TTD in the news

An appeals court has rejected the Trump administration’s decision to drop a proposal to require freight trains to have at least two crew members, a plan that was drafted after several fiery crude oil train derailments.

The ruling Tuesday from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will likely make it harder for the railroad industry to reduce the number of crew members in most trains from two to just one. It opens the door for states to require two-man crews on freight trains that haul crude oil, ethanol and other hazardous commodities.

The court ruled that the Federal Railroad Administration acted arbitrarily when it dropped the safety measure President Barack Obama’s administration drafted in response to explosions of crude oil trains in the United States and Canada. The FRA said in 2019 that safety data didn’t support requiring two-man crews on all freight trains.

As Reported by Michael Laris for The Washington Post Bus passengers in Oklahoma City were first required to wear a mask in July to blunt the spread of the coronavirus. But the city’s small transit agency was hesitant to enforce it, partly out of fear of jeopardizing its relationship with the federal government, which helps […]

As Reported by Jessica Wehrman for Roll Call Pete Buttigieg, who was confirmed Tuesday as secretary of Transportation, has a pretty full plate that includes a transportation system pummeled by the COVID-19 pandemic and a possible infrastructure bill. But one of his tasks will be to finally implement parts of a law that passed months […]

As Reported by Tanya Snyder, Sam Mintz and Stephanie Beasley for Politico Pete Buttigieg will be the next Transportation secretary, bringing his political celebrity and legion of super fans to a mammoth agency that’s not used to headlines — unless they’re jokes about “Infrastructure Week.” After four years of leadership under former President Donald Trump’s […]

As Reported by Chris Teale for Smart Cities Dive New York’s transit stations will glow this week with the memory of 136 passed Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) workers who lost their lives to the COVID-19 virus. “Travels Far,” an eight-minute video memorializing the MTA workers, friends and colleagues, will play on digital screens across more […]

As Reported by Mischa Wanek-Libman for Mass Transit Users of surface transportation modes within the United States will be required to properly wear face masks starting at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published an order late Friday night outlining the mask requirements for people inside transportation hubs, […]

As Reported by Kevin Shalvey for Business Insider A coalition of aviation unions has asked congress for a $15 billion extension for a furlough protection program, warning a lack of funding would lead to layoffs. The funding would extend the current Payroll Support Program through September 30. Otherwise, it would expire on March 31. “Without […]

Reported by Barry Parker for Seatrade Maritime News As the Biden administration settles into place, infrastructure will be high on the list of priorities. When he was Vice President, under Barack Obama, Biden had addressed the 2014 American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) annual convention; in his keynote speech, he stressed the importance of infrastructure […]

As Reported by Jessica Wehrman for CQ-Roll Call and Aviation Pros One of the first tasks President-elect Joe Biden will face when he assumes office will be to bring back an economy crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the hardest-hit industries: travel. The U.S. travel economy has lost about $500 billion since the pandemic began […]

As Reported by Keith Laing for Bloomberg The elevation of New York Senator Chuck Schumer to majority leader of the U.S. Senate has backers of the proposed Gateway rail tunnel to link New York and New Jersey hoping it’s back on track. Schumer has long been a supporter of the $11 billion project, which has […]