Latest news with #JohnGallagher
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
FMCSA makes up to $90M available in FY2025 grants
WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has opened fiscal year 2025 applications for three discretionary grant programs that emphasize driver safety training, truck parking and trucking applications that employ real-time data. 'These grants, which could total more than $90 million, will fund projects that advance the development and delivery of motor carrier safety training to non-Federal employees and provide commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operator training to future commercial driver's license (CDL) holders,' FMCSA said in a press statement. The Notices of Funding Opportunity, applications for which are due by June 20, apply to the following programs: High Priority Innovative Technology Deployment (HP-ITD) Grants: These fund 'innovative and impactful projects that advance the technological capability and promote the deployment of intelligent transportation system applications for CMV operations.'They also support and maintain CMV information systems and networks to link federal motor carrier safety information systems with state CMV systems, improve safety and productivity of CMVs and commercial drivers, increase driver notification systems (including truck parking and work zone notifications), and reduce costs associated with CMV operations and regulatory requirements. High Priority Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety (HP-CMV) Grants: These fund CMV safety-related activities that increase public awareness and education on CMV safety, target unsafe driving in high-risk crash corridors, demonstrate new technologies to improve CMV safety, and improve safety data, as well as projects such as truck parking availability and identification. Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grants: These fund organizations that train individuals in the safe use of CMVs. 'The CMVOST Grant Program prioritizes training to current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including National Guard members and Reservists, as well as certain military family members,' FMCSA noted. In September, the Biden administration awarded 27 HP-ITD grants (recipients can be found here) totaling $34 million and 58 HP-CMV grants (recipients can be found here) totaling $54 emphasized that grant applications submitted during the application cycle that opened on Dec. 19, 2024, and closed on Feb. 3, 2025, must be resubmitted under this new funding notice. Watchdog calls out lax FMCSA oversight of $2B in grant money DOT awards $3.5 million for truck driver training House lawmakers reintroduce truck parking bill Click for more FreightWaves articles by John Gallagher. The post FMCSA makes up to $90M available in FY2025 grants appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NTSB finds illegal exit ramp parking contributed to deadly crash
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that a lack of available truck parking was a factor in a deadly truck crash, and the agency wants the Department of Transportation to do something about it. The NTSB voted on Tuesday to approve the findings and recommendations related to the crash that occurred in Highland, Illinois, in 2023, in which a Greyhound bus careened into three tractor trailers parked illegally on the shoulder of an exit ramp outside the Silver Lake rest area late at night. The bus driver's fatigue was found to be the probable cause of the crash, in which three bus passengers were killed and seven seriously injured. The truck drivers were uninjured. 'Also contributing to the crash were the three combination vehicles parked on the shoulder of the exit ramp – prohibited by Illinois statute – due to the recurring lack of available truck parking,' NTSB affirmed. 'The NTSB doesn't usually weigh in on the need for congressional funding for specific programs, so I do think this is a big deal and I do think it is much-needed,' NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at the meeting, pointing out that legislation pending in Congress would set aside funding specifically for constructing more truck parking nationwide. Among 21 findings in the investigation, six related to issues involving a lack of truck parking, which was ranked by the American Transportation Research Institute as a top issue among truck drivers. 'Combination vehicles routinely parked on the shoulder of the exit ramp to the Silver Lake rest area due to recurring lack of available truck parking, which increases the risk of them being struck by an errant highway vehicle,' NTSB found. 'The limited truck parking capacity and subsequent unsafe parking observed at the Silver Lake Rest area were consistent with a lack of access to long term parking spaces for combination vehicles on the National Highway System. 'Individual states are limited in what they can do, and a centralized effort can more broadly address the safety risk caused by lack of available truck parking throughout the country.' Recommendations approved by NTSB staff at the meeting directed at DOT included expanding efforts to use the department's Truck Parking Information Management System to identify rest areas around the country in critical need of additional parking. NTSB also recommended that DOT 'pursue available options to increase commercial vehicle parking capacity on highways, such as establishing a grant program for states, local governments, and other eligible entities' and to evaluate 'the benefits of ending restrictions on private development of rest areas, and seeking additional congressional appropriations as necessary.' Bridging the Divide in the Truck Parking Debate (The Playbook) Why the trucking industry should celebrate paid truck parking Lawmakers introduce 'clear path' to more truck parking Click for more FreightWaves articles by John Gallagher. The post NTSB finds illegal exit ramp parking contributed to deadly crash appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
FMCSA OKs exemptions for pulsing brake lights for 2 truck fleets
WASHINGTON – A brake-light technology company focused on reducing rear-end truck crashes got another boost from regulators with a ruling that two private fleets can deploy its equipment even though it is at odds with current rules. Intellistop, which makes a module that briefly pulses a truck's brake lights immediately after the brakes are engaged, was denied an exemption by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2022 to deploy its technology. Current FMCSA regulations do not allow pulsing brake lights. But after approving limited five-year exemptions in 2024 (Gemini Motor Transport and Encore Building Products), FMCSA on Tuesday followed with five-year exemptions to the private fleet subsidiaries of Iowa-based convenience store operator Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ GS: CASY) and Sugar Land, Texas-based petroleum refining and marketing company CVR Energy (NYSE: CVI). 'In the last four years we have been involved in 17 collisions where our truck was struck in the rear end by another vehicle, with damage to our equipment in excess of $500,000,' according to Casey's Services Co., which hauls fuel for its parent company's retail outlets. 'This would not include damages and injuries to the other party that struck us. We feel that with the use of Intellistop, these types of collisions will be greatly reduced,' the company noted, while also reducing its 'potential exposure to litigation.' CRV Energy's Coffeyville Resources Crude Transportation, which operates a 'crude' fleet and a 'highway' fleet, told FMCSA it plans to use the exemption for the highway fleet only. 'The two different fleets, one running the exemption and one not, will allow us a good comparison between the two internal fleets on crash reduction and maintenance of the module itself,' the company stated in its application. In approving the exemption for Coffeyville, FMCSA agreed that the plan to restrict it to a limited portion of the company's fleet will provide valuable data on the safety value of pulsating brake lights. 'Data collected through this exemption and any other similar exemptions the agency may grant in the future will allow for an evaluation of how the Intellistop module may improve following-vehicle driver responses to CMV [commercial motor vehicle] braking.' Rear-end crashes account for approximately 30% of all crashes, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, and can result from a failure or delay in responding to a stopped or decelerating lead vehicle. 'Data on crashes that occurred between 2010 and 2016 show that large trucks are consistently three times more likely than other vehicles to be struck in the rear in two-vehicle fatal crashes,' FMCSA stated in its approval notice. FMCSA allows 'limited number' of trucks to use pulsing brake lamps Truck brake-light exemption denied despite industry support FMCSA to gauge value of truck roadside warning devices Click for more FreightWaves articles by John Gallagher. The post FMCSA OKs exemptions for pulsing brake lights for 2 truck fleets appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sound Transit preparing for increased ridership during World Cup
Sound Transit is gearing up to host soccer fans this summer during the FIFA Club World Cup. The tournament is six games between June 14 and July 13, taking place on both weekdays and weekends. Sound Transit's John Gallagher tells us they expect at least 150,000 people coming to town during the month of matches. They say many of them are likely going to use the Light Rail as their main mode of transportation. This brings new challenges to Sound Transit, but officials say they are ready to make sure everyone is accommodated. Sound Transit is using this year's Club World Cup as a trial for next year's Men's World Cup. 'This is another opportunity to test the system stress test the system to see where we are going to be as we get closer to FIFA in 2026,' Gallagher said. They anticipate around 150 thousand people visiting this summer and close to one million people visiting next summer. 'We have been through a number of events that are as large as this summer's,' Gallagher said. 'The All-Star Games and the Taylor Swift concerts were two tests for us. We saw record ridership and performed really well through those.' To accommodate the influx, Transit said they are adding more routes and finishing the eastside extension. 'The goal is to get it done this year and certainly want to have it open in time for FIFA (2026),' Gallagher said. Some passengers are saying this ridership increase will be a challenge because they count on the Light Rail to get to work on time. 'I definitely will plan ahead and maybe use alternate means of getting to work,' Katherine Mendiola said. Others are looking forward to the visitors, saying this is a huge boost for Seattle. 'I think it could be a great opportunity for us to meet our world better by being exposed to people from all over the world,' Brian Kohler said. Transit officials say they are excited for people to use the light rail as their main transportation while here for such a big event. After this year's event, Gallagher tells us they will evaluate the Light Rail's performance and adjust as needed ahead of the 2026 Men's World Cup.
Associated Press
17-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Ultra Maritime Awarded CA$89 Million Contract for Surface Ship Torpedo Defense for the River-Class Destroyer Program
DARTMOUTH, NS, March 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ultra Maritime received a CA$89 million contract from Lockheed Martin Canada, Inc. to supply three shipsets of Surface Ship Torpedo Defense (SSTD) for the River-class destroyer (RCD) program. SSTD provides a proven world class full 'sense to effect' torpedo defense capability in-service across the globe, relied upon by many navies to keep their ships and crews safe from the torpedo threat. The combination of a single in-line tow and automatic threat alerting provides unparalleled performance within a small ship footprint, maintaining a high probability of detection coupled with low false alarm rate whilst minimizing overall operator workload. Ultra Maritime has more than 20 years of experience in this domain and is the trusted partner and world leader in providing torpedo defense solutions and countermeasures for both surface ships and submarines. With torpedo defense systems deployed and supported globally, including more than 30,000 expendable countermeasures, Ultra Maritime is uniquely positioned to bring integrated torpedo defense to the world's navies. Integrated torpedo defense greatly enhances the protection of our navies through integrating expendable countermeasures, towed countermeasures and threat detection sensors to provide overall situational awareness and shorten the kill chain against torpedo threats. Ultra Maritime continues to invest to improve this capability and are proud to partner with Lockheed Martin Canada and the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND) to provide SSTD to the Royal Canadian Navy River-class. 'Having previously secured a three shipset production order to supply Hull Mounted Sonars (HMS) for the RCD program, as well as supplying twelve UWSU towed arrays into the Halifax-class, Ultra Maritime is pleased to play a pivotal role in delivering state-of-the-art Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities to the Royal Canadian Navy,' said John Gallagher, Vice President and General Manager of Ultra Maritime Canada. 'We are fully committed in our partnership with Lockheed Martin Canada, our Canadian workforce and suppliers. More importantly, we are proud to serve the Royal Canadian Navy and take great pride in providing our life-saving capabilities.' Steve Rogers, Senior Director of RCD Programs at Ultra Maritime, commented, 'This is excellent news for the team as we move into 2025. We are well placed to execute the SSTD program utilizing expertise across our global Ultra Maritime lines of business, led by the team here in Dartmouth.' The RCD program and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's (ISED) Industrial Technological Benefits (ITB) policy have played a pivotal role for Ultra Maritime to establish an ASW Center of Excellence in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It is a prime example of fostering economic growth and technological innovation in Canada. Ultra Maritime has made more than $20 million in capital investments that have created more than 150 high-value manufacturing jobs and supported a vast network of suppliers, including numerous small and medium-sized businesses. About Ultra Maritime Ultra Maritime provides innovative multi-missions solutions for surface, sub-surface and unmanned platforms that protect and empower allied naval forces worldwide. Headquartered in Braintree, Massachusetts, Ultra Maritime employs more than 2,300 engineers and manufacturing experts worldwide, specializing in state-of-the-art sonar systems, radar, expendables, signature management and naval power systems. With major locations in the U.S., Canada, UK and Australia, Ultra Maritime is primed to support customers' maritime missions around the globe.
