Federal Highway Administration
Basics
Is Portland’s ‘Congestion Pricing’ Plan Any Good?
Portland wants to put a price on driving on downtown freeways at rush hour. But it will need the Feds' approval.
December 20, 2018
Will Any Infrastructure Bill Be Worth Supporting?
The day after the election a key Democrat promised a big spending package. But will it do more harm than good?
November 12, 2018
FHWA’s New Goal: Eliminating Pedestrian and Cyclist Deaths in America
The Federal Highway Administration wants to eliminate pedestrian and cyclist fatalities "in the next 20 to 30 years." In a new strategic plan [PDF], the agency calls for reducing serious injuries and deaths 80 percent in the next 15 years, which would be an intermediate goal on the way to zero.
September 15, 2016
Will U.S. DOT Get Serious About Climate Change? Here’s Cause for Optimism.
Last fall, national environmental advocates sat down with officials from U.S. DOT to talk about how federal transportation policy can address climate change.
June 3, 2016
It Just Got Easier for Cities to Design Walkable, Bikeable Streets
We probably haven't seen the last of engineers who insist on designing local streets like surface highways. But at least now they can't claim their hands are tied by federal regulations.
May 13, 2016
Why Federal Efforts to Link Transportation to Climate Change Matter
Cross posted from the Frontier Group.
April 26, 2016
U.S. DOT Blows Chance to Reform the City-Killing, Planet-Broiling Status Quo
The Obama administration purportedly wants to use the lever of transportation policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx recently said he'd like to reverse the damage highways caused in urban neighborhoods, but you'd never know that by looking at U.S. DOT's latest policy prescription.
April 19, 2016
The Feds Want to Reform the Cult of “Level of Service”
"What you measure is what you get," the saying goes.
January 28, 2016
Tell FHWA You Want Safer Designs for City Streets
Earlier this fall, the Federal Highway Administration proposed a major policy change: Instead of requiring roads that receive federal funding to be designed like highways, the agency would change its standards to allow greater flexibility. The implications for urban streets were huge -- with less red tape, cities would have a much easier time implementing safer designs for walking and biking. Now FHWA is accepting public comment on this proposal, and you can help ensure that it's enacted.
November 17, 2015
Feds Propose Major Rule Changes to Eliminate Barriers to Safer Streets
Applying highway design standards to city streets has been a disaster for urban neighborhoods. The same things that make highways safer for driving at 65 mph -- wide lanes, "clear zones" running alongside the road that have no trees or other "obstacles" -- make surface streets dangerous and dreadful for walking, killing street life.
October 8, 2015