9:00 – 11:00am PST

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) California Division will be sharing recent changes to Buy America requirements resulting from the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) and Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act.

BABA requires an extension of Buy America preferences to construction materials—like non-ferrous metals, plastic/polymer-based products, glass, lumber, and drywall—be permanently incorporated into Federal-aid projects. 

BABA requirements became effective on all FHWA authorized projects as of November 10, 2022.

Expert presenters include:

• Lismary Gavillan, Construction Program Manager, FHWA CA
• Girmay Beyene, Transportation Engineer, Caltrans DLA
• Maged Armanuse, Sr Bridge Engineer, Caltrans DLA

For more information, please contact Caltrans.DLA@dot.ca.gov

Register now to attend!

Build a Better Mousetrap:

The 2023 Statewide Competition

CALTAP and its partners at the Caltrans Division of Research, Innovation & System Information (DRISI) are excited to launch another year of FHWA’s Build a Better Mousetrap (BABM), the statewide competition.

Celebrating local ingenuity on a national level, BABM is a federally sponsored initiative that recognizes state/local agencies that are using innovation to solve transportation-related problems to improve job safety and efficiency. 

Applications are now being accepted through May 5th via the DRISI online innovation platform, where you can upload your agency's submission and browse applications from your California peers.

Check-out contest details here or contact us with any questions.



Take a moment to share your agency's innovation!

NEWS & EVENTS

Now Live at CALTAP.org

Check out our latest website update, which presents timely news and events specifically curated for the transportation professional.

The latest relevant headlines are reflected on the homepage with links to full write-ups, while events (webinars, conferences, workshops, etc.) are conveniently laid-out on a monthly calendar for easy identification and scheduling.

Visit www.caltap.org for all of your

local agency training, news, and event needs

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