January 21, 2016
Making Every Day Count: Stakeholders Bring More Innovation to Transportation
The year 2015 was significant in the six-year history of the Every Day Counts partnership with stakeholders to bring more innovation to transportation, according to Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau.
FHWA Administrator Gregory Nadeau (center) stopped by the Every Day Counts booth at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting.
Nadeau spoke at the “Leadership in Innovation” session at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., last week.
“Some things took place in 2015 that will move us closer to our goal of creating a permanent culture of innovation in the transportation community,” he said:
- Passage of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation—or FAST Act, which codifies EDC by name and includes provisions to speed project delivery by streamlining the permitting process while protecting the environment
- Deployment of new strategies and technologies through EDC-3 and solicitation of innovative ideas to implement during EDC-4 in 2017 and 2018
- Continued expansion of the national network of State Transportation Innovation Councils, now active in 46 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington, D.C.
“It’s imperative that we get the greatest value for every transportation dollar the public invests,” Nadeau said. “A nationwide focus on innovation is critical to that effort.”
Experience Innovator on Your Mobile Device
On the go? Stay up-to-date on highway innovations with FHWA’s Innovator newsletter on your mobile device. View the latest issue and share stories using the social media icons.
Subscribe today for mobile delivery by texting FHWA INNOVATION to 468311.
Joint Planning Advisory Council Meets in Arizona
Arizona’s Joint Planning Advisory Council met January 8 in Tucson to discuss regional cooperation on planning activities in the Sun Corridor, home to 82 percent of the state’s population. The council includes the Maricopa Association of Governments, Pima Association of Governments, Central Arizona Governments and Sun Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization. The meeting featured a panel discussion on transportation and economic successes achieved in Utah through collaboration by the Utah Department of Transportation, Utah Transit Authority, metropolitan planning organizations and private sector.
Montana City Pursues Local Public Agency Certification
The Montana Department of Transportation and FHWA recently met with city of Missoula staff as part of the city’s request for local public agency certification for construction of Federal-Aid Highway Program projects. When certified, the city will be the first local agency in Montana certified to administer the construction phase of a Federal-Aid project. The Montana DOT hired a design firm to design the project. Later this year when the design is completed, the agency will hand off the design package to the city for administration and construction of the project.
Texas Uses Design-Build for Harbor Bridge Project
The Texas Department of Transportation will use the design-build project method to deliver the new U.S. 181 Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi. FHWA signed the record of decision for the project on January 8, which means the final design and construction may begin. The project’s purpose is to improve safety for the traveling public and maintain an important hurricane evacuation route for Corpus Christi. When completed, the Harbor Bridge will be one of the longest concrete segmental cable-stayed bridges in the world.
Read Peer Exchange Report on e-Construction
A new report summarizes an FHWA-sponsored peer exchange on e-Construction that enabled staff of the West Virginia Department of Transportation and Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department to share best practices on paperless project management. The agenda of the October 2015 exchange in Charleston, West Virginia, included collaboration on mobile field devices, digital signatures and workflows. The 40 participants also discussed e-Construction challenges and lessons learned.
