Volume 1 Issue 30 | November 5, 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
2020 AASHTO Virtual Annual Meeting Session Spotlight

Planning for Transportation Investments in a Post-Pandemic World is a session led by transportation leaders that planners won't want to miss! Registration for the 2020 AASHTO Virtual Annual Meeting is open, and is required for all participants. Click here to view the conference site and the agenda.
Planning for Transportation Investments in a
Post-Pandemic World
Brought to you by HNTB
November 10, 3:30-5:00 PM Eastern
Panelists:
  • Toks Omishakin, Director, California DOT
  • Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Commissioner, Minnesota DOT
  • Clay Bright, Commissioner, Tennessee DOT
  • Stephanie Pollack, Secretary and CEO, Massachusetts DOT

How people travel has been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. As states and local communities began shutting down to mitigate the transmission of the virus, travel was significantly disrupted in both the volumes seen and modes utilized. This resulted in changing ridership on transit, less travel on streets and highways, and subsequently less reliable revenues; however, there were some unanticipated benefits and opportunities: less congestion, transitioning technology, and efficiency of business processes. As our states and communities begin to reopen, many are asking how and if our future transportation needs will change, and whether the impacts experienced during the pandemic will become trends to account for in the future. This session will explore how transportation agencies are planning for investments in a post-pandemic world considering these potential trends and the opportunities they might create.
Industry News
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Can the Bike Boom Keep Going?
Bloomberg CityLab

How Bike Advocates Are Eyeing Safer Streets for All
Bicycling

Lyft's head of transit says cities should keep catering to bikes and scooters even after the pandemic
Business Insider

How one San Diegan uses his bicycle obsession to make the sport more inclusive and accessible to others
San Diego Union-Tribune

FUNDING
 
Maine DOT’s ‘MacGyver’ moment: Commissioner Bruce Van Note looks to stretch dollars
Mainebiz

WYDOT warns that some roads may go unplowed thanks to new ‘limited budget’
CDLLife

Sustainable Transportation Project Gets Grant Funding in California
Escalon Times

INFRASTRUCTURE

Lawmakers say infrastructure efforts are falling victim to deepening partisan divide
The Hill

MOBILITY 

Smart Cities Connect 2020: Columbus Eases Travel with Smart Mobility Projects
StateTech Magazine

MPOs
 
Casper MPO to launch transit study 
Casper Area MPO

Miami-Dade TPO approves report on best practices for urban area construction projects
Kendall Gazette

Hampton Roads Planning District Commission has plans for Western Tidewater
Smithfield Times

OTHER
 
Voters weigh in on transportation issues
Land Line

Transit at the Polls: 15 out of 18 transit measures passed; handful remain undecided
Mass Transit
 
Road to transportation package redux unclear as Metro, business opponents point fingers
The Oregonian

PLANNING
 
It’s Time to Expand our Potential for Transit Oriented Development in Dallas 
D commentary

ROADWAYS

Why Pittsburgh is redesigning streets to help drivers slow down
Pittsburgh City Paper
 
What’s A City’s Curb Space Worth?
Governing column

TECHNOLOGY

New House Bill Promotes Transportation Technologies
Transport Topics

Mid-America States plan future of automated vehicles
Merrill Foto News

FMCSA Plans Information Collection on Automated Driving Systems
Transport Topics

Waymo Pulls Back The Curtain On 6.1 Million Miles Of Self-Driving Car Data In Phoenix
The Verge

Three Cities Use Smart City Concepts to Improve Transportation
Government Technology

TRANSIT

New, 10-year public transit plan for northwest Arkansas receives approval
Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
 
8 years later, Sandy still costing transit systems billions
AP
 
Grant Will Boost Transit Planning in Colorado
Alamosa News

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
 
TRB Webinar: Celebrating TRB’s Centennial by Exploring the Future of Transportation Research
TRB

TRB Webinar: Advancing Innovative Automated Vehicles and Shared Mobility Research
TRB