Improving Safety for Cyclists

In 2012, conflicts between bicyclists and motor vehicles resulted in 726 cyclist fatalities and about 49,000 injuries. This represents an increase from 2011, when 682 cyclists were killed and about 48,000 were injured. This uptick prompted U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to announce the “Safer People, Safer Streets” initiative last year. The initiative aims to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety by rolling out a variety of new resources, issuing new research, and highlighting existing tools for a range of transportation professionals.

Communication Product Updates

Below are brief descriptions of communications products recently developed by the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Office of Research, Development, and Technology. All of the reports are or will soon be available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). In some cases, limited copies of the communications products are available from FHWA’s Research and Technology (R&T) Product Distribution Center (PDC).

Smooth Operators

AASHTO and its partners recently launched the National Operations Center of Excellence to help transportation agencies establish systems management and operations as a discipline.

Partners Across The Pacific

For more than three decades, Japan and the United States have been cooperating on bridge engineering research to improve resistance to wind and earthquake damage.

On The Road With Ike and Niki

During Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev’s 1959 visit to the United States, President Eisenhower thought showing off U.S. roadways would demonstrate the country’s prosperity. The President had two chances. Neither worked.

Public Roads - May/June 2015

Advancements in Transportation Training

As the training arm of the Federal Highway Administration, the National Highway Institute has a long history of innovation in delivering training to transportation professionals. Improving the condition and safety of the Nation’s roads and bridges means building on the skills of professionals to enhance their job performance.

Management and Administration

Along the Road is the place to look for information about current and upcoming activities, developments, trends, and items of general interest to the highway community. This information comes from U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) sources unless otherwise indicated. Your suggestions and input are welcome. Let’s meet along the road.

Bringing Conference-Style Training to the Desktop

The National Highway Institute serves customers from across the highway sector: State departments of transportation, local public agencies, consultants, and industry professionals. Increasingly, many of them face restrictions on travel, reduced staffing, and limited time, all of which impact their ability to participate in classroom training or conferences, or to host traditional instructor-led training. To help meet the need for training within these constraints, NHI offers a wide variety of Web-based training and webinars.

Communication Product Updates

Below are brief descriptions of communications products recently developed by the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Office of Research, Development, and Technology. All of the reports are or will soon be available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). In some cases, limited copies of the communications products are available from FHWA’s Research and Technology (R&T) Product Distribution Center (PDC).