Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

On January 26, Sec.LaHood announced federal guidance to prohibit texting by drivers of commercial vehicles such as large trucks and buses. Truck and bus drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.

The 600-plus public transit leaders will spend Tuesday and Wednesday visiting their congressional representatives, lobbying their transit initiatives on Capitol Hill.

Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning's decision to block the legislation last week forced the DOT to furlough nearly 2,000 employees without pay Monday.

Chosen projects range in size from under $4 million to over $100 million, and are found in both rural and urban communities from Alaska to Maine and Hawaii to South Carolina.

The project is expected to eliminate 688 metric tons of carbon dioxide and equivalents from the air each year, or 8,250 metric tons over the lives of the vehicles.

The budget includes an additional $1 billion for high-speed rail, coming on the heels of President Obama and Vice President Biden's January 28 announcement of $8 billion in Recovery Act funds for states across the country to develop America's first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service.

Action is the result of the U.S. DOT's interpretation of standing rules. Drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.

Construction cost for phase one of the project is $1.189 billion. The total project cost is slated at $4.2 billion.

FTA will soon initiate a separate rulemaking process, inviting public comment on ways to appropriately measure all the benefits that result from such investments.

Order prohibits more than four million federal employees from texting behind the wheel while working or while using government vehicles and communications devices.