The Nation

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) this week released the Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan (AVCP). The plan outlines the DOT’s multimodal “roadmap” to prepare the nation’s transportation system for the integration of automated driving systems (ADS). “This comprehensive plan lays out a vision for the safe integration of automated vehicles into America’s transportation system while ensuring that legitimate concerns about safety, security, and privacy are addressed,” said Elaine L. Chao, who served as Secretary of Transportation during the development of the AVCP. The AVCP defines three goals: Promote collaboration and transparency: USDOT will promote access to clear and reliable information to its partners and stakeholders, including the public, regarding the capabilities and limitations of ADS. Modernize the regulatory environment: USDOT will modernize regulations to remove unintended and unnecessary barriers to innovative vehicle designs, features, and operational models, and will develop safety focused frameworks and tools to assess the safe performance of ADS technologies. Prepare the transportation system: USDOT will conduct, in partnership with stakeholders, the foundational research and demonstration activities needed to safely evaluate and integrate ADS, while working to improve the safety, efficiency, and accessibility of the transportation system. In addition to passenger vehicles, the AVCP addresses automated trucking operations, currently in development, for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) equipped with Level 4 automation, under which the vehicle is capable of performing all driving tasks under specific circumstances using geofencing; human override of the system is still an option. The AVCP states, “In the context of ADS-equipped CMVs, FMCSA will continue to exercise its existing statutory authority over the safety of motor carriers operating in interstate commerce, the qualifications and safety of CMV drivers, and the safe operation of commercial trucks and motor coaches. FMCSA retains its authority to take enforcement action if an automated system inhibits safe operation.” Development of the AVCP was informed by extensive stakeholder engagement conducted over the last several years through events (in-person and virtual) and public notices. The AVCP will be published in the Federal Register for public review and comment; click here to view a PDF of the plan.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator (FMCSA) has named 25 commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers from all sectors of the industry to serve as a new panel to the Agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC), the agency announced Jan. 15. “FMCSA believes in listening to our drivers and hearing their concerns directly,” said Wiley Deck, deputy administrator of FMCSA. “We know that many of the solutions to the challenges we face don’t come from Washington—they come from the hard-working men and women who are behind the wheel all over our nation. This new subcommittee to MCSAC will further help us hear from America’s commercial drivers.” This new panel, led by Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), will provide direct feedback to FMCSA on important issues facing the driving community — such as safety, hours-of-service regulations, training, parking and driver experience. This new panel is comprised of 25 drivers from all sectors of the CMV industry, including tractor-trailer drivers, straight-truck drivers, motorcoach drivers, hazardous-materials drivers, agriculture haulers and more. According to a statement from FMCSA, the agent wants to hear directly from commercial drivers and then incorporate their opinions and concerns into FMCSA’s safety initiatives. The panelists include: Todd Spencer, OOIDA — Chair; William Bennett III, UPS Freight; Teddy Cranford, Waste Management of Maryland Inc.; Debra Desiderato, Walkabout Transport; Douglas Feathers, URS Midwest Inc.; Steve Fields, YRC Freight; JoAnne Forbes, MBT Worldwide Inc.; Gerald Fritts Jr., American Overland Freight; John Grosvenor, McKiernan Trucking; Attila Gyorfi, RSP Express Inc.; Scott Harrison, K Limited Carriers; Rhonda Hartman, Old Dominion Freight Lines; Darwin Hershberger; Hershberger Livestock LLC; Daniel Kobussen, Kobussen Buses Ltd.; Deb Labree, Castle Transport LLC; Alphonso Lewis, YRC Freight; Don Logan, FedEx Freight; Kellylynn McLaughlin, Schneider National Inc.; Tina Peterson, Ravenwood Transport; Stephen Pryor, Greyhound Lines Inc.; Kevin (Brandy) Russell, Transport America; Douglas Smith, Ralph Smith Co.; Kevin Steichen, Steichen Trucking; Angelique Temple, Atlantic Bulk Carrier; and Desirée Wood, Real Women in Trucking. To learn more about the MCSAC committee, click here.

MINNEAPOLIS — A slow-moving winter storm with gusty winds is whipping up blizzard conditions and causing hazardous travel in southwestern Minnesota and northeastern South Dakota. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for the region until 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15. Winds of 30 mph and gusting as high as 60 mph were creating whiteout conditions on area roadways. Forecasters are expecting up to 10 inches of snow along the Interstate 90 and Interstate 35 corridors, including Fairmont, Austin, Rochester and Faribault in Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Transportation reported numerous road closures because of whiteout conditions, including westbound I-90 west of Blue Earth overnight. The Minnesota State Patrol was responding to dozens of crashes and spinouts due to the storm. The Minnesota Department of Health closed COVID-19 testing facilities Friday in Mankato, Albert Lea, Morris, Hutchinson and Worthington because of the weather.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation on Jan. 14 provided a total of $40,255,750 in grants to five states to improve safety at the intersections of highways and rail lines cross. The grants, awarded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), will help commuter rail authorities in California, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington eliminate hazards at highway-railway crossings. “This $40 million in grants will help states improve safety at commuter rail crossings in rural and urban areas across America,” said Acting U.S. Transportation Secretary Steven Bradbury. The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020, appropriated $50 million in Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement (CARSI) Grants Program funding to be awarded by FHWA for highway-railway crossing-related projects, including those that separate or protect grades at crossings; rebuild existing railroad grade crossing structures; relocate highways to eliminate grade crossings; and eliminate hazards posed by blocked grade crossings due to idling trains. By statute, an eligible commuter authority must have experienced at least one accident investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) between Jan. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2018, and for which the NTSB issued an accident report. From 2010 to 2019, there was an increase in the number of incidents and fatalities at highway-railway crossing across the country. Over this 10-year period, the overall number of incidents and fatalities increased by 6.3% and 10.1% respectively, while the overall number of injuries declined by 10.5%. “The safety of those traveling on our nation’s roadways, including where those roads intersect with railways, is of paramount importance to the Federal Highway Administration,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Mala Parker. “These grants can help states save the lives of motorists and pedestrians at these crossings.” Allocations for the grant monies include: California ($14,771,250) The Southern California Regional Rail Authority, operator of Metrolink, the agency’s busiest commuter rail line, will improve safety at Tyler Avenue and at Cogswell Road in the city of El Monte in Los Angeles County by bringing at-grade highway-rail crossings up to current standards and adding pedestrian gates and right-of-way fencing. Massachusetts ($1 million) The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will relocate and reconstruct an existing transit station platform along a single track to eliminate delays at the station located on State Route 92 (Middlesex Avenue) in the town of Wilmington. New York ($19,728,000) The New York State Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Metro North Railroad (MNR) will improve safety at nine crossings along the MNR Harlem Line in Winchester, Dutchess and Putnam counties by upgrading or replacing existing at-grade crossing warning systems and reconstructing railroad crossing structures and approaches currently in place. Pennsylvania ($3,335,000) The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s Regional Rail Grade Crossing Safety Enhancements Program will install new gate systems at three crossings and pavement markings at 20 crossing locations in Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Washington ($1,421,500) The Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority will install new crossing gate arms, pedestrian signals, elevated concrete pedestrian pads and detectable warning devices and improve flashing-light signals at Seventh Street N.W. and Fifth Street N.W. in Puyallup. “Separation or protection of grades at crossings will not only improve and ensure the safety of rail passengers, pedestrians and motorists, but will also keep rail moving on time,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Ronald Batory. “We are committed along with our partners in FHWA and FRA to improving safety around highway-rail crossings,” said Deputy Federal Transit Administrator K. Jane Williams. “Today’s grant announcement will help ensure Americans are safe near rail crossings.” FHWA expects to issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity to initiate Round Two of the CARSI grant competition and invite eligible applicants to compete for the remaining CARSI funds in the coming months.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator (FMCSA) this week announced its 2021 members for the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC). The membership of the committee draws from candidates across all motor carrier stakeholders. “The MCSAC members provide invaluable insight into all parts of the motor carrier industry and are critical in shaping FMCSA’s priorities and initiatives, said Wiley Deck, acting deputy administrator of FMCSA. “The 2021 membership features a strong and diverse set of members from industry, safety, labor, and enforcement,” he continued. “We are particularly proud of the committee’s record number of female members for 2021. The agency looks forward to working with all committee members in the coming year and working to advance our shared safety goals.” FMCSA’s MCSAC committee provides advice and recommendations to the FMCSA administrator on motor carrier safety programs and motor carrier safety regulations. Initially chartered by the Secretary of Transportation in 2006, MCSAC membership is balanced and is composed of up to 25 experts from the motor carrier safety advocacy, safety enforcement, industry and labor sectors. Members, who are recommended by FMCSA’s administrator and appointed by the Secretary of Transportation for two-year terms, are chosen from a field of qualified candidates who possess a wide range of motor carrier experience and expertise. The 2021 membership includes a record number of women, including Jennifer Hall, general counsel for the American Trucking Associations, who is scheduled to serve as the committee’s first female vice chair and is in line to assume the chairmanship in 2022. Hall will serve alongside 2021 MCSAC chair LaMont Byrd, director of safety and health for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. “For more than 15 years, the MCSAC has played an important role in advising FMCSA and shaping the federal government’s approach to improving the safety of the trucking industry and highways generally,” Hall said in a statement. “I’ve been privileged to be a part of this committee for nearly five years and I’m honored to be chosen as its vice chair. I look forward to continuing the committee’s important work and providing important perspective on behalf of ATA and the trucking industry.” Other 2021 MCSAC members include: Michael Bray, chief commercial officer, GM Commercial Transportation (Industry). Adrienne Gildea, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (Enforcement). Bruce Hamilton, international vice president, Amalgamated Transit Union (Labor). David Heller, vice president of government affairs, Truckload Carriers Association (Industry). David Huneryager, president and CEO, Tennessee Trucking Association (Industry). Peter Kurdock, general counsel, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Safety). Jerrold (Jerry) Langer, director of sales and marketing and chief commercial officer, Langer Transport Corporation (Industry). John Lannen, principal, Institute for Safer Trucking. Dawn King, president, Truck Safety Coalition (Safety). Siddarth Mahant, owner, Mahant Transportation, LLC (Industry). Jane Mathis, Parents Against Tired Truckers (Safety). Jaime Maus, vice president of safety and compliance, Werner Enterprises (Industry). Stephen C. Owings, Road Safe America (Safety). Peter Pantuso, American Bus Association, Washington, D.C. (Industry). Travis Plotzer, captain, Tennessee Highway Patrol (Enforcement). Danny Schnautz, Clark Freight Lines Inc., Pasadena, TX (Industry). Holly Skaar, Idaho State Police/Commercial Vehicle Safety (Enforcement). Todd Spencer, Owner-Operator Independent Driver’s Association (Industry). Tami Friedrich Trakh, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (Safety). Christopher Treml, director of construction training, International Union of Operating Engineers (Labor). Ellen Voie, president, CEO and founder, Women In Trucking (Industry). Greer Woodruff, J.B. Hunt Transport (Industry). Andrew Young, managing partner, The Law Firm for Truck Safety (Safety). To learn more about FMCSA’s MCSAC committee, click here.

WESTLAKE, Ohio — TravelCenters of America Inc., nationwide operator of the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express travel center network, has opened a new TA Travel Center to serve professional drivers and other motorists in Huntington, Oregon. The new 12,000-square-foot facility, located off Interstate 84 at exit 353, will operate under the ownership of franchisee Karam Singh. “The TA brand already has the trust of professional drivers, and being part of the family means I can offer things like TA’s loyalty rewards and fueling discounts,” Singh said. “I’m looking forward to becoming part of this community, bringing new jobs to the area and offering drivers a new place that is like home.” Amenities at TA’s new Huntington location include: Restaurants: Champs Chicken, Naughty Chile Taqueria and (opening soon) Huntington Bar and Grill; 150 truck parking spaces; 40 car parking spaces; Eight diesel fueling positions; 12 gasoline fueling positions; Six showers; Fitness room; Travel store with fresh deli options; Driver lounge; Laundry facilities; Transflo scanning; and A TA Truck Service center (opening planned for next year). “There is a need for our services on this busy stretch of highway in Oregon,” said Barry Richards, president of TA. “We share Karam’s excitement to become part of the community and provide a new place for drivers to find comfort while they’re on the road and away from home.” TA Huntington is the company’s sixth location in Oregon and expands the total nationwide network of travel centers to 272.

WASHINGTON — In the wake of the resignation of former Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao, Steven G. Bradbury has been named Acting Secretary of Transportation, effective Jan. 12, 2021. Bradbury was sworn in as the 23rd General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Transportation on Nov. 28, 2017. Since Sept. 10, 2019, he has performed the functions and duties of the Office of Deputy Secretary of Transportation, as authorized by President Donald Trump. As Acting Secretary, Bradbury leads the DOT’s activities and its more than 55,000 employees and $87 billion budget. As the DOT’s chief legal officer, Bradbury has the authority to resolve all legal questions concerning department policies and programs and oversees the activities of the department’s lawyers, safeguarding the integrity of the decision-making process, and ensuring compliance with applicable laws. Bradbury issued the following statement to DOT staff on Jan. 12: Dear DOT Colleagues: In accordance with the Department’s established order of succession, I assumed the duties of Acting Secretary of Transportation this morning. Our focus in the final days of the current Administration is to keep the Department under steady leadership and ensure an orderly transfer of power to the incoming team on January 20th. While the past week in Washington has been fraught and tumultuous, it remains a distinct honor and privilege to work for the American people in this great Department, and I am deeply gratified to serve with you as part of our DOT family. Thank you for everything you do every day to advance the important mission of DOT! Let me take this opportunity, as well, to thank Secretary Chao for her tremendous service to the Department and the Nation. Under her strong leadership this past four years, supported by the tireless efforts and dedication of the men and women of DOT, we have accomplished much: We have advanced the safety of our Nation’s transportation systems, helped pave the way for the future of mobility, strengthened America’s infrastructure, and provided effective assistance in response to the COVID public health emergency. All of us share in these accomplishments, and we wish Secretary Chao success and happiness in her future endeavors. All the best to you and your families! Steve Bradbury, Acting Secretary and General Counsel

LINCOLN COUNTY, Oregon — The Oregon State Police is asking for help from the public in identifying the body of a child that was found at the heavily wooded Van Duzer Rest Area on State Highway 18 in Lincoln County on Dec. 10, 2020. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office estimates the deceased’s age to be 6.5 to 10 years old. She was between 3 feet, 10 inches and 4 feet, 6 inches tall and had long hair that is dark brown or black. Her race or ethnic origin has not determined; but DNA analysis is not complete. Officials estimate the child had been dead for at least 30 days before the body was discovered. The above sketch was compiled by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. The manner and cause of the child’s death has not been determined. Any clues as to the child’s identity or the circumstances surrounding her death should be reported to the Oregon State Police at 800-442-0776. To date, more than 150 tips have been received from citizens in the U.S. and Canada. The Oregon State Police, in partnership with the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and numerous state and local agencies across the U.S., are using a variety of means to include or exclude known missing persons who match the general description and/or sketch above. In an effort to refocus the public’s attention and reduce duplicative tips, authorities have excluded the following reported missing children from the investigation: Dulce Alavez, age 6, from Bridgeton, New Jersey; Addyson Gibson, age 12, from Portland, Oregon; Noelle Johnson, age 7, from Portland, Oregon; Niayah Bylenga (AKA Niayah Crawford), age 7, from Pendleton, Washington, or Ritzville, Washington; Tarie Price, age 8, from Gretna, Nebraska; and Breasia Terrell, age 10, from Davenport, Iowa. While these six children have been excluded from the Oregon investigation, they are all still missing; the public is encouraged to be vigilant in looking for these children, and all other missing persons reported across the U.S.

LAREDO, Texas — Agents with Laredo Sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection last week stopped a human-smuggling attempt involving a tractor hauling a refrigerated trailer. During the early morning hours of Jan. 6, a commercial refrigerated tractor-trailer approached the Interstate 35 checkpoint. During the initial inspection, a service K-9 alerted agents’ attention to the vehicle. Agents referred the driver for secondary inspection; however, the driver attempted to exit the checkpoint onto I-35 northbound. The tractor-trailer was stopped north of the checkpoint and escorted back, where a search revealed 126 people hidden inside the trailer. None of the 126 people were wearing personal protective equipment (PPE); they were all medically screened and provided with PPE. The 126 individuals were determined to be in the United States illegally from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Ecuador. They were placed under arrest along with the driver, a U.S. citizen, pending further investigation by Special Agents of Homeland Security Investigations. The U.S. Border Patrol seized both the tractor and trailer.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced today (Jan. 7) that she is resigning from her post as the head of the nation’s Department of Transportation effective Monday, Jan. 11. In a statement posted on Twitter, Chao cited yesterday’s incident at the U.S. Capitol, where pro-Trump protestors stormed the building, as her reason for the resignation. “Yesterday, our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the president stormed the Capitol building following a rally he addressed. As I’m sure is the case with many of you, it has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside,” the statement read. The statement continued, stating that the department will help the announced successor, Pete Buttigieg, “with taking on the responsibility of running this wonderful department.” Chao is one of the Cabinet members who has served the entire four years of the Trump administration. She is in her second stint as a member of a presidential Cabinet, having served as Secretary of Labor under George W. Bush, and was the only member of the Cabinet to serve for the entirety of Bush’s term. She was the first Asian-American woman to be appointed to a presidential Cabinet in American history. Chao is the highest-ranking member of the Trump administration yet to resign following the violence at the Capitol. Other members of the administration who have resigned since the incident at the capitol include Stephanie Grisham, chief of staff to first lady Melania Trump; Sarah Matthews, a deputy press secretary; and Matt Pottinger, the deputy national security adviser. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the U.S. Department of Transportation. pic.twitter.com/rFxPsBoh6t — Sec. Elaine Chao (@SecElaineChao) January 7, 2021