The Nation

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has earned three first-place regional awards in the 2020 America’s Transportation Awards for improvement projects, including the new Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway in the Phoenix area. America’s Transportation Awards is a national competition that focuses on efforts to strengthen communities, improve quality of life and foster a more efficient economy. The awards are sponsored by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHTO), AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “ADOT is a national model for efficiency and innovation,” said Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey. “The recent Loop 202 South Mountain project was the largest single freeway project in state history, and it finished three years early with $100 million in savings. I’m grateful for ADOT’s work and the value they provide Arizonans.” The 2020 America’s Transportation Awards recognized the following ADOT projects in the competition’s three categories: Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway: First Place in “Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Large Project.” ADOT used the public-private partnership method to hire a developer to design and build the 22-mile South Mountain Freeway as a single project rather than splitting it into several smaller projects. Part of a total investment of $2 billion, the 22-mile South Mountain Freeway opened to traffic in December 2019. The freeway provides a much-needed new connection between the state’s East and West Valley regions. Innovations include the developer remaining responsible for maintenance of the freeway for 30 years, providing a win-win partnership for taxpayers, motorists and ADOT. Interstate 10/State Route 87 Improvement Project, including Dust Detection: First Place in “Operations Excellence, Medium Project.” With a focus on safety and improved traffic flow, ADOT completed much-needed third lanes in November 2019 while realigning and reconstructing a 4-mile stretch of I-10 near Eloy, midway between Phoenix and Tucson. A modernized interchange now connects I-10 and State Highway 87. The $72 million project also features a first-of-its-kind dust-detection system — with weather radar, digital variable speed limit signs, closed-circuit cameras and short-range detectors — along a 10-mile stretch of I-10 near Picacho Peak. The system is designed to warn drivers, encourage them to slow down in poor conditions and reduce the risk of serious crashes that can occur in a region known for severe dust storms. State Route 347 Overpass at Union Pacific Railroad: First Place in “Quality of Life/Community Development.” ADOT opened the new six-lane divided highway overpass to improve State Highway 347 traffic flow above the Union Pacific tracks in July 2019. ADOT partnered with the city of Maricopa, Ak-Chin Indian Community and the Federal Highway Administration on the $24 million project to prevent traffic on State Highway 347 in Maricopa from waiting for moving or stopped trains multiple times each day. The overpass has sparked nearby commercial development and job creation while creating a safer way for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers to get over the tracks. “Arizonans can be proud of investing in projects that are judged to be among the best in the country,” said John Halikowski, ADOT director. “ADOT is focused on safety improvements, moving people and products more efficiently and strengthening the communities and regions we partner with. These awards are a testament to those efforts.” All three ADOT projects will now be considered for selection as one of the “Top 12” in the national competition sponsored by AASHTO, AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

VISALIA, Calif. — In what could be called the “Great Pistachio Caper of 2020,” detectives with California’s Tulare County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) recovered stolen pistachios and trailers valued at more than $300,000. According to an Aug. 26 Facebook post by TCSO, around noon Aug. 14, detectives with the department’s ag unit were called to Setton Pistachio, a food-processing company in Terra Bella, California, to investigate a possible cargo theft. Upon arrival at the company, detectives learned that the suspects posed as representatives of a legitimate trucking company, using the company name to secure contracts for the delivery of two tractor-trailer loads of pistachios valued at more than $294,000. Instead of delivering the product to the intended recipients, however, the suspects took the pistachios to an abandoned property in Selma, California, where they removed the nuts from the packaging. They then sold the product to an unsuspecting buyer in Madera County, California. As the investigation unfolded, detective discovered that the suspects had developed an elaborate scheme to carry out their plan. The scheme included the suspects using a semi truck and stealing two trailers from a Fresno business. Unfortunately for the perpetrators, those trailers were equipped with real time GPS. When ag unit detectives alerted the owner of the trucking company to the thefts, they were able to track down the suspects —in addition to all the pistachios and the two stolen trailers. The crime scenes in the case spanned three counties. With help from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the Fresno Police Department and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, TCSO detectives identified 23-year-old Bhavna Singh Sekon of Fresno, California, as one of the people responsible for the theft. Sekon was found at his home, taken into custody and booked into the Tulare County Pre-Trial Facility on charges of grand theft, looting, identity theft and conspiracy. Additional arrests are anticipated. Additional evidence linking Sekon to the thefts was found at his house. In total, TCSO detectives recovered $294,000 in pistachios and $60,000 in trailers. Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact TCSO’s Detective Bryan De Haan or Sgt. Bryan Clower at the sheriff’s department by calling 800-808-0488, or via text or voicemail at 559-725-4194. Tips can also be submitted via email at [email protected].

BISMARK, N.D. — Highway safety corridors created by the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) earned the Operations in Excellence Award in the “small” (projects costing less than $25 million) category of America’s Transportation Awards. The awards are sponsored by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHTO), AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. NDDOT received regional recognition for providing solutions that increase safety and save lives, plus deliver a more reliable, well-functioning and safer transportation system through operational solutions. The NDDOT competed in the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO) region, which featured 30 projects from 15 states. “Safety is our No. 1 priority as we invest in additional safety features on our highways to reach the goal of Vision Zero,” said Bill Panos, NDDOT director. “It is nice to be recognized for this project, but our work isn’t done. We will continue to look for ways to improve the safety of our state highway system.” A safety corridor is a designated section of highway that includes enhanced safety features and an increase in law enforcement to remind drivers that they are responsible for obeying all traffic laws and posted speed limits. When traveling along a safety corridor, drivers may notice additional signage indicating reduced speed, no-passing zones, information about road conditions, and reminders to buckle up, drive sober and distraction free. In addition to these signs, pavement markings will be more visible, especially in dark or wet conditions. North Dakota’s safety corridors include: S. 52: A 35-mile corridor extends from Brooks Junction to Velva. S. 83: A 36-mile corridor extends from Bismarck to Washburn. S. 85: A 14-mile corridor extends from Watford City to State Highway 68. For more information about North Dakota’s safety corridors and NDDOT’s mission to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries caused by motor-vehicle crashes, visit the Vision Zero website.

KIRKLAND, Wash. — After an official tree-cutting in western Colorado, a Kenworth T680 will be used to transport the 56th U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree to the tree-lighting ceremony in Washington, D.C. This year’s tree, expected to be an Engelmann Spruce, will come from western Colorado’s Grand Mesa, Uncompaghre and Gunnison National Forests. “It is an honor for Kenworth to participate in this important annual American tradition and provide a Kenworth truck to deliver the ‘The People’s Tree’ for the seventh consecutive year,” said Laura Bloch, Kenworth’s assistant general manager for sales and marketing. The Kenworth T680 that will be used to transport the tree is equipped with a 76-inch sleeper and the PACCAR Powertrain featuring the 455-hp PACCAR MX-13 engine, PACCAR 12-speed automated transmission and PACCAR 40K tandem rear axles. The truck also features the Kenworth Diamond VIT interior, premium Kenworth GT703 seats, predictive cruise control, the Kenworth Nav+HD system, a liftable lower bunk and a stowable upper bunk, and Kenworth TruckTech+ Remote Diagnostics. Colorado-based Apex Transportation will use the Kenworth T680 to transport “The People’s Tree” from the national forests to its final destination on the on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. “It is a very special privilege for Apex Transportation to be selected to carry the 2020 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, and to represent the state of Colorado during the tree’s journey to Washington, D.C.,” said Walt Schattinger, president of Apex Transportation in Henderson, Colorado. The decorating theme for this year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is “Experiencing Your Nature.” Choose Outdoors, a nonprofit organization that works with the U.S. Forest Service to promote outdoor recreation and public access to federal lands for recreation, assists with coordinating the annual tour. Coloradans are expected to contribute as many a s10,000 handmade ornaments that capture the spirit of Colorado’s colorful scenery and culturally rich and diverse population.

DOVER, Del. — The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) earned regional recognition for its U.S. 301 Mainline Project in the 2020 America’s Transportation Awards. “This was a project that was decades in the making, and we are grateful to be recognized for the completed project that is the result of hard work by so many,” said Jennifer Cohan, Delaware’s secretary of transportation. In the America’s Transportation Awards competition, sponsored by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, state DOTs compete in three categories, including Quality of Life/Community Development, Best Use of Technology and Innovation, and Operations Excellence. DelDOT was honored for delivering a more reliable, well-functioning and safer transportation system through operation solutions for the U.S. 301 Mainline Project. The $636 million project bypasses 29 intersections and reduces congestion in the growing Middletown area while supporting approved and proposed economic development in southern New Castle County. The project opened to traffic in January 2019. Through its first full year of operation, more than 6.2 million trips were made on the new US 301 mainline. “Constituents all throughout the Middletown area have experienced the benefit that the new U.S. 301 bypass has provided, and the amount of truck traffic that was once on our local roads has decreased significantly,” said state Rep. Quinn Johnson (Dist. 8). The three highest-scoring projects from each regional competition earned a place on a Top 12 list of projects that will be eligible for the national grand prize, selected by an independent panel of industry judges, and the People’s Choice Award, chosen by the general public. Each national winner will receive a $10,000 cash award to be donated to a charity or scholarship of the state DOT’s choosing. Click here to learn more about this year’s nominees and to view the awards presentation.

PADUCAH, Ky. — The U.S. 51 Ohio River Cairo Bridge will reopen to one-lane traffic on Wednesday, Aug. 26, five days ahead of schedule, according to a contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). The bridge is about 5 miles north of Wickliffe at Kentucky mile point 7.372. The bridge is expected to open at approximately 3 p.m. local time, but KYTC notes that the time could change based on the addition of new pavement striping and other factors. While the bridge is expected to reopen Wednesday, it will continue to be restricted to one-lane traffic with alternating flow controlled by an automated signal until around Oct. 1. The bridge will also have a strictly enforced 8-foot, 6-inch load-width restriction. The Cairo bridge serves as a north-south connection for U.S. 51, as well as an east-west transportation corridor for U.S. 60 and U.S. 62. The bridge carries about 7,000 vehicles per day between Kentucky and Illinois; almost 35% of that traffic is commercial trucks. KYTC District 1 Chief Engineer Kyle Poat thanked area commuters and cross-country travelers for their patience during the extended closure. “We appreciate the hardship our commuters and other travelers have endured. Drivers are going to need additional patience as the work continues,” he said “We will continue to have workers on the bridge deck in close proximity to traffic flow. It’s important to obey the work-zone speed limit and use extra caution as work continues.” Poat also expressed his appreciation to the contractor, Intech Contracting LLC, for completing the Kentucky approach work ahead of schedule. The bridge, which closed to all traffic Aug. 1, was expected to remain fully closed through Aug. 31, creating an 80-mile detour for motorists. Motorists and truckers who adjusted their travel route before arriving at the bridge faced a shorter alternate route via the Interstate 24 Ohio River Bridge at Paducah-Metropolis. The closure also tripled the number of vehicle crossings on the Dorena-Hickman Ferry. In addition to allowing extensive maintenance work along almost 2 miles of the Kentucky approach embankment, the extended closure also helped accelerate deck and joint work on the bridge. “As one-lane traffic resumes, commuters, travelers and truckers will find an improved concrete driving surface along almost 2 miles of the Kentucky roadway approach embankment between the Willow Slough ‘Mile Long’ Bridge and the Minor Slough Bridge,” Poat said. “Several years with extended periods of high river levels have not been kind to the earthen roadway structure that was constructed in the mid-1930s. KYTC crews had worked to reinforce the roadway embankment during the last two years, but some additional work was required. Applying a concrete driving surface and finishing out the shoulder area with millings is expected to help the earthworks better withstand future floods and maintain the reliability of this important river crossing.” Poat also noted that there will be some additional asphalt paving along the Kentucky approach between the Minor Slough bridge and the main bridge the week before Labor Day. That work could raise the driving surface elevation as much as 15 inches in some low spots, helping reduce the likelihood and length of closures during extreme flood conditions. This paving work will be completed in short sections with one-lane traffic controlled by flaggers; a more specific traffic advisory will be issued before the work starts.

TRENTON, N.J. — Two projects undertaken by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) have been named regional winners in the 2020 America’s Transportation Awards competition, according to Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, NJDOT commissioner. America’s Transportation Awards competition sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is a competition in which state DOTs compete in three categories — Quality of Life/Community Development, Best Use of Technology and Innovation, and Operations Excellence. Each category is also designated by project budget size — small (less than $25 million), medium ($25 million to $200 million) and large (more than $200 million). Projects are judged in 12 regions; regional winners will compete for the national grand prize, the People’s Choice Award and $10,000 in cash awards that will be donated by the winners to a transportation-related charity or scholarship program of their choosing. New Jersey received honors for the following Medium Category projects in the “medium” budget category: Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges Project Contract 4: Best in Quality of Life/Community Development category; and Route 280, Route 21 Interchange Improvements Project: Best in Operations Excellence category. “These awards recognize the outstanding efforts of the men and women of the New Jersey Department of Transportation and our contractors to deliver projects that create safer roadways and enrich our communities,” Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “These projects demonstrate how New Jersey is leading the way in delivering transportation projects that improve our infrastructure and enhance the quality of life in our state.” Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges Project Contract 4 is part of the $312 million federally funded Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges Project that is improving a 3-mile stretch of State Route 72 from Marsha Drive in Stafford to Long Beach Boulevard in Ship Bottom. The project is being advanced through a series of five contracts to improve the Route 72 Causeway, a vital connector between Long Beach Island and Stafford Township. Four out of five contracts are complete. The final contract is expected to begin this fall and be completed in 2022. The overall project includes a new 2,400-foot-long bridge, completed in 2016, which sits parallel to the Old Causeway Bridge that was reconstructed in Contract 4. In addition to constructing a new parallel bridge and reconstructing the existing bridge, the project rehabilitated three trestle bridges and included environmental mitigation on Cedar Bonnet Island. For the $91 million Contract 4, George Harms Construction Co. used an innovative approach to reconstruct the Old Causeway Bridge that saved time and money, and resulted in reopening the bridge a year early. This contract began in the fall of 2016 and completed in June 2019. In 2019, Contract 5, the Cedar Bonnet Island Habitat Restoration and Management Plan, received the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Environmental Excellence Award. Under the $9.6 million federal and state-funded environmental mitigation work, NJDOT and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) created an environmental trail providing the first public access to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge on Cedar Bonnet Island, and used an innovative approach to help improve Barnegat Bay water quality while meeting DEP Stormwater Management (SWM) Rules. Route 280, Route 21 Interchange Improvements Project The $95 million federally funded Route 280, Route 21 Interchange Improvements project was a complex urban interchange reconstruction project in the city of Newark. The project, begun in September 2015 and completed in early 2019, involved repairing deteriorating ramp and mainline structures, and building new ramps to provide a fully integrated interchange between I-280 and Route 21. The project built four new bridges, rehabilitated two additional bridges within the interchange, and upgraded existing infrastructure, such as highway lighting, traffic signals, signing and landscaping. To improve traffic flow, the project also eliminated two direct ramps onto I-280 and constructed shoulders to widen the lanes. The project helped Newark alleviate congestion in the highly trafficked area at the interchange, improved safety, and promoted the economic growth of the city. The new ramps from Route 21 to I-280 eastbound and westbound, and from Broad Street/State Street to I-280 eastbound were completed and opened to traffic in November 2018, and the entire project was completed in the early 2019.

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Illinois and Missouri’s partnership that replaced the 92-year-old Champ Clark Bridge over the Mississippi River has earned the two states a regional transportation award for the second year in a row. Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said the regional transportation award for Midwest states comes from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The bridge connecting the two states along U.S. 54 took top honors in the “Quality of Life/Community Development, Medium Project” category. Illinois and Missouri shared the cost of the $60 million bridge, which links Louisiana, Missouri and Pike County in Illinois, about 90 miles northwest of St. Louis. The project doubled the width of the original bridge and eliminated a 40-ton weight restriction while adding lanes for bikes and pedestrians. The first bridge was built in 1928 and honors James Beauchamp Clark of Bowling Green, Missouri, who was U.S. House Speaker from 1911-1919. The last of the original span was demolished in November 2019.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Executive Committee on Aug. 19 voted to bring the moving and storage industry into ATA as part of two newly created groups, the Moving & Storage Conference and the Moving & Storage Council. “ATA was honored that leaders in the moving and storage industry would consider joining our federation as a conference, and today’s vote is the next step in that process,” said Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO. “By welcoming these leaders into the ATA family, we will be in a stronger position to represent the interests of our industry at both the state and federal level. This new, larger and stronger organization will be better able to serve our members.” Randy Guillot, ATA chairman and president of Triple G Express and Southeastern Motor Freight, joined Spear in applauding the addition of the moving and storage industry to the association. “(This) announcement is the start of an exciting new chapter, as we welcome members of the moving and storage industry into the ATA federation,” Guillot said. “In joining with this critical industry sector, we look forward to strengthening our combined reach and impact.” A transition team of leaders from ATA and American Moving and Storage Association will guide the process of creating the new Moving & Storage Conference for motor carriers over the next several weeks and months. In addition, ATA will create a new Moving & Storage Council to provide training, certification and leadership programs for individuals in the moving industry. “The opportunity to join the ATA federation will benefit small and independent moving and storage companies as well as large van lines,” Said Bill Paxton, chief operating officer of Paxton Van Lines. “The moving and storage industry shares ATA’s commitment to advocate for highway safety before members of Congress and regulatory agencies. Bringing the moving industry into the ATA federation will strengthen its reach and impact.”

NEWARK, N.J. — Traffic on some major U.S. toll roads has rebounded from lows reached during the height of the coronavirus pandemic but the range of the recovery varies widely in different parts of the country, according to a survey released Aug. 20. The International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA), an organization of owners and operators of toll facilities, compared traffic volume statistics for late March and early April, when the pandemic was peaking, to a year earlier. It then revisited those statistics in the first week of August. “Transportation has seen many catastrophic events in our history, from the 1989 Bay Area Earthquake to September 11th and Superstorm Sandy, but the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on transportation systems across the globe is a different beast altogether,” said Patrick D. Jones, executive director of IBTTA. Highlights from the survey include: Among those surveyed, the Ohio Turnpike and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey showed the strongest recovery, with Ohio going from a 49% decrease in early April — which later reached as high as 70% for non-truck traffic — to 16% for August 1-7, compared to 2019. Officials credited truck traffic delivering essential goods. The Port Authority, which operates bridges and tunnels in the New York City region, went from a 65% decrease in April to a 14% decrease in August. Georgia’s State Road and Tollway Authority, which manages toll collection on roads including Interstate 75 and Interstate 85, reported the steepest decrease — 79% in early April. Traffic volume remained down 53% in the first week of August, officials told the survey. New Jersey’s two north-south toll roads, the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, showed decreases of 69% and 64%, respectively, in April. By August, traffic was down by 27% on the Turnpike and 23% on the Parkway. The Atlantic City Expressway, a popular route for beach and casino visitors, remained 25% behind 2019 for the first week of August. Traffic on the Pennsylvania Turnpike went from a 63% decrease in April to a 23% decrease in August, with traffic revenues currently down about 27%. Turnpike Commission CEO Mark Compton told surveyors it may take two years for revenues to recover, and four to five years for traffic volume. In California, the San Francisco Bay Area Toll Authority reported a 22% traffic volume decrease in early August, compared with a 56% decrease in April. The Irvine-based Transportation Corridor Agencies, which operate 51 miles of state toll roads in Orange County, saw weekly transactions of 1.9 million drop by 66% in April. By this month, they had recovered to approximately 1.3 million. Colorado’s E-470 Public Highway Authority, which operates toll roads in the Denver area, experienced a 70% drop in early April and has slashed its capital and operating budgets and delayed some 2020 projects to next year or beyond, officials said. Traffic volume in early August showed a 37% decrease from 2019.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Intermodal Motor Carrier Conference (IMCC) this week filed suit with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC). The suit alleges that foreign-owned ocean shipping lines engaged in unjust and unreasonable conduct in violation of the U.S. Shipping Act, and that those unlawful actions have resulted in overcharges for truckers and their customers for intermodal container chassis at ports and inland terminals throughout the United States. “For more than a decade, these foreign-owned companies have worked together to take advantage of hard-working American trucking companies,” said Bill Sullivan, ATA’s executive vice president for advocacy. “By denying truckers choice of equipment providers at port and inland locations, these unscrupulous companies have been forcing American truckers and American consumers to subsidize their costs to the tune of nearly $1.8 billion — over the last three years alone,” he continued. “This must end, and after several attempts to come to a mutually beneficial resolution, we are now asking the FMC to resolve it.” IMCC filed its complaint with the FMC Aug. 17, alleging that the Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association (OCEMA) and 11 ocean carriers have denied trucking companies the right of choice when leasing essential equipment, forcing unjust and unreasonable prices upon trucking companies. In an attempt to avoid legal action, IMCC sent a cease and desist letter to OCEMA in May. ATA says OCEMA failed to address the violations that were raised in the letter. “By denying motor carriers their choice of chassis provider to haul goods in and out of ports, OCEMA’s overseas members have held US motor carriers hostage and forced them to subsidize the shipping lines,” said Randy Guillot, ATA Chairman and president of Triple G Express and Southeastern Motor Freight. “So far OCEMA and its members have rejected all of our attempts to reach a fair and equitable arrangement, but we believe they’ll have less success ignoring the FMC.” In its complaint, the IMCC outlines a number of ongoing violations of the Shipping Act and is seeking injunctive relief against OCEMA and the shipping lines. To view the document, click here.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Commuters and residents in Charlotte, North Carolina, can anticipate road closures and delays as early as 6 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, as organizers prepare for the Aug. 24 kickoff of the Republican National Convention, according to the U.S. Secret Service. Road and interstate-ramp closures around the Charlotte Convention Center will include: Southbound Interstate 277 exit ramp onto South College Street; South College Street between West Morehead Street and East Hill Street; South College Street between the Westin Hotel and Third Street; South Brevard Street between East Stonewall Street and Third Street; East Stonewall Street between the Harvey Gant Building and South Caldwell Street; East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, from the middle of the block between South Tryon Street and South College Street and South Caldwell Street; and All alleyways and internal roadways within the above defined area. The areas listed above, as well as other areas around the convention center, will be posted with “Emergency No Parking” signage beginning Friday, Aug. 21. The road closures will go into effect at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, and will be lifted no later than 6 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25. Closures will be conducted by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) and the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT). The implementation of closures will be staggered based on the progress of the work teams in placing equipment. Areas that will NOT affected by road closures include: Interstate 277 lanes in both directions; On ramp to Interstate 277 North from South Boulevard/South Caldwell Street; South Caldwell Street, both directions; and South Church Street. Additions or updates to this plan may be made prior to the start of the event and will be announced on Twitter by @RNC_Security. All security and transportation plans have been developed in partnership with local and federal law enforcement and public safety agencies.