Latest news with #D.O.T.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
JPD releases details of motorcycle safety enforcement
JOPLIN, Mo. — The Joplin Police Department is releasing the results from their recent 'motorcycle safety enforcement detail' that took place last week. READ MORE: Two separate high-speed motorcycle chases in Joplin end with arrests in Kansas In a release Tuesday, the department said the detail was conducted in the area with the purpose of reducing moving violations that often lead to crashes, and ensuring overall safety on roadways. The operation began on May 15 with help from the Jasper and Newton County Sheriff's offices, plus the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Joplin police said MSHP's helicopter helps reduce the danger from a fleeing vehicle by allowing law enforcement to track the driver from a safe distance. JPD's report included three instances on May 15 where a motorcyclist fled from officers attempting traffic stops, only to be arrested later: 15th & Main St.: JPD said Nicholas Peacock, 34, of Joplin was seen committing traffic violations by officers. When they attempted to stop him, Peacock fled. MSHP's helicopter observed Peacock drive west out of Joplin, into Carl Junction, and later Crawford County before he was arrested for felony resisting and careless driving. He also faces charges in Kansas. 7th & Sergeant Ave.: James Colley, 42, of Joplin was observed failing to yield at a stop and fled from officers attempting to stop him. Colley was seen entering Cherokee County from Joplin via helicopter and was soon apprehended. His vehicle was found to be stolen, and he was in possession of a controlled substance, police said. He faces multiple charges. Zora & N St. Louis Ave.: Shawn England, 36, of Joplin failed to stop for officers and fled at a high rate of speed. MSHP relayed England's path into Newton County where he later crashed and was arrested for felony resisting and traffic violations. The following was also released from the detail: 39 vehicle stops were conducted for observed traffic violations. Three felony warrants, and three misdemeanor warrants were cleared. Charges were submitted on two separate motorcyclists for possession of acontrolled substance. One stolen motorcycle was recovered. One stolen firearm was recovered. A total of five charges submitted for felony eluding / resisting arrest. 13 citations were issued for hazardous moving violations. Five citations were issued for driver's license violations. JPD shared the following tips to help all motorists better share the road: Do not speed. Obey all traffic laws and signage. It is recommended to wear a D.O.T. compliant helmet and protective gear. Consider adding reflective tape to make it easier for other drivers to see you. Always keep your lights on, even during the day. Don't assume drivers see you. Signal well in advance before changing lanes andwatch for turning vehicles. Always check twice for motorcycles in your mirrors and blind spots. Use your signal when changing lanes. Never follow a motorcycle too closely. Always keep a safe distance. When at an intersection, allow enough space before turning. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
California's high-speed rail leaders sound alarm over project's financial future
As California's High-Speed Rail Authority awaits word from the Trump administration over its future support for the train, leaders who oversee the project sounded the alarm about its financial viability. The authority's board of directors voted Thursday to approve contracts for the development of Central Valley station designs and to solicit and approve construction bids for the Fresno station. Ahead of the votes, board member James Ghielmetti raised concerns over the potential loss of funds from the Department of Transportation and the risk of moving forward on payment commitments when federal funding is in jeopardy. 'I'm very nervous about receiving the federal funding,'Ghielmetti said. 'I want to make sure my fellow board members are aware that if the federal money does not come through, somebody's got to backstop these contracts.' Authority staff said that contracts include termination clauses if there isn't enough money and that contingency funds existed to make up a shortfall if funding fell through. Ghielmetti argued that the termination of any contract would only move the project further off course and stressed that if the goal is to get back on schedule, those funds need to exist. The board consists of nine members, each serving four-year terms, tasked with approving policies related to the project's businesses, finances and strategies. Board member Martha Escutia echoed Ghielmetti's concerns and said that a financial plan needs to be cemented as the board continues to vote on how money will be spent. 'We are obviously in trouble,' she said. The Department of Transportation initiated a compliance review of the project in February following calls for an investigation by Republican lawmakers over delays and costs. The review is focusing on a $4-billion promise made under the Biden administration for construction in the Central Valley. The project, which originally set out to connect Los Angeles to San Francisco via train by 2020, is $100 billion over its original budget and years behind schedule — a problem that rail experts have said will only worsen if the funding pool shrinks. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called it a 'crappy project' and said that the D.O.T. review would analyze whether the spending aligned with the authority's agreements with the U.S. government. The authority has provided documentation and expects findings soon. Roughly $14 billion has been spent on the project, Board Chair Tom Richards said. The bulk of that funding — 82% — has been supplied by the state; the remaining 18% has been granted by the federal government. About $4 billion is in the bank, Richards said. Despite uncertainty over federal funding, CEO Ian Choudri said the immediate goal is to finish construction along a 119-stretch between Madera and Shafter in the Central Valley. Choudri, who took the CEO role last year and reports to the board, also said that investment from the private sector will be key to the project's future. Pending state approval, he hopes to have a financial plan in place by end of summer that would include that relationship. The idea of the project's need for public-private partnerships, and reliance outside of the government, is one that's been floated in board meetings and has regularly been raised by members of the state-appointed committee who advises the board. Even with that support, Choudri said it could take roughly two more decades before the train is completed.
New York Times
25-02-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Trump's Transportation Dept. Targets Blue State Priorities
The Department of Transportation delivered a blow to big transportation projects in the two most populous blue states last week when it moved to revoke its approval of New York City's congestion pricing program and announced a review of California's high speed rail project the next day. The D.O.T.'s moves arrive amid the Trump administration's sweeping campaign to freeze billions in climate funding, cut the federal work force and slash regulations. The agency has also begun the process of rolling back standards requiring automakers to make cars and trucks more fuel efficient. These and other actions have set off alarm bells among transit advocates and rank-and-file transportation planners, who worry the D.O.T. will meddle in long-planned state and local construction projects and redirect funding from cities to suburbs. High speed trains in California and the congestion pricing program in New York would have clear climate benefits. The $9 toll on cars entering Manhattan, the first project of its kind in the U.S., will fund public transportation improvements and is expected to cut traffic emissions in the tolling zone. California's rail line would offer solar-powered transportation to millions of people traveling between San Francisco and Los Angeles annually by 2030. Both projects have faced serious political opposition. The D.O.T.'s movement on California's train funding came one week after Republican lawmakers in the state sent a letter to President Trump expressing support for a federal investigation. And congestion pricing, which rolled out in New York early this year after Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul delayed the start date, has detractors on both sides of the aisle. The D.O.T. and the White House did not immediately respond to request for comment. In a letter to Hochul last week, Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, wrote that he did not believe the congestion pricing plan was a 'fair deal,' in part because the tolls will fund public transit, not highways. Duffy said he was moving to revoke a Biden-era federal approval of the plan, but he did not specify an end date for the program. 'CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED,' President Trump wrote on Truth Social last week. New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which manages the tolls and the subways, has filed a lawsuit challenging his order. President Trump also has a history with the California rail project. In his first term, the D.O.T. rescinded a billion-dollar Obama-era grant, which was eventually released under former president Biden. The project, which would enable travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco in less than three hours, has been plagued by escalating costs and could cost more than $100 billion to complete. The Biden administration approved a $3.1 billion grant that would plug some (but not all) of the current funding shortfall. On Thursday, Duffy announced an investigation into the state's use of the funds, citing 'mismanagement.' He warned that California could be on the hook to pay for future expenditures under the grant if the department finds that it's not meeting certain requirements. A cancellation of the federal grant could delay construction and cripple the project's future. Some transportation experts see the Trump administration's moves as a departure from his previous term. 'Here's the thing: Most Secretaries of Transportation go around the country announcing investments in improving infrastructure,' said Yonah Freemark, who researches land use and transportation at the Urban Institute, a research organization. Freemark said that Pete Buttigieg and Elaine Chao — the secretaries of the department under the Biden and the first Trump administration — followed this playbook. 'What Duffy is doing right now is just killing things. It's a very different approach,' Freemark said. Duffy raised eyebrows early in his term when he issued a memo that said D.O.T. funding decisions should 'give preference to communities with marriage and birthrates higher than the national average.' The statement echoed concerns voiced by Vice President JD Vance about falling birthrates in the U.S. It's not clear exactly how a pro-birth D.O.T. might translate those priorities into government spending. The memo mentioned that a specific grant program that sends money to commuter rails, streetcars, bus lines and other public transit projects would be subject to the new considerations. Freemark said early analyses had identified urban cores and rural areas to be among the regions with the lowest birthrates. Suburban areas could be poised to benefit the most, he said. Farmers sue over deletion of climate data from government websites Organic farmers and environmental groups sued the Agriculture Department on Monday over its scrubbing of references to climate change from its website. The department had ordered staff to take down pages focused on climate change on Jan. 30, according to the suit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Within hours, it said, information started disappearing. That included websites containing data sets, interactive tools and funding information that farmers and researchers relied on for planning and adaptation projects, according to the lawsuit. — Karen Zraick Read the full article. The World Bank pivoted to climate. That now may be a problem. As the Trump administration imposes deep cuts on foreign aid and renewable energy programs, the World Bank, one of the most important financiers of energy projects in developing countries, is facing doubts over whether its biggest shareholder, the U.S., will stay on board. While the Trump administration has voiced neither support nor antipathy for the bank, it has issued an executive order promising a review of U.S. involvement in all international organizations. And Project 2025, the right-wing blueprint for overhauling the federal government, has pressed for withdrawal from the World Bank. — Max Bearak and Somini Sengupta Read the full article. Ask NYT Climate: How can I lower my climate risk when buying a house? A question we get from readers more and more frequently is some version of this: How should the growing risks from climate change affect my decision to buy a house? Or, if I buy a house, where should I buy, and what should I keep in mind? These queries seems especially urgent now, as insurance costs in some parts of the country have far outstripped the rate of inflation. Here's some advice from experts. — Christopher Flavelle Read the full article here. Related: Thanks for being a subscriber. Read past editions of the newsletter here. If you're enjoying what you're reading, please consider recommending it to others. They can sign up here. Browse all of our subscriber-only newsletters here. And follow The New York Times on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and TikTok at @nytimes. Reach us at climateforward@ We read every message, and reply to many!
New York Times
30-01-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Pothole No. 500,000 Has Been Filled
Good morning. It's Thursday. Today we'll look at a milestone in the fight against one of the scourges of winter. We'll also get details on former Senator Robert Menendez's 11-year prison sentence. No. 500,000 was the big one. No. 500,001 and No. 500,002 were smaller, and No. 500,003 was smaller still. They are potholes in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Or they were, until they were filled in by someone who usually has other things to do — the transportation commissioner, Ydanis Rodriguez. He said the numbering referred to how many potholes had been filled since Mayor Eric Adams took office three years ago. It's a theoretical milestone. The count was based on weekly estimates, and the actual 500,000th pothole was probably found and filled a few weeks ago. But time was needed to plan a ceremony, which included speeches from behind a lectern that was shoved aside when the commissioner picked up a shovel and went to work. Like a dentist facing a deepish cavity, he shoveled in just enough asphalt to pack No. 500,000 until it was level with the pavement around it. Rodriguez said anyone who sees a pothole should call 311. 'We promise all New Yorkers if you make a call in reporting a pothole, we take care of that pothole in two days, less than 72 hours,' he said, unless there were complications underground that demanded assistance from other agencies. The Transportation Department said it closes 311 complaints about new potholes in 1.8 days, on average — faster, the agency said, than during the administrations of Adams's predecessors, Bill de Blasio and Michael Bloomberg. Rodriguez also said that there are fewer potholes now because the city has repaved nearly 1,200 lane miles a year since 2022. A residential street that has been paved in the last two to five years will generally not develop potholes. They typically take longer to appear, but heavily traveled streets will have them sooner. So will major roadways, where drivers do their best to slalom around suspension-crippling, tire-shredding ones. In the annual war on potholes, winter weather is the enemy. The freeze-and-thaw cycle ruins roads. Water (carrying rock salt and gunk) runs into cracks in the pavement, where it freezes and expands. The cycle accelerates when the temperature climbs above freezing during the day and drops below at night. The surface of the asphalt breaks, and a pothole is born. The Transportation Department says it sends as many as 75 pothole crews across the city every day to respond to 311 complaints and what a news release called 'requests from local stakeholders.' Rodriguez hinted at such requests. When he was a member of the City Council, from 2010 to 2021, he said, 'I used to be asking D.O.T., 'Can you take care of this pothole in my district?'' The jury is out on how bad a pothole year this will be. 'We have to take a look at how we are doing after the winter, not during the winter,' said Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at New York University who is the former director of the Rudin Center for Transportation there. But Rodriguez said that after the extreme cold last week and the somewhat warmer temperatures this week, 'New Yorkers are probably seeing more potholes.' Michelle Demme, the digital communications coordinator at Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy group that promotes bicycling, applauded 'the speed with which they're addressing these repairs.' 'From what we have seen, D.O.T. does do an impressive job filling them as they're reported,' she said. 'We hope to see that same level of urgency and efficiency applied to the bike lane network, which affects cyclists every day.' She spoke from experience. Three months ago, she said, she hit a pothole while biking on Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn where there was no bike lane. 'I had to go across that pothole,' she said. 'I had no other reality to choose because of how cars were blocking me in.' She said her PCL — the posterior cruciate ligament, in the back of her knee — was torn. Two weeks ago, she was able to walk again, 'more or less, if you call it walking,' she said. As for repairing potholes, the city manufactures about half of the asphalt it needs to fill them and repave roads; it buys the rest from nearby suppliers. The asphalt the city makes contains recycled material — asphalt that was taken from streets that were milled before repaving. Irena Nedeljkovic, the deputy commissioner of roadway repair and maintenance, said that recycled asphalt accounts for about 40 percent of the mixture the city's two plants produce, twice the national average for recycled road material. She said the plant was 'looking to push the numbers to 50 percent and higher.' The city says that using recycled road material cuts costs and emissions. It also reduces the amount of asphalt sent to landfills. The Transportation Department said it had used more than 256,000 tons of recycled asphalt in the pavement it produced last year. Expect sunny skies with a high near 37; wind will make it feel colder. Tonight, there will be a chance of rain, with temperatures in the upper 30s. In effect through Feb. 12 (Lincoln's Birthday). The latest Metro news Former Senator Robert Menendez is sentenced to 11 years in prison 'Every day I'm awake is a punishment,' Robert Menendez, the disgraced former senator from New Jersey at the center of an audacious international bribery scheme, told Judge Sidney Stein. Menendez, who was convicted last year, wiped away tears during his sentencing hearing on Wednesday as he asked Stein to 'temper your sword of justice with mercy for a lifetime of duty.' The judge sentenced him to 11 years in prison. 'Somewhere along the way — I don't know where it was — you lost your way,' Stein said. 'Working for the public good became working for your good.' It was a humiliating end for a once-powerful senator. The sentence was shorter than the 15 years that prosecutors had asked for, but long enough for Menendez, 71, to face the possibility that he will spend much of the rest of his life behind bars. Menendez told Stein that he planned to appeal his conviction. Outside the courthouse after the sentencing, Menendez made what appeared to be an appeal to President Trump, who has the power to pardon him. The president has given no indication that he would consider doing so for Menendez, a Democrat who was the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when he was indicted 16 months ago. He resigned from the Senate in August after a jury in Manhattan convicted him of trading his political clout for bricks of gold, a Mercedes-Benz convertible and stacks of $100 bills. Sounds of the '60s Dear Diary: I was taking an uptown express to the Upper West Side. A trim, older man with a well-worn accordion got on at 34th Street. He immediately jumped into a set of '60s rock classics. Man, he rocked. Among the highlights was his version of the 1966 Rolling Stones hit 'Paint It Black.' As we both prepared to get off at 96th Street, I gave him a nod of approval and put some money in his cup. He grinned and rushed toward the uptown local that was waiting across the platform. He said, '96th Street, '96 Tears.'' — Chris Parnagian Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Send submissions here and read more Metropolitan Diary here. Glad we could get together here. See you tomorrow. — J.B. P.S. Here's today's Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here. Hannah Fidelman, Natasha Cornelissen and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@ Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
