Transportation Planning Newsletter

Volume 1 Issue 10 | June 4, 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

INVEST IN AMERICA ACT: A PRELIMINARY REVIEW

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio released the draft text of a five-year, $494 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill entitled the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation In America (INVEST in America) Act. Based on the Moving Forward Framework infrastructure blueprint released this past January by the House Democratic leadership. A preliminary review of the planning and performance management provisions identified three major areas of changes:

1. New Performance Measures —The bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to develop new performance measures in two areas: Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Accessibility. For GHG, one measures is based upon carbon dioxide per capita and any other performance measures deemed appropriate by the Secretary. These measures would be developed rather quickly. Accessibility measures have a longer time horizon and would be developed through a collaborative process that includes a working group of public and private sector people. No specific performance measures is being proposed.

2. Target Setting —The bill will not allow a state DOT to establish regressive targets for either the five existing safety performance measures nor the newly developed GHG measure(s). A regressive target is defined as a target that fails to demonstrate constant or improved performance.

3. Transportation Demand Data and Modeling —The bill requires the Secretary to conduct a research study to better understand how state DOTs and MPOs are forecasting demand and to improve the ability of them to forecast demand. It also aims to better understand the effect that new projects have on travel behavior by analyzing transportation project impacts over the long-term. This is similar to the EconWorks effort that AASHTO is conducting right now.

The bill also includes a number of technical corrections to existing law and other changes such as encouraging the use of virtual public involvement. Outside of the planning and performance management sections, the bill includes an emphasis on state of good repair (how does this affect current asset management programs?), resilience (possible performance management implication and planning focus areas), and bridge investments (focused on bridges in poor condition and how this affects an asset management approach). AASHTO staff are still reviewing the bill and how it affects state DOTs. More information to come.

You can access all of the material produced by the T&I Committee:

Bill fact sheet: https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/2020%20INVEST%20In%20America%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
Bill summary: https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/2020%20INVEST%20in%20America%20Bill%20Summary.pdf
Bill section-by-section: https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/2020%20INVEST%20in%20America%20Act%20Section-by-Section.pdf
864-page bill text: https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/Final%20Bill%20Text%20of%20the%20INVEST%20in%20America%20Act.pdf

In addition, AASHTO’s surface transportation reauthorization resources can be found here , which includes an analysis for the Senate EPW bill called ATIA.

Please contact Matt Hardy if you have any comments or questions: mhardy@aashto.org

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.

2020 JOINT POLICY CONFERENCE

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Official’s (AASHTO) 2020 Joint Policy Conference: Connecting the DOTs will bring together six AASHTO committees and councils to meet and discuss critical issues surrounding multimodal freight and passenger transportation. Focus areas will include planning, freight, maritime, security and resilience, environment and sustainability, and active transportation. With an estimated 300 participants from all 52 AASHTO member departments, this is a unique opportunity to reach out and connect with key decision-makers at state DOTs.

Please know that AASHTO’s first priority is the health, safety and well-being of our attendees, volunteers and staff attending any AASHTO meetings. We continue to monitor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization’s statements and guidance closely. Currently, consideration for cancellation or postponement of upcoming AASHTO meetings as a result of COVID-19 is being made on a case by case basis.

At this time, no decision has been made regarding cancellation or postponement of the 2020 Joint Policy Conference. It is also possible that this conference will be held virtually. Additional details will be available in future editions of this newsletter.

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Industry News

ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION

Atlanta Ordinance Establishes New Permit Structure For Micro-Mobility Companies

WABE Radio

https://www.wabe.org/new-atlanta-ordinance-establishes-a-new-permit-structure-micro-mobility-companies/

Poor and Black ‘Invisible Cyclists’ Need to Be Part of Post-Pandemic Transportation Planning

Route Fifty commentary

https://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2020/05/invisible-cyclists-need-be-part-post-pandemic-transport-planning/165739/

Cities criticized for shutting down bikeshare amid protests, pandemic

CNN Business

https://www.kmov.com/cities-criticized-for-shutting-down-bikeshare-amid-protests-pandemic/article_277ddebd-9f96-55bd-bb70-500728deaeff.html

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

A Minnesota Perspective on Environmental Sustainability With MnDOT Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher

AASHTO’s ETAP Podcast

https://transportationradio.wordpress.com/2020/06/03/a-minnesota-perspective-on-environmental-sustainability/

EPA Narrows States’ Veto Power Over Infrastructure Projects

Bloomberg Law

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/epa-narrows-states-veto-power-over-infrastructure-projects

FUNDING

House Democrats Unveil Highway Bill, Absent Plan to Pay

Bloomberg Tax

https://news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report/house-democrats-unveil-highway-bill-absent-plan-to-pay

With no GOP input, stakeholders fear House highway bill may stall

Roll Call

https://www.rollcall.com/2020/06/04/with-no-gop-input-stakeholders-fear-house-highway-bill-may-stall/

COVID-19 Will Create Long-Term Impact on State DOT Revenues

AASHTO Journal

https://aashtojournal.org/2020/05/29/covid-19-will-create-long-term-impact-on-state-dot-revenues/

Senate Chairman Roger Wicker Unveils Rural Transportation Bill

Transport Topics

https://www.ttnews.com/articles/senate-chairman-roger-wicker-unveils-rural-transportation-bill

Fed expands municipal liquidity program to include transit, airports, utilities

Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed-liquidity/fed-expands-municipal-liquidity-program-to-include-transit-airports-utilities-idUSKBN23A2UJ

INTERNATIONAL

Expanding road capacity in urban areas resulted in urban sprawl, more traffic and more motorists

Nordic Roads

https://nordicroads.com/expanding-road-capacity-urban-areas-resulted-urban-sprawl-traffic-motorists/?utm_campaign=unspecified&utm_content=unspecified&utm_medium=email&utm_source=apsis-anp-3

MOBILITY

Uber to Offer ‘Hourly’ Service to Limit Driver, Passenger Exposure

Frequent Business Traveler

http://www.frequentbusinesstraveler.com/2020/05/uber-to-offer-hourly-service-to-limit-driver-passenger-exposure/

Austin and NTT sign partnership on mobility data

Cities Today

https://cities-today.com/austin-and-ntt-sign-partnership-on-mobility-data/

MPOs

Study from Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission Says Hyperloop Estimated to Bring $19B in Benefits

limaohio.com

https://www.limaohio.com/news/411908/hyperloop-estimated-to-bring-19b-in-benefits

Arkansas planners take meetings, public input sessions virtual for ‘foreseeable future’

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/may/28/planners-take-meetings-public-input-ses/

Phase two of Missoula long-range transportation plan begins

Missoulian

https://missoulian.com/news/local/phase-two-of-missoula-long-range-transportation-plan-begins/article_cc6be5a5-bec6-51f4-902b-50ce499daae9.html

When's a good time for a traffic study? During the coronavirus lockdown, of course

The Advocate

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/coronavirus/article_8c5cc788-a44f-11ea-b0a4-fb2303f31bf7.html

Interview With Mark Baza, Executive Director Of Imperial County Transportation Commission

Forward Motion

https://mobility21.com/forward-motion-may-2020/#mark

OTHER

The pandemic is making people reconsider city living, trading traffic for chickens

Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/06/01/city-relocate-pandemic/

Federal Highway Administration to Assist States with Innovative Reopening Efforts

FHWA

https://highways.dot.gov/newsroom/federal-highway-administration-assist-states-innovative-reopening-efforts

North Texas Innovation Alliance Consortium Launches to Create the Most Connected, Smart and Resilient Region in the Country

North Texas Innovation Alliance

https://www.ntxia.org/news-views/north-texas-innovation-alliance-consortium-launches-to-create-the-most-connected-smart-and-resilient-region-in-the-country

PLANNING

Webinar: Adjustments to Transportation Planning for a Post Pandemic World

TREDIS

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1010964706042&ca=9d10f0f7-5eff-4c5c-b9d5-39c994d3aff8

RAIL

Money and virus mean cloudy future for Amtrak service in Missouri

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/money-and-virus-mean-cloudy-future-for-amtrak-service-in-missouri/article_82fc6917-da92-530d-b830-5c2e64bdd5af.html

Legislators take long look at stripping down, scrapping Calif.’s high-speed rail

The Sun

http://sjvsun.com/business/legislators-take-long-look-at-stripping-down-scrapping-calif-s-high-speed-rail/

Efforts to restore Amtrak route across southern Montana gains momentum

KPAX-TV

https://www.kpax.com/news/missoula-county/efforts-to-restore-amtrak-route-across-southern-montana-gains-momentum

ROADWAYS

Driving hasn't found its new normal yet

Bloomberg

https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Driving-hasn-t-found-its-new-normal-yet-15300202.php

SAFETY

States Fine-Tune Performance Targets for Highway Safety

AASHTO Journal

https://aashtojournal.org/2020/05/29/states-work-to-fine-tune-performance-targets-for-highway-safety/

D.C. cuts speed limit to 20 mph to curb pedestrian deaths

Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/dc-speed-limit-cut/2020/05/29/3be40f74-36ee

TECHNOLOGY

Paper Extols Virtues of ITS for Reducing Traffic Congestion

AASHTO Journal

https://aashtojournal.org/2020/05/29/paper-extols-virtues-of-its-for-reducing-traffic-congestion/

TRANSIT

LA Metro Board Seeks To Halve Price Of Rider Passes Once Normal Boarding Resumes

KCBS-TV

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/05/28/coronavirus-los-angeles-metro-board-considers-rider-pass-price-reduction/

Auditor: San Antonio Transit Faces Bleak Financial Future

San Antonio Express-News

https://www.govtech.com/fs/transportation/Auditor-San-Antonio-Transit-Faces-Bleak-Financial-Future.html

Why public transit matters in the George Floyd protests

Bloomberg CityLab

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/why-public-transit-matters-george-floyd-protests

Are mass transit and social distancing incompatible?

Cities Today

https://cities-today.com/transport-leaders-should-seize-the-opportunity-to-innovate-after-covid-19/

Public transit is on the brink of death. This is how we save it

Digital Trends

https://www.digitaltrends.com/features/to-survive-the-pandemic-public-transit-will-need-to-adapt/

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD

TRB Looks at How Transportation May Change Due to COVID-19

AASHTO Journal

https://aashtojournal.org/2020/05/29/trb-looks-at-how-transportation-may-change-due-to-covid-19/