Latest news with #DepartmentOfTransportation
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Pete Buttigieg under fire for $80B transportation equity spending
As Pete Buttigieg (pictured) eyes a 2028 presidential run, insiders are highlighting how the former transportation secretary appeared to be more concerned with diversity than efficiency during his run as secretary of transportation. Under Buttigieg, 43, the Department of Transportation (DOT) spent over $80 billion on a Biden-era equity initiative in a four-year span, according to a press release. The program, called Justice40, was established to direct 40 percent of all DOT grant funding to 'disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.' Buttigieg far exceeded the requirement, allocating 55 percent of DOT funding to the program which was established to meet a Biden order meant to 'advance equitable outcomes.' There are also questions about whether Buttigieg prioritized equity over creating better travel experiences for Americans. In one meeting during his term atop the DOT, industry executives suggested upgrading air traffic control capabilities, but stunningly the Democrat shot down the idea because it would enable airlines to fly more planes. 'So why would that be in his interest?,' sources told the New York Post of the incident. An air industry official anonymously told the outlet that Buttigieg 'was definitely pushing an agenda,' adding the Democrat had 'little to no interest' in modernizing air traffic control systems. He took 'zero action' on the flight systems responsible for keeping travelers safe, the official added. 'At first, [the Department of Transportation] and he were reluctant to say there was an air traffic controller shortage or that the shortage had anything to do with flight delays or flight cancellations.' But a spokesman for Buttigieg denied that the former secretary neglected air traffic control issues. 'Suggesting that Secretary Buttigieg chose not to pursue air traffic control modernization is absurd,' Chris Meagher, Buttigieg's spokesman, told the Daily Mail. 'Secretary Buttigieg's focus was always on safety — not just in aviation, but also on roads and bridges, where 40,000 Americans die on our country's roads each year. Fixing issues with air traffic control was a priority.' David Grizzle, a former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official under former President Barack Obama, told the Post that Buttigieg's tenure was lackluster. 'There certainly were no remarkable achievements in aviation during his [Buttigieg's] term.' During the Democrat's tenure close to 11 percent of flight cancellations were due to failures in the national aviation system, according to DOT data. Most flights, 54 percent, were caused by weather conditions while 34 percent were due to faults from airlines. The DOT, under Buttigieg, approved roughly 400 DEI-related grants, according to an analysis done by the Post. Meanwhile, the first Trump administration granted just 60 DEI initiatives amounting to a few billion dollars. 'Biden and Buttigieg spent their tenure pandering to the woke mob and spent tens of billions on their anti-American DEI agenda,' a DOT spokesperson told the Daily Mail. 'Secretary Duffy is working to clean up the Biden-Buttigieg mess by prioritizing safety and efficiency, including by revitalizing our air traffic control system after years of neglect under Pete's watch.' Issues at the FAA, the agency overseeing national air travel under the DOT, have been notorious for years. The agency has not had full staffing levels for the better part of a decade, employing just 80 percent of the target for professional air traffic controllers. There have also been a number of high-profile near-misses in recent years where planes have narrowly avoided collisions. In 2023, a crucial FAA system went dark, prompting the first nationwide grounding for flights in the U.S. since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Problems at the agency have seemed to persist through the Trump administration, too. Earlier this year a plane and helicopter collided Washington National Airport, killing all passengers aboard both vehicles, forcing the FAA to change its guidance for the region. Initial evidence points to dangerously narrow vertical separation between the airliner's approach path and the helicopter's route along the Potomac River as the cause though a final report by the NTSB isn't due until next year.
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Notre-Dame loses short route across river when province closes another covered bridge
Robert Babineau was surprised one morning on his way to work to find concrete blocks barricading the covered bridge he takes across the Cocagne River. He had to take an alternative road to his lumber business, which added 40 kilometres to his round trip. Babineau and other residents of the community, a drive of about 30 kilometres northwest of Moncton, say they need a crossing. And they're having trouble getting answers from the province about one. New Brunswick's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure confirmed the bridge was closed the first week of July because of its condition. WATCH | 'If you want to build a new bridge, like I'm all for it there': Bridge closure forces Notre-Dame residents to make 40-kilometre round trip 3 minutes ago Residents say they were cut off from easily reaching their land and ATV trails when the province closed the covered bridge at Poirier Office Road in early July. Spokesperson Jacob MacDonald said in an email that the department is exploring options to determine the future of the bridge, which was built in 1942. "Improvements to detour roads have been made for better access to the area around the affected bridge," MacDonald. Babineau said he owns some woodland, a sawmill, and a sugar shack, where he makes maple syrup. All parts of his business are across the river. He goes to work six days a week and said the detour not only causes wear and tear on his truck but is expensive on gas. "I've got to maybe do about 230 kilometres, like, every week," Babineau said as he imagined the detour and the increased cost of gas. "And I just got a small business." Babineau said he was born in the area and has been using the covered bridge for about 60 years. While he has many memories tied to the bridge and would like it saved, what he needs now is a solution. "Sure, I would like to save that bridge but just as long as it's passable," he said. "If not, if they want to build a new bridge, like, I'm all for it there." He said there is no clarity on what the decision would be, but the closure has got him "thinking a lot." Babineau said he fears his business would only survive a couple of years without a bridge. The province's response did not say there were plans to demolish the covered bridge but didn't provide a reopening date either. Gilles Leblanc owns 40 acres across the river, which he likes to visit once a week for recreation. He said he and others in his community cross the bridge for barbecues, bonfires, hunting, fishing and access to ATV and snowmobile trails. Leblanc said he fears this won't continue if there is no bridge. "The travelling [is] what's going to really kill us to go all the way around, and on the other end it's a long, long dirt road that's not very accessible in the springtime because it is muddy." Ginette Leblanc, who lives within 100 metres of the bridge, said her family took their ATV and snowmobile to the main trail across the bridge four to five times a week. She said this has not been possible since the closure because she could not drive either of those on the road for 40 kilometres. "It affects a lot because one of the reasons that we bought this land 30 years ago was because we were beside a covered bridge … and that we like to have the access to the outdoors that we use all the time." Many people have used the bridge as a backdrop for their graduation and wedding pictures. Leblanc said her priority would be to have the bridge restored, but "if they cannot fix it, just give us a way to have access anyways." Leblanc said she worries the detour would be too great a distance for emergency vehicles if there is an accident on the ATV trail or her neighbour's house across the river catches fire. Patrick Toth, vice-president of the Covered Bridges Conservation Association of New Brunswick, said his organization is trying to arrange a meeting with the provincial government regarding the Poirier Office Road bridge. He said the association intends to seek information about the structure's future, as two bridges in the province have already been demolished this year because their condition had deteriorated. The William Mitton Covered Bridge in the Moncton area was demolished in late February, and the Germantown Lake or Shepody River bridge in Albert County was removed in April. "We need to get the word out to the public that many of our covered bridges in New Brunswick are in serious trouble and indeed in danger of being lost forever," Toth said.
Auto Blog
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
NHTSA Opens Probe Into Nearly 28,000 Polestar 2s
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. View post: Walmart is selling a 'powerful' $199 lawn mower for $100, and shoppers say it's 'easy to operate' Polestar 2 owners face another recall for a recurring issue The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency within the Department of Transportation responsible for automotive safety, announced on July 11 that it had opened a formal investigation into the Polestar 2 after complaints continue to pile up as the electric vehicle's rear-view camera continues to malfunction, even after multiple software fixes issued by the manufacturer. Previous Pause Next Unmute 0:00 / 0:09 Full screen Tesla sales in Europe drop yet again Watch More The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), the division that handles recalls at the NHTSA, is investigating whether Polestar's remedies are adequate following two previous recalls that tried to fix the problem. The agency says it has received 109 consumer complaints involving 2021 through 2025 model year Polestar 2 vehicles, which allege that the rear-view camera image may be delayed, distorted, or not even show a picture at all when it is supposed to be crystal clear while backing up, which can significantly reduce visibility and potentially increase the risk of a crash. 2025 Polestar 2 — Source: Polestar So far, no crashes, injuries, or fatalities have been linked to this specific issue, which affects an estimated 27,816 Polestar 2 vehicles. However, under federal safety standards, specifically the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 (FMVSS 111) regarding rear visibility, all vehicles sold in the United States are required to provide a functioning rear-view camera that displays a clear image when said cars are shifted into reverse. Any failure to meet that standard can trigger regulatory action. The Volvo-linked Swedish EV brand backed by Geely first issued recall 24V-477 on June 26, 2024, which affected certain 2021–2024 Polestar 2 models. At the time, Polestar stated that the issue stemmed from graphical rendering limitations in the Infotainment Head Unit (IHU), which could prevent the rear-view camera feed from displaying correctly. 'Polestar proposed to remedy this condition via a software update to minimize an Infotainment Head Unit (IHU) graphical rendering limitation by shortening the retry times of the camera streams, as well as removing the rendering of the map in the driver display during backing events to release the graphic memory for the use of the rear-view camera,' ODI wrote in its report. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Polestar 2 — Source: Polestar However, that remedy didn't entirely fix the problem, as owners continued to report failures, even in vehicles that received the fix. This revelation triggered a second recall, specifically recall 25V-280 in April 2025, which expanded the scope of the problem and tried to fix it with a more drastic solution through an over-the-air software update. 'Polestar's stated remedy for this recall provided an additional software update intended to always maintain the high-speed signal connection between the Parking Assist Camera (PAC) and IHU, instead of toggling on and off by request. The update would also be designed to add a reset of the IHU video signal receiving hardware in case a synchronization error is detected, instead of just setting an error message.' Despite two different software bumps, complaints over the same issue started rolling in again. ODI says that on June 21, 2025, it began receiving reports from Polestar 2 owners who said their rear-view cameras were still not working properly, even after the latest update. By July, Polestar confirmed to ODI that its most recent over-the-air fix did not resolve the issue, which prompted the agency to launch a Recall Query to determine whether additional action is required. Final thoughts The sophisticated tech that goes into software-defined vehicles is cool and all, but what this situation highlights is that in this new era, there could be a gap between diagnosing and resolving hardware-software interactions that may not be easily corrected through traditional over-the-air updates. While OTA updates are faster and more convenient than dealer-based repairs, they may not always actually fulfill the reason why a recall is issued: to fix things. However, this is not the first time an automaker has had to readdress a previously 'fixed' problem, and the latest situation involving 1.2 million Ram trucks is proof that even analog, go-to-the-dealer type recalls cannot fix everything. About the Author James Ochoa View Profile
CBS News
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
405 Freeway through Sepulveda Pass closed overnight for pavement project
Every night this week, up to two lanes on each side of the 405 Freeway will be closed through the Sepulveda Pass. The California Department of Transportation will begin the nightly closures at 9 p.m. each night from Monday through Saturday. The freeway will reopen at 6 a.m. every morning. Between Monday and Friday, motorists can expect up to two lanes of the northbound and southbound sides between Wilshire Boulevard and Mulholland Drive/Skirball Center Drive to be closed. On Saturday, only two lanes of the northbound 405 Freeway between Wilshire Boulevard and Mulholland Drive/Skirball Center Drive will be closed. Caltrans said they will try to keep delays capped at 15 minutes The construction is part of a $143.7 million Caltrans project that covers roughly 10 miles of the freeway between Van Nuys and Westwood. It aims at enhancing safety and improving mobility between West Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Crews plan on fixing two overhead sign structures, 98 sign panel replacements, upgrading 6,400 feet of guardrails and upgrading 10 curb ramps. Caltrans expects to finish the entire project by Winter 2028 or 2029. The work schedule is subject to weather and operational reasons. Residents and businesses near the construction may experience noise, vibrations and dust.
CBC
14-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'Morale is down' in the wake of failed ferry shuffle, says Wabana mayor
While the MV Astron W ferry remains on the Fogo Island-Change Islands-Farewell route, the mayors of the towns at each end of last week's situation say they haven't heard a word from the province. Newfoundland and Labrador's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure announced Friday evening that the vessel would stay put after a lengthy protest against its decision to temporarily reassign it to the Bell Island-Portugal Cove route. Wabana Mayor Philip Tobin said the situation almost pitted the two towns against each other. "Morale is down … It's frustrating for a lot of residents," Tobin told CBC News. "We need to work together and hold our government officials accountable for this ferry system." The rural community, which had been relying on the St. John's area for gasoline, was without the MV Beaumont Hamel for almost a week before it was repaired over the weekend — leaving it with one crowded vessel for days on end. Tobin said the problem of aging vessels has been deeply affecting his community, but he's still been left in the dark since last week. He added that the island's main ferry, the MV Legionnaire, has been down for months with no exact repair deadline. "Communication with government officials, it's not getting better, it's getting worse. And I think they need to be more transparent, more open with leaders in the communities and, you know, work on strategies," said Tobin. Fogo Island Mayor Andrew Shea said he found out the government was no longer planning to reassign the Astron W to Bell Island from the media on Friday, not government officials. "The transportation committee hasn't heard … anything about the ferry, whether she's just holding out till we get it cleared up or whether it's, you know, permanent for the summer," said Shea. The MV Veteran, the ferry that typically serves Fogo Island and Change Islands, went out of service on Friday at noon. It has since been repaired and is back on the water. Even so, Shea said it's time for a swing vessel that can handle overflow traffic. On Friday, Transportation Minister Elvis Loveless said he is looking to issue an expression of interest for another swing vessel. Shea said the region's busiest season is coming up in August and ferry problems might deter them if the province doesn't step in.
