DOT

November 16, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation today released its Motorcoach Safety Action Plan which lays out concrete steps for improving motorcoach safety across the board. The action plan addresses major safety issues such as driver fatigue and inattention, vehicle rollover, occupant ejections and oversight of unsafe carriers.

"We are committed to making sure that bus travelers reach their destinations safely," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "These improvements will not only help reduce the number of motorcoach crashes, it will also help save lives and reduce injuries."    » read more »

November 16, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation today released its Motorcoach Safety Action Plan which lays out concrete steps for improving motorcoach safety across the board. The action plan addresses major safety issues such as driver fatigue and inattention, vehicle rollover, occupant ejections and oversight of unsafe carriers.

“We are committed to making sure that bus travelers reach their destinations safely,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “These improvements will not only help reduce the number of motorcoach crashes, it will also help save lives and reduce injuries.”    » read more »

November 12, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the Department of Transportation has jumpstarted more than 10,000 transportation projects across America thanks to its swift allocation of Recovery Act dollars. As of this week, state agencies reported a total of 10,041 approved    » read more »

System Traffic Down 4.1 Percent from August 2008

November 13, 2009 - The number of scheduled domestic and international passengers on U.S. airlines in August 2009 declined by 4.1 percent from August 2008, dropping by 2.8 million to 65.0 million, the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today reported . August was the 17th consecutive month with a decrease in passengers from the prior year .

BTS, a part of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, in a release of preliminary data, reported that U.S. airlines carried 4.1 percent fewer domestic passengers than in August 2008. International passengers on U.S. carriers decreased 4.5 percent .    » read more »

I-JOBS and Federal Recovery-funded projects help create jobs, improve infrastructure

November 13, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver announced today that 11 local highway infrastructure projects worth nearly $13.7 million have been let by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT).

Ten projects are funded in total or part through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). Acceptance of the low-bid proposals and awarding of contracts are contingent upon final approval of the respective parties.    » read more »

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Nov. 12, 2009-- In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, US Airways’ (NYSE: LCC) Chairman and CEO Doug Parker responded to Secretary LaHood’s invitation to attend the Future of U.S. Aviation Forum being hosted today by the Department of Transportation. In the letter, Parker shares the airline and industry’s views about the future competitiveness of the U.S. aviation industry. The letter in its entirety follows:

November 11, 2009

The Honorable Ray LaHood
Secretary of Transportation
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20590

Dear Secretary LaHood:    » read more »

10-Nov-2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) has asked U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to investigate the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) practices regarding the Tri-State Oversight Committee’s monitoring of safety procedures.    » read more »

November 9, 2009 -- Flights operated by the nation’s largest airlines arrived on time at a higher rate this past September than in either September of last year or in August 2009, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

According to information filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), the 19 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 86.2 percent in September, higher than both September 2008’s 84.9 percent and August 2009’s 79.7 percent.    » read more »

November 4, 2009 -- Washington DC – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski announced Wednesday that they are launching a joint effort to evaluate technologies that may help curb the dangerous epidemic of distracted driving.

The DOT-FCC partnership will also include outreach efforts to educate the public about the dangers of texting while driving, talking on cell phones while driving, and other distracting behavior that can lead to deadly accidents.    » read more »

Recovery Putting People to Work on Investments with Long-Term Benefit

Nov. 3, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – The Federal Highway Administration crossed the $20 billion mark in approved obligations for highway, road and bridge projects this week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today. Of the $26.6 billion available for federal highway and bridge projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more than 75 percent has now been obligated.

“Even though winter is right around the corner, highway and bridge projects are still getting underway, creating thousands of jobs and saving thousands more,” said Secretary LaHood. “The Recovery Act is helping repair America’s roads and bridges while putting people back to work.”    » read more »

Transportation Agreement Mandates Jobs for U.S. Mariners

October 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Acting Maritime Administrator David T. Matsuda today approved the construction of a deepwater port for liquefied natural gas (LNG) off the coast of Florida. As part of the approval agreement, officials for Port Dolphin Energy, LLC, agreed to provide employment and training opportunities to American mariners on ships using the port. The Maritime Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“This energy project is a win for Florida consumers, and for U.S. maritime workers,” said Transportation Secretary LaHood. “We will continue our focus on creating job opportunities for American seafarers and other maritime workers.”    » read more »

Funds Will Be Used to Improve Hazardous Materials Planning and Training

October 19, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that it is awarding $20.9 million to states, territories and Native American tribes to improve the nation’s response to transportation incidents involving hazardous materials. The grants will help train first responders to react to incidents involving hazardous materials and to meet the safety challenges posed by new chemicals and alternative energy products such as ethanol.    » read more »

FHWA, Oklahoma State University to Partner on Critical Research Endeavor

October 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – FHWA will conduct an ambitious new study to better understand and prevent motorcycle crashes, Administrator Victor Mendez announced today.

Despite years of steadily improving highway safety and roadway fatalities at historic lows, motorcycle riders remain one of the highest-risk groups on America’s roads. Nearly 5,300 motorcycle riders died in roadway crashes in 2008, accounting for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, and 96,000 were injured.    » read more »

Schumer, Gillibrand: It is Critical That We Invest in Environmentally Friendly Transportation to Reduce Both Pollution and our Reliance on Foreign Fossil Fuel

September 30, 2009 -- U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that a $10,315,033 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant has been allocated to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. The grant will be used to purchase hybrid buses in Buffalo to improve the city's public transit and reduce its environmental impact.    » read more »

New Interagency Program to Address Climate Change and Energy Security

September 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson today jointly proposed a rule establishing an historic national program that would improve vehicle fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gases.    » read more »