- Slow Rollout Of Federal EV Charging Program Could Have High Political Cost
- Pennsylvania Turnpike Segment Will Close For Bridge Work Early Sunday Morning
- Old Pell Bridge Ramp Closes With Advance Of RIDOT Project
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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Slow Rollout Of Federal EV Charging Program Could Have High Political Cost
POLITICO reports, two years after the IIJA allocated $7.5 billion for programs to create a national network of reliable electric vehicle (EV) chargers, the federal effort hasn’t produced any installations and 27 states have not even begun bid solicitations to engage private contractors to do the work in their jurisdictions. All states have signaled their intention to apply for related funding, but so far only Ohio and Pennsylvania have broken ground. The in-depth article provides more information on state readiness and assesses both the reasons for and the implications of the situation. Its conclusion: The complexity of establishing such a vast network and the program’s regulatory hurdles — such as domestic sourcing requirements and high standards for reliability — are challenges compounded by the newness of the technology in most state DOT spheres. The initiative is forcing state agencies to get up to speed and it’s raising the bar for manufacturers, but “[t]he sluggish rollout could undermine President Joe Biden’s reelection messaging promoting electric vehicles.” The article also takes note of new Republican pushback against the policy, including efforts to defund both the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program targeting interstate highways, and the $2.5 billion Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program aimed at gathering spaces and rural areas. The Biden administration’s goal is to build 500,000 chargers by 2030. A projection by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is that the US will need 1.2 million public chargers by that time in order to meet demand.
In other EV charging developments, Columbia Gorge News reports that, in Oregon, about 370 new Level 2 EV charging stations will be installed by the end of 2024, with help from ODOT’s state-funded Community Charging Rebates program. Multi-family homes and public parking areas are eligible to be reimbursed for $4,250 to $5,500 per charging port or up to 75 percent of eligible project costs. An initial round of funding this year awarded $1.75 million, and a second round is expected to launch in March 2024.
Economic & Social Considerations Affecting Transportation Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Oregon Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) US Department of Transportation (USDOT) US Gov't Transportation Funding US Infrastructure Funding And Financing InitiativesPennsylvania Turnpike Segment Will Close For Bridge Work Early Sunday Morning
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission announced it will close the Northeast Extension (I-476) from the Quakertown Interchange (Exit 44) through the Lehigh Valley Interchange (Exit 56) on Sunday, December 10, from just after midnight until 6:00 AM. “The closure is necessary for the protection of motorists and workers so crews can safely remove overhead bridge beams.” The bridge under construction carries a secondary route over the turnpike at mile marker A57.06 in Lehigh County. The six-hour closure also affects the Allentown Service Plaza.
Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) Service PlazasOld Pell Bridge Ramp Closes With Advance Of RIDOT Project
Rhode Island DOT “will permanently close the old downtown Newport exit on Route 138 East off the Pell Bridge [today, Friday],” What’s Up Newp reports. As Phase 2 of the $74 million Pell Bridge Ramps project progresses, drivers now can access a new ramp system that planners predict will “reduce rear-end and sideswipe crashes by 80 percent.” The entire project is on track for completion by the end of next year, when a new shared-use bike path and commuter parking area also will open. The article incorporates a travel advisory from RIDOT.
Newport This Week additionally reports, “The exit ramp that brought motorists to downtown Newport from the Pell Bridge for decades will be demolished in mid-December, according to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.”
The Newport Daily News reports on the work of the Ad Hoc Pell Bridge Realignment Property Advisory Commission, which is charged with planning development of 25 acres that will be freed up once the bridge realignment project is complete.
Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Rhode Island Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA)These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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