- Kentucky Tax Credit Proposal Speaks To A RiverLink Customer Grievance
- FHWA Is Accepting Grant Applications For Bridge Projects Costing $100 Million Or Less
- FHWA Releases Revised Edition Of Uniform Traffic Control Devices Manual
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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Kentucky Tax Credit Proposal Speaks To A RiverLink Customer Grievance
The Courier-Journal reports, one item “tucked away” in the FY 2024 budget proposal released Monday by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) “could be a big deal for Louisville residents: Commuters who frequently drive to Southern Indiana on the city’s three tolled bridges could be looking at a one-time tax credit for their travels.” If state lawmakers approve the idea, a driver would be eligible for a nonrefundable credit equal to the aggregate amount of the bridge tolls she paid during calendar year 2024. Beshear tells the newspaper he hopes to provide regular commuters with some needed monetary relief. But he also acknowledges the proposal responds to criticism of the state’s decision to finance the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project without imposing tolls. When the final Spence Bridge plan was announced, metro Louisville residents and officials complained loudly that the state has afforded them no relief from shouldering decades of Riverlink tolls to pay for the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project. The tax credit, said Beshear, is “an attempt to treat, especially our Jefferson County folks, a little more fairly, given how we’re building the Brent Spence Bridge.”
Brent Spence Bridge (Cincinnati OH-Northern KY) Kentucky Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges RiverLink Toll System (IN-KY Ohio River Bridges)FHWA Is Accepting Grant Applications For Bridge Projects Costing $100 Million Or Less
FHWA announced yesterday it has opened applications for $9.7 billion in multi-year funding, announced in September, to improve bridges. The funding is offered through the competitive Bridge Investment Program’s “Planning” and “Bridge Project” categories, which fund bridge projects under $100 million. The notice of funding opportunity specifically solicits applications for:
- “Planning” grants for planning, feasibility analyses, and revenue forecasting associated with the development of a project; and,
- “Bridge Project” grants for bridge replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, and protection projects with total eligible costs of $100 million or less.
An application for a project located in a state that has not received one Large Bridge Project grant or two Bridge Project grants in previous rounds of awards will be given priority over grant recipients who have already received funding. FHWA plans to conduct applicant outreach via a virtual recorded webinar that will be posted on the Bridge Investment Program website. It makes technical assistance available to grant recipients. FHWA noted, “Communities interested in understanding the best ways to apply for a U.S. Department of Transportation grant available under the Bipartisan Infrastructure [Law] as well as other federal legislation . . . are also encouraged to utilize the DOT Navigator.”
Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) US Department of Transportation (USDOT) US Gov't Transportation Funding US Infrastructure Funding And Financing InitiativesFHWA Releases Revised Edition Of Uniform Traffic Control Devices Manual
On Tuesday, FHWA announced the release of the eleventh edition of the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways” (MUTCD), the first revision of the document since 2009. MUTCD sets national standards for traffic signs, signals and pavement markings “to ensure a uniform and predictable environment for people who walk, bike, and drive. It is an important guide used every day by transportation professionals for roadway safety, and the 11th edition incorporates extensive input from members of the public.” According to the announcement, the new edition “reflects changes in how Americans travel since the last update of the manual over a decade ago. It also streamlines processes and makes permanent a number of traffic control device applications that previously required special approval.” It also ” supports USDOT’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, which adopts a multi-layered approach with the ambitious goal of zero deaths on the nation’s roads.” FHWA intends to “host a series of public webinars, post online videos, and conduct other outreach opportunities to help stakeholders make the most of the latest updates,” and it is “developing new and updated online tools like an improved database of official rulings, guidelines for developing experimentation plans, and a series of educational videos” for the MUTCD audience. USDOT Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg commented, “We look forward to ongoing engagement and partnership with the transportation community so that the MUTCD becomes a living document which enables communities to embrace the designs and technologies that best serve their needs.” Future MUTCD updates will be published every four years pursuant to a provision of the IIJA.
Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) Intelligent Transportation Systems Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) US Department of Transportation (USDOT) US Infrastructure Funding And Financing InitiativesThese are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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