FCC sets Nov. 18 vote on safety spectrum reallocation FCC sets Nov. 18 vote on safety spectrum reallocation ATSSA and others say sharing the 5.9 GHz band risks lives Pam / Thursday, October 29, 2020 0 4801 Article rating: No rating The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is scheduled for a final vote Nov. 18 on reallocating a portion of the 5.9 GHz spectrum band, commonly known as the safety spectrum, for Wi-Fi. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed sharing the spectrum a year ago and this week reiterated his support for the idea saying that “making more spectrum available for Wi-Fi is critical to meeting America’s growing connectivity need,” Reuters reported. As reported here, from the outset, ATSSA and others including the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) and the Department of Defense opposed the idea for safety and security reasons. Read more
Senate passes one-year extension of federal highway bill Senate passes one-year extension of federal highway bill Measure included in action to prevent government shutdown Pam / Wednesday, September 30, 2020 0 7012 Article rating: No rating The Senate this evening approved a one-year extension of the federal highway bill, which would have expired at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday. The extension was included in a continuing resolution (CR) passed by both chambers to avert a government shutdown. The stopgap bill pushes the deadline to pass the yearly spending budgets for the federal government to Dec. 11. The Senate approved the action by an 84-10 vote. Read more
NHTSA declares October 'Pedestrian Safety Month' NHTSA declares October 'Pedestrian Safety Month' Goal is to encourage alertness by motorists Pam / Monday, September 28, 2020 0 6379 Article rating: No rating Pedestrians take the forefront in October with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) holding its first “Pedestrian Safety Month,” a national educational outreach to heighten awareness for motorists and pedestrians of all ages. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) held a Summit on Pedestrian Safety in July during which groups representing both pedestrian and bicyclist organizations took part. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety offers a “focused approach” program to target specific issues including pedestrian and bicyclist safety in jurisdictions across the nation. It offers examples of programs that have undertaken changes to target this issue. Read more
House passes stopgap funding bill including highway fund extension House passes stopgap funding bill including highway fund extension Senate expected to vote ahead of Sept. 30 deadline Pam / Wednesday, September 23, 2020 0 5274 Article rating: 5.0 The House of Representatives Tuesday night passed a stopgap funding measure that will keep the federal government fully operating beyond next Wednesday (Sept. 30). The measure included a one-year extension of the current federal highway bill that would have expired the same day. On Monday, House Democrats offered a Continuing Resolution to extend the highway fund by one year with $10.4 billion. If approved by the Senate, the extension would be a “straight” extension of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, better known as the FAST Act, meaning no increase in funding to existing programs. The proposal also would include funds needed to ensure the short-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), with a general fund transfer of $10.4 billion to the HTF, allocated for highways. The Senate is expected to vote next week ahead of the deadline. Read more
Highway bill extension included in House continuing resolution today Highway bill extension included in House continuing resolution today One-year extension part of House of Representatives proposal to avoid shutdown Pam / Monday, September 21, 2020 0 5666 Article rating: No rating Democrats in the House of Representatives today proposed a Continuing Resolution that includes a one-year extension of the current federal highway bill. The resolution is aimed at avoiding a federal government shutdown but included the highway bill, which is scheduled to expire on Sept. 30. The federal government shutdown could come in nine days without action. The proposal would fund the government through Dec. 11. If approved, the resolution would ensure that current transportation programs would not lapse on their expiration date of Oct. 1. Read more