Washington Legal Foundation’s Post

The journey to achieving better policy outcomes can be a lengthy process, as highlighted by National Road Transport Association CEO Warren Clark. The reform of the Heavy Vehicle National Law is a prime example, with a review spanning six years and further extensions by governments. Anticipated new legislation won't come into effect until 2025, at the earliest. Another significant initiative, the Heavy Vehicle Road Reform (HVRR), has been a longstanding challenge for the industry. With a focus on heavy vehicle charges and infrastructure spending, this reform has remained unresolved for 17 years. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gDNCg6Ty #PolicyOutcomes #TransportIndustry #GovernmentReform

There was another train derailment today. This time of 38 coal cars. They happen all across the country every day. A friend reminded me of my testimony before the legislature, “it’s literally in their business model! And I’m not good with that!” Like what we saw first hand in western PA, these events cause a significant risk to people’s lives and the environment. On average, there are approximately 1,300-1,700 train derailments per year in the United States. Let’s pass the Railway Safety Act. It is a piece of legislation introduced after events in Ohio and PA that aims to enhance safety requirements for trains transporting hazardous materials and improving overall rail safety. As of today, the legislation has passed through the Senate Commerce Committee but is still awaiting a vote by the full Senate. No-brainer. https://lnkd.in/ehQ7pB-U

Transit News Update from Washington DC - In the wake of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that undermines federal agencies’ rulemaking authority, two U.S. House Republicans are requesting information on Biden administration-era actions that could be affected by the court’s decision.   House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves, R-Mo., and Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., outlined their requests in July 10 letters to leaders at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security and Environmental Protection Agency. The Congress members asked for a response by July 24.   The Supreme Court’s June ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo ended a decades-long precedent of the Chevron doctrine, under which courts deferred to federal agencies’ interpretation of laws. The recent ruling says that “agencies have no special competence in resolving statutory ambiguities. Courts do.”   Among the most contentious of the Biden administration’s regulations is the DOT’s rule requiring states and metropolitan planning organizations to establish declining targets for transportation-related CO2 emissions. The rule was immediately contested by a group of 21 states and Texas. In March, a Texas court found that the transportation department did not have congressional authority to issue the rule.

INTERESTING assessments of this rule making impact by the likes of colieagues like Frank Wilner and others. But will a second rail carrier always be willing or even practically able to efficently step in under a recipricol switching switch physical opertion? Likely not in my strategic experience. But yes, sometimes. “implementing new regulations at 49 CFR part 1145. — the ruling “sets forth a path for shippers and receivers to petition the Board for the prescription of a reciprocal switching agreement.” The final rule “is designed to promote adequate rail service,” according to the STB. Board Member Robert Primus concurred with a separate expression, noting “I am voting for the final rule because something is better than nothing.” Frank N. Wilner, Railway Age Capitol Hill Contributing Editor, weighs in and provides a reciprocal switching “primer… NOW? Now we wait and see. Is it the “end of the world fear”? I doubt it. Will service actually get better? That remains, colleagues, a hypothesis yet tested. Cheers! Old railway guy Blaze passing this along.

Transit Briefs: NYMTA launches OMNY on Hudson Rail Link; N.J. lawmakers advance a bill to establish an office representing customers’ interest; a new study predicts the significant economic of passenger rail in Ohio; and more. https://lnkd.in/ebawSy6X

It has been a year since the #NorfolkSouthern freight train #derailed in #EastPalestine, Ohio, and according to legislators, rail workers and residents of the small town, little to no progress has been made. In fact, derailments by #railroads went up by 13% between February and October 2023, per a Wall Street Journal analysis. #Ohio #toxicfog #EPA #Biden #trainderailment #NorfolkSouthern #toxic #freighttrain #RailwaySafetyAct https://lnkd.in/gBn65GZb

Decoding Road Markings: Conquest Driving’s Insightful Guide to Navigating UK Traffic Laws https://lnkd.in/ekAXWBmT

Decoding Road Markings: Conquest Driving’s Insightful Guide to Navigating UK Traffic Laws https://lnkd.in/ekAXWBmT

Four railroads have filed challenges in federal appeals courts, arguing against the new rule requiring two-person train crews, stating that it is arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion by the Federal Railroad Administration. The rail industry claims that safety data does not support the need for two-person crews and believes crew size should be determined through negotiations. #freight #freightindustry #railroad #freightbroker #thursdaythought Christian Peters - CTB, LaShawn Brown, Christine Taylor, Chris Jones, Nick Roth

Colorado