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Federal Policy

50 Years Since Nixon’s ‘National Speed Limit’: A Tale of Missed Opportunities

A half-century after the federal government instituted a national maximum speed, setting speed limits that keep all road users safe has become a political battleground.

January 31, 2024

DOT’s New Emissions Rule Is a Big Deal, Even if It Doesn’t Punish States for Polluting

No states will face penalties for building needless toxic road projects — but they also won't be able to hide those impacts from the public.

November 28, 2023

Highway Boondoggles 2023: This Year’s Poster Children for Bad Projects

Once again, transportation funds that could be used to repair streets, roads and bridges are instead diverted into costly, damaging highway expansion projects.

November 9, 2023

How a New Program Is Helping Small Cities Transform Their Transportation Systems

"We don’t want the infrastructure law to compound our geographic inequalities. We wanted it to be an equalizing moment," said James Anderson of Bloomberg Philanthropies.

August 21, 2023

GOP Appropriations Bill Would Slash Transit Funding and Key Safety Policies

Here's what's on the chopping block — and why advocates are staying optimistic.

July 21, 2023

The MUTCD Update is Late — And While We Wait, People Are Dying

Despite a binding requirement to release an updated version more than a month ago, the Federal Highway Administration missed the deadline to release a new edition of America's federal street design guidelines.

July 5, 2023