WASHINGTON (AP) — Pennsylvania Rep. Bill Shuster, the powerful Republican chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, says he won't run for re-election. Shuster says he wants to focus his time and energy on working with President Donald Trump on legislation to spend hundreds of billions of dollars to build roads, bridges and other infrastructure. He said in a statement that he'll spend his final year in office "focusing 100 percent on working with President Trump and my Republican and Democratic colleagues in both chambers to pass a much needed infrastructure bill to rebuild America." Shuster was bound to leave the powerful position at the end of this term anyway because of GOP rules limiting him to six years as chairman of the committee. His central Pennsylvania district is safely Republican. Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Sign up for BREAKING NEWS … [Read more...] about GOP Rep. Shuster, transportation panel chairman, to retire
Transportation
IMC Companies grows again with acquisition of New Jersey-based transportation company
Memphis-based intermodal logistics provider IMC Companies has acquired a ninth company and pushed its employee count to more than 2,100.IMC announced the acquisition, effective Dec. 12, of the drayage and transport operations of Iselin, New Jersey-based H&M Terminal Transport.The addition of H&M Intermodal Services boosts IMC’s footprint in the Northeast and further cements IMC’s status as the largest privately owned marine drayage company in the United States.Marine drayage is movement of shipping containers between ocean ports and rail or trucking terminals.H&M has 140 drivers and lists service locations including New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Norfolk, Savannah, Jacksonville, Memphis and Marion, Arkansas.“Like us, the H&M team specializes in container drayage,” IMC Companies chairman Mark H. George said in a news release. “What’s more, this acquisition enhances our existing national footprint that allows us to … [Read more...] about IMC Companies grows again with acquisition of New Jersey-based transportation company
What’s Next: Tampa Bay’s Transportation Future
State transportation officials have big — and expensive — plans for Tampa Bay over the next decade: toll lanes, a new bridge, additional lanes to help ease congestion. But the shape and scope of those projects has changed, and so has the timeline. Here's a breakdown each project and when it will start affecting commuters: Veterans Expressway Managed Toll Lanes Completion: Spring 2018 The first managed express lanes in the bay area opened along the Veterans Expressway last month. The cost of driving in those lanes is the same as the regular Veterans tolls, however drivers can only enter and exit the six-mile span at specific points. Once they are in that lane, they must stay in it for several miles until the designated exit. The next span, from Gunn Highway to Dale Mabry Highway, is set to open in the spring. Once that happens, drivers will have to pay an additional toll — which rises and falls based on traffic — to use the lanes. Gateway Toll Lanes … [Read more...] about What’s Next: Tampa Bay’s Transportation Future
Mission Viejo Planning and Transportation Commission to skip January meeting
By Nathaniel Percy | [email protected] | Orange County RegisterPUBLISHED: January 1, 2018 at 4:08 pm | UPDATED: January 1, 2018 at 4:10 pm The Planning and Transportation Commission will reconvene on Feb. 12 after the cancellation of its Jan. 8 meeting. The commission, which acts as an advisory panel to the City Council, meets the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Council Chamber, 200 Civic Center. For more information, contact the Community Development Department at 949-470-3053. … [Read more...] about Mission Viejo Planning and Transportation Commission to skip January meeting
Latest Region transportation news: Top 2017 stories; Christmas wrecks; INDOT phone app; record gas consumption
Top 5 transportation stories in 2017 1. South Shore LineThe South Shore submitted its $615 million West Lake Corridor and $312 million Double Track projects to the Federal Transit Administration in September. Meanwhile, state and local governments committed to financing the rest of the Double Track project costs, and the state and Regional Development Authority laid the groundwork for promoting development around train stations.What's next: The FTA will issue its rating of each project, with the expectation they will advance to final engineering. Congress and the Trump administration will finalize the fiscal year 2018 federal budget, and begin work on fiscal 2019, with decisions on infrastructure spending as part of that.2. RoadworkAmong many other projects, the Indiana Department of Transportation's two-year $45 million Restore 94 project was essentially completed this year, as was the Indiana Toll Road's $220 million 80/90 Push project.What's next: An increased gas tax and new … [Read more...] about Latest Region transportation news: Top 2017 stories; Christmas wrecks; INDOT phone app; record gas consumption
These Las Vegas transportation stories took off in 2017
Planes taxi to the runway at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. Richard Brian Las Vegas Review-Journal @vegasphotograph Motorists continued to dodge orange cones and discovered alternate routes amid the multiple road and freeway construction projects in 2017. Transportation is always a popular topic for discussion in Las Vegas, where ride-hailing companies continued to make severe dents in ridership and revenue numbers for taxicabs, buses and the monorail. We were finally able to drive along a small stretch of the new Interstate 11 near the Railroad Pass Hotel and Casino, with much larger segments expected to open in phases during the new year. Las Vegas drove toward the future by testing technology that allows vehicles to “talk” to traffic signals in the Fremont East neighborhood, also known as the city’s “innovation district.” While these were all noteworthy, five other topics hit a little closer to home by affecting … [Read more...] about These Las Vegas transportation stories took off in 2017
Transportation experts’ predictions for 2018 in Chicago, suburbs
Goodbye to 2017, a bumpy trip for fliers, drivers and riders. Turbulence began early with a passenger being hauled off a United Airlines flight at O'Hare, and the year ended with Metra, Pace and the CTA approving fare hikes. Halfway through, the Illinois Tollway approved a controversial $25 million study of the Route 53 extension. What will 2018 bring? In a world of uncertainty, you can count on one thing -- our annual, never-fail transportation predictions by expert prognosticators. We'll start with DePaul University professor Joseph Schwieterman who predicts "O'Hare will regain its mojo for international service as airlines add new nonstop destinations at a relatively rapid pace. "This will restore nonstop service, for example, to many European destinations." For Metra, Pace and the CTA, the prognosis is less rosy. Fare hikes on the systems are set for 2018 partly because of cuts in state funding and limited federal aid. Will anyone ride to the rescue? "My prediction is no, there … [Read more...] about Transportation experts’ predictions for 2018 in Chicago, suburbs
Transportation plan for city in Arkansas idles 15 years; hearing set to decide path forward
For 15 years, an ambitious plan to build a multimillion-dollar intermodal transportation facility in Russellville, which supporters say would produce a wave of economic development in the area, has been stalled by federal litigation that moves at a snail's pace. That could change after a hearing set for Feb. 15 in a Little Rock federal courtroom. In back-to-back lawsuits, the neighboring city of Dardanelle and the Yell County Wildlife Association have said they don't want the project to proceed without an all-encompassing study of its impact on the surrounding area -- which they maintain still has not been done, despite an assessment undertaken in response to a 2004 court order. The lawsuits say the location favored by the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the River Valley Regional Intermodal Authority is in a flood plain immediately south of Russellville. Construction of the project is likely to cause flooding of homes and businesses in Dardanelle, … [Read more...] about Transportation plan for city in Arkansas idles 15 years; hearing set to decide path forward
A 2018 agenda for Missouri lawmakers: ethics reform, transportation, health care
The Missouri General Assembly begins its 2018 session on Wednesday. By the time it ends in mid-May, voters will know if their representatives are strong enough to stand up to Gov. Eric Greitens to make Missouri better. Across a range of issues, legislators can take positive steps in 2018 to improve the lives of their constituents, while bringing more transparency to their decisions. Ultimately, many consequential decisions may rest in the hands of voters. Lawmakers can and should put questions on the 2018 ballot, including a fuel tax increase and a tobacco tax hike. But lawmakers also have an opportunity to act on other important questions, including ethics reform and the budget. ▪ Ethics reform Legislators should try again to pass an ethics reform package. Greitens likely will recommend taking action on ethics reform when he addresses the legislature in January. It will be a tough sell, given Greitens’ own ethics record in 2017. In fact, the General Assembly … [Read more...] about A 2018 agenda for Missouri lawmakers: ethics reform, transportation, health care
Transportation plan stuck on idle 15 years
For 15 years, an ambitious plan to build a multimillion-dollar intermodal transportation facility in Russellville, which supporters say would produce a wave of economic development in the area, has been stalled by federal litigation that moves at a snail's pace. That could change after a hearing set for Feb. 15 in a Little Rock federal courtroom. In back-to-back lawsuits, the neighboring city of Dardanelle and the Yell County Wildlife Association have said they don't want the project to proceed without an all-encompassing study of its impact on the surrounding area -- which they maintain still has not been done, despite an assessment undertaken in response to a 2004 court order. The lawsuits say the location favored by the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the River Valley Regional Intermodal Authority is in a flood plain immediately south of Russellville. Construction of the project is likely to cause flooding of homes and businesses in Dardanelle, … [Read more...] about Transportation plan stuck on idle 15 years