This book looks at one of the most serious types of highway accidentscollisions involving vehicles traveling the wrong way on high-speed divided highways. The goal of this investigative project is to identify relevant safety recommendations to prevent wrong-way collisions on such highways and access ramps. The investigations included in the book take a focused view of the driver and highway issues affecting wrong-way collisions. The book addresses the following safety issues concerning wrong-way driving: driver impairment, primarily from alcohol use, with consideration of older driver issues and possible drug involvement; the need to establish, through traffic control devices and highway design, distinctly different views for motorists approaching entrance and exit ramps; monitoring and intervention programs for wrong-way collisions; and in-vehicle driver support systems.

Policymakers at all levels of government are debating a wide range of options for addressing the nation's faltering economic conditions. One option that is once again receiving attention is accelerated investments in the nation's public infrastructure -- that is, highways, mass transit, airports, water supply and wastewater, and other facilities -- in order to create jobs while also promoting long-term economic growth. This book examines policy issues associated with using infrastructure as a mechanism to benefit economic recovery. Discussed are state-level driver data and the effect of look-back periods on recidivism prevalence; restraint use and minimum drinking age laws; electronic stability control; mobile device use while driving; the impact of fuel price increases on the aviation industry; aviation safety; and the assessment of potential mariner-training needs.

Almost all commercial service airports in the United States are owned by local and state governments, or by public entities such as airport authorities or multipurpose port authorities. In 1996, Congress established the Airport Privatization Pilot Program (APPP) to explore the prospect of privatising publicly owned airports and using private capital to improve and develop them. In addition to reducing demand for government funds, privatisation has been promoted as a way to make airports more efficient and financially viable. Privatisation refers to the shifting of governmental functions, responsibilities, and sometimes ownership, in whole or in part, to the private sector. With respect to airports, "privatisation" can take many forms up to and including the transfer of an entire airport to private operation and/or ownership. This book examines the issues and options for Congress with airport privatisation. It describes the experience with the APPP; examines the challenges airport owners and investors face to full airport privatisation; describes the potential effects of airport privatisation; and, discusses reasons why airport privatisation is more prevalent outside of the U.S. and stakeholder views on the APPP.

As the U.S. population ages, access to safe and reliable transportation alternatives is critical to helping older adults remain in their homes as long as possible. HHS, DOT, VA, and other federal agencies may provide funds to state and local entities to help older adults access transportation. This book examines the federal programs that provide funding for transportation services for older adults and the extent to which the programs that fund these services are coordinated; and how state and local transportation agencies and aging network organisations in selected states coordinate transportation for older adults and the challenges they face in coordinating or providing these services. The book also addresses the federal programs that provide funding for NEMT services; how federal agencies are coordinating NEMT services; and how NEMT services are coordinated at the state and local levels and the challenges to coordination.

In fiscal year 2013, the Department of Transportation (DOT) provided about $50 billion to states and other grantees (such as metropolitan planning organisations and transit agencies) to support highway and transit infrastructure and safety. However, it is not clear if this funding has improved system performance because, in part, these programs have lacked links to performance and national goals. This book examines the progress that DOT has made in developing a national performance-based approach to surface transportation; and the challenges states and other grantees report facing in implementing this approach. This book also reports on the extent to which federal transit programs use performance information in making decisions about funding distribution and in evaluating the programs' effectiveness; mechanisms for making these programs more performance based, and strategies for supporting their successful implementation; and how selected U.S. and foreign transit agencies have used performance measurement in their planning and decisions, and their views on the federal role in transit.

Protecting Transportation: Implementing Security Policies and Programs provides a thorough overview of transportation security in the United States, with a focus on policy. The book coversall major transportation modes and puts the American security system into perspective against other national and international systems. Author R. William Johnstone, a transportation security expert and member of the 9/11 Commission staff, discusses how the current transportation security system came to be and how it is performing. Whether you are a current or aspiring transportation security professional, a policymaker, or an engaged citizen, Johnstone's presentation equips you to understand today's issues and debates on a problem that affects every member of the global community. Transportation security has evolved in the years since 9/11 from a relatively modest, sporadic undertaking into a multi-billion dollar enterprise employing tens of thousands. Protecting Transportation describes how that system is organized, funded, and implemented.

The population of adults 65 and older is the fastest growing demographic in the United States. It is estimated that by 2030, drivers over 65 will represent a quarter of total driver fatalities. When comparing the crash rates per mile driven of various age groups, the data resemble a U-shaped curve. Young drivers have the highest crash rate, which drops as drivers leave their teens. After age 25, the crash rate remains low until around age 70 when it begins to increase again. This U-shaped trend on crashes per mile driven has been found in many studies in many countries. Given the increase in crash rates around age 70, there should be a significant safety benefit in identifying potential problem older drivers before they are involved in a serious crash. The driver licensing process is one potential point for an intervention. This book discusses the examinations of licensing procedures and driver skills evaluation in relation to older drivers.

This unique monograph, a classic in its field, provides an account of the development of models and methods for the problem of estimating equilibrium traffic flows in urban areas. The text further demonstrates the scope and limits of current models. Some familiarity with nonlinear programming theory and techniques is assumed. 1994 edition.

Local road practitioners across the country play a critical role in addressing crash risks at the local level and may be able to identify the specific or unique conditions that contribute to crashes within their jurisdictions. The Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) offers a foundation for consensus and focus. It defines key emphasis areas and strategies that impact local rural roads and provides a framework to accomplish safety enhancements at the local level. The LRSP helps communities take a proactive stance in reducing and preventing local road fatalities and injuries. This book guides the development of an LRSP. It provides information to local practitioners about identifying stakeholders and partnerships needed to build support, tools to analyse data, and resources to identify safety issues and select safety strategies.

This book examines the funding of roads and highways in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England and Wales, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, and Sweden. It provides a description of the infrastructure in the jurisdiction, information on the ownership and responsibility of the roads, and taxes or other ways of collecting money to fund the nation's infrastructure. By revealing a multiplicity of approaches to the funding of road infrastructure, the report provides an opportunity to determine whether lessons can be learned from the experiences of other countries in funding roads and highways.

Vehicles carrying objects that are not properly secured pose a safety risk on our nation's roadways. Debris that falls from a vehicle can collide with other vehicles or pedestrians, causing serious injuries or fatalities. According to data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were about 440 fatalities caused by roadway debris in 2010. However, the exact number of incidents resulting from vehicles carrying unsecured loads is unknown. This book examines NHTSA's data collection efforts as well as states' laws related to unsecured loads. It also discusses the extent that Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) data reliably identify wetline safety risks; options for addressing wetline safety risks, and how well PHMSA has assessed the costs and benefits of addressing these risks through regulation.

Entering the 21st century, the Nation's transportation system has matured; it only expands its infrastructure by a fraction of a percentage each year. However, congestion continues to grow at an alarming rate, adversely impacting our quality of life and increasing the potential for accidents and long delays. These are expected to escalate, calling for transportation professionals to increase the productivity of existing transportation systems through the use of operational improvements. In order to assess the potential effectiveness of a particular strategy, it must be analyzed using traffic analysis tools or methodologies. The objective of this book is to assist traffic engineers, planners, and traffic operations professionals in the selection of the correct type of traffic analysis tool for operational improvements.

Policy-makers at all levels of government are debating a wide range of options for addressing the nation's faltering economic conditions. One option that is once again receiving attention is accelerated investments in the nation's public infrastructure - that is, highways, mass transit, airports, water supply and wastewater, and other facilities -- in order to create jobs while also promoting long-term economic growth. This book examines policy issues associated with using infrastructure as a mechanism to benefit economic recovery. Discussed are airline passenger rights and the federal role in aviation consumer protection; an overview of the federal public transportation program; improved guidance in federal-aid highways which could enhance the states's use of life-cycle cost analysis in pavement selection; passenger rail security and consistent incident reporting and analysis to achieve program objectives; and the TSA explosives detection canine program.

This book examines the competitiveness of Mexican and Canadian ports with U.S. West Coast ports; discusses the history and the theories of cargo diversion and of the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT); reviews ocean freight rates, transit times and rail charges; and examines other potential relevant factors influencing the movement of cargo.

Grid electrified vehicles or plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) are gaining attention world-wide as a potential low carbon technology. Because it is still an immature technology on the market, there is limited knowledge about the control strategy design; the environmental life cycle rating; the business model behind electricity charging'; charging behaviour's interaction with local electricity grid voltage drop, under dumb or smart grid scenarios; and the monitoring apparatus needed to acquire real data on daily usage of these technologies. This book aims to provide insight into these PEV issues.

Policymakers at all levels of government are debating a wide range of options for addressing the nation's faltering economic conditions. One option that is once again receiving attention is accelerated investments in the nation's public infrastructure - that is, highways, mass transit, airports, water supply and wastewater, and other facilities - in order to create jobs while also promoting long-term economic growth. This book discusses policy issues associated with using infrastructure as a mechanism to benefit economic recovery. Discussed are the Federal-Aid Highway Program (FAHP); surface transportation funding and programs under MAP-21; federal-aid highway assistance for disaster-damaged roads and bridges; earthquake risk and U.S. highway infrastructure; information on materials and practices for improving highway pavement performance; federal freight policy; Positive Train Control (PTC); Essential Air Service (EAS); the changing tide of U.S.-international container trade; and containerships that carry inventory for U.S. retailers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) provides about $40 billion to the states annually to build and maintain highways and bridges through the federal-aid highway program. This book describes the process and factors that could affect highway project time frames; examines state DOTs' views on the benefits and challenges of the provisions to expedite highway projects established in SAFETEA-LU and describes additional initiatives that state DOTs and FHWA have implemented to expedite the completion of highway projects.

The National Weather Service (NWS) plays a significant role in providing weather services to the aviation community. NWS's weather products and data are vital components of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) air traffic control system, providing weather information to local, regional, and national air traffic management, navigation, and surveillance systems. NWS aviation weather products include forecasts and warnings of meteorological conditions that could affect air traffic, including thunderstorms, air turbulence, and icing. This book examines options for enhancing the efficiency of aviation weather services provided at en-route centres, with a focus on meteorological services and winter safety.

Finding cost-effective options to mitigate recurrent and non-recurrent congestion on freeway facilities is one of the most significant challenges State and regional transportation organisations face. Several countries are implementing managed motorway concepts to move higher traffic volumes on their highways more efficiently without acquiring more land and constructing large-scale infrastructure projects. This book explores managed motorway concepts and traffic optimisation technologies being implemented in Europe and Singapore.

In recent years, many states have experienced natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, and storms, which have caused catastrophic damage to transportation infrastructure and overwhelmed the capacity of state and local governments to respond and recover. Reconstruction after these events can cost taxpayers billions of dollars. As part of the continuing federal role in responding to and recovering from natural disasters and similar events, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), administers the Emergency Relief Program which provides funding to repair or reconstruct federal-aid highways and roads on federal lands damaged or destroyed by natural disasters and other catastrophic events. This book provides an overview of emergency relief programs for U.S. highways and roads with a focus on strengthening oversight of project eligibility decisions.

The ability of our nation's transportation system to provide for and maintain the efficient movement of freight is important to the continuing economic health of the United States. U.S. domestic freight tonnage is anticipated to approximately double -- and international freight tonnage expected to nearly triple -- by 2035. This book provides facts and figures on the flow of U.S. freight while examining the physical network, economic conditions and transportation system responsible for the movement of freight. It then explores the growing need to find new ways to address air quality concerns and greenhouse gas emissions associated with freight movements.

The federal government collect revenues from taxes paid by highway users, mostly from those levied on gasoline and diesel fuel, and credits them to the Highway Trust Fund. Those revenues and others are subsequently used for federal spending on highways and transit. In fiscal year 2010, the trust fund's revenues totalled about $35 billion. Some policymakers and transportation analysts have expressed interest in developing new sources of funding. This book analyses the effects of alternative approaches to funding highways and compares the effects of current fuel taxes and of possible new taxes on the number of miles highway users drive.

Since the early 1980s, the periodic debate over the reauthorization of federal surface transportation programs has been primarily about money and its distribution. In each of the five reauthorizations that took place during that period, the federal fuel taxes and other sources of revenue dedicated to the highway trust were reliably providing the various surface transportation programs with more money year after year. In 2009, this was not the case. For the first time in decades, driving declined significantly, with a concomitant decrease in fuel tax revenues. Going forward the program cannot count on new money from the familiar sources. The law authorising federal surface transportation programs expired at the end of 2009, but Congress has failed to enact a new authorisation. This book examines the surface transportation program reauthorization issues for the 112th Congress; funding and finance; the Donor-Donee State issue of funding equity and federalism issues in surface transportation policy.

With looming fiscal difficulties but growing demand on the transportation system, there may be significant debate about the overall funding level, the structure of the current transit program, its priorities, and the resulting distribution of federal support geographically and by transit mode. Possible alternatives for restructuring federal public transit programs include focusing more resources on major capital expenses for rehabilitation and expansion of transit services; supporting and rehabilitating existing services rather than major capital expansion and the elimination of capital improvement programs altogether to be replaced by a simple "block grant" that could be distributed based on transit ridership or population. This book provides background on the characteristics of the transit sector and ridership trends and current structure of the federal transit program.

This book examines greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels and trends from the transportation sector and analyses the full range of strategies available to reduce these emissions. These strategies include introducing low-carbon fuels, increasing vehicle fuel economy, improving transportation system efficiency, and reducing carbon-intensive travel activity. Policy options for implementing these strategies are also discussed, including an economy-wide price signal; efficiency standards; market incentives; transportation planning and funding programs and research and development.