Podcasts about fhwa

Joined by three former DOT leaders, the Let's Be Civil crew dives into the recent FHWA memo on anti-competitive bidding and breaks down the agency's recommendations, anti-competitive bidding methods, and the valuable role that cost-based estimation and pre-award analysis can play in ensuring fair competition. Host: Nate Binder, InfotechGuests:About Infotech: ⁠https://www.infotechinc.com/

Some of America's bridges are in need of help, and the Federal Highway Administration is stepping up with some money to set things right. Also, Canadian and OOIDA board member Johanne Couture chats about life on the road and what it's like trucking from up North to the Lower 48. And what kind of person drives an older, long-nosed conventional truck? OOIDA tour truck driver Marty Ellis wonders what truckers think when they see them on the road. 0:00 – Newscast 10:12 – Feds send big money to help fix bridges 24:48 – The ins and outs of cross-border trucking for Canadians 39:16 – What does a long-nosed conventional tell you about the driver?

Transport Topics is the news leader in trucking and freight transportation. Today's briefing covers Walmart raising prices, the FHWA nominee's appearance at a Senate hearing and the IEA's report on global oil demand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The OOIDA Foundation takes a look at all the myths behind the so-called “driver shortage” and shares what the facts actually say. Also, if you're thinking about getting into a lease-purchase plan with a new carrier, you should hear what OOIDA's experts have to say first. And it turns out the EPA wasn't the only federal agency putting out emission rules – but DOT officials have put the kibosh on one. 0:00 – Newscast 10:11 – New research refutes so-called “driver shortage” 24:49 – Time for a refresher course on lease-purchase 39:32 – DOT emission rule is out

“This isn't like a conference you go to and just listen to people give presentations, this is interactive. You're actually solving real world problems and working together to come up with those solutions. {You} have everyone at the table, really why you want to join is so you can be at the table and direct the future of our industry.” In this conversation, Devon Tilly and co-host Nathan Wood chat with Todd Sutton from Zachary Corporation! This podcast is a part of a series of episodes that will be coming out from now until Spring 2025 covering the AEC Summit in Austin, Texas April 23rd – 25th 2025. We encourage our listeners and partners to share and engage with us during this conference coverage! With over 35 years of construction industry service with Zachry Corporation, Todd has supported various business units and industry markets in finding user-inspired, process-based solutions through the implementation of technologies or construction methods to assist in project execution. He is an enthusiastic advocate for workforce initiatives, participating in Zachry's Career Exploration Program internship for high school students. At Zachry Corporation, he works on R&D to improve processes, as well as on the technologies that enable these improvements. He is currently involved in several industry data exchange standards, primarily focused on openBIM IFC efforts and FHWA, AASHTO, and State DOT-led digital delivery efforts. Co-host Nathan Wood understands how rewarding the design and construction process can be when technology and culture embrace a new era of innovation. Nathan first earned his reputation as an industry thought leader in 2011, sharing his award-winning implementation of virtual design and construction (VDC) while working on integrated project delivery (IPD) healthcare projects. Nathan strives to share the best practices and lessons learned he's gathered from over 100 project teams spanning the US, Europe, and the Middle East. These experiences have taught him that when it comes to adopting technology in construction, it's not one size fits all. For that reason, Nathan founded SpectrumAEC with a clear goal — solving the human barriers to new process and technology adoption. As SpectrumAEC's founder and chief enabling officer, Nathan helps organizations and project teams successfully adopt change through executive strategy sessions and end user workshops. Nathan continues to support industry progression through conference presentations, academic papers, and as President of the Construction Progress Coalition. Additional Resources mentioned in this episode: What is Digital Delivery? National BIM Standards BuildingSMART BIM for Infrastructure Keep up with the Art of Construction (AOC) podcast on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn! Subscribe to us and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

The future of EV charging infrastructure just hit a major roadblock. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has suspended all state-approved NEVI plans, putting billions in funding on hold and leaving projects in limbo. But what does this really mean for the EV industry, charging infrastructure rollout, and businesses that were counting on these funds?In this episode of Turn Down for Watt, we sit down with Chris Kaiser from Sona Energy and John Carson from Armagh Capital to break down the FHWA's decision, its impact on NEVI-funded projects, and what comes next. We'll discuss:⚡ What the FHWA guidance freeze means for already awarded but not-yet-obligated projects⚡ How states and businesses are responding to the uncertainty⚡ Potential policy shifts and legal challenges ahead⚡ What stakeholders can do now to protect their projects and investmentsIf you're in the EV industry, this is an episode you can't afford to miss. Tune in as we unpack the policy shake-up that could redefine the future of EV charging in America.

The Washington Post recently reported that electric vehicles (EVs) now outnumber gas-powered cars in Norway, the first country to claim that distinction. The U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation--a shared agency of the U.S. Departments of Energy and Transportation--was created in 2021 under the bipartisan infrastructure law to help facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles across the United States. Gabriel Klein, executive director of the Joint Office, and Joe Zietsman, deputy director of TTI, join us today to talk about the advantages, challenges, and long-term goals of implementing EVs nationwide. 

Another agency within the U.S. DOT is facing a change in leadership. We cover Shailen Bhatt's departure as administrator of the Federal Highway Administration and analyze the DEA's decision to delay marijuana reclassification. After that, a list of five products for your truck that offer the most bang for your buck. Then, an OOIDA member offers up a cautionary tale about selling your authority. And finally, Marty Ellis, driver of the OOIDA tour truck, has been hearing that some carriers are manipulating ELDs – and he's got some thoughts. 0:00 – Bhatt leaving FHWA & marijuana reclassification  10:17 – Five additions for your truck that won't break the bank 25:00 – Cautionary tale about selling your authority 40:06 – Carriers manipulating ELDs

Aug. 19, 2024 | GM to cut 1,000 software jobs; FHWA's Shailen Bhatt on V2X rollout by Automotive News

Listen to the latest update on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program and the historic $1.5 billion mega grant awarded by the Federal Highway Administration. The grant is the largest ever for a single project, supporting efforts to reduce congestion and improve transportation infrastructure. Full details at https://tinyurl.com/bdf266zy #InterstateBridge #VancouverWA #Transportation #Infrastructure #FHWA #LocalNews #ClarkCountyWa #ColumbiaRiver #TrafficCongestion #FreightMobility #EconomicCompetitiveness #SafetyImprovements #MultiModalTransportation #BasculeBridge #LightRail #BicycleInfrastructure #PedestrianInfrastructure #CoastGuard #MegaProject #FederalGrants #BipartisanInfrastructureLaw

The 2024 National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather gives organizations working in this space an opportunity to showcase their efforts to advance the state of the practice through collaboration, research, technical support, and implementation.  This episode features the FHWA Road Weather Management Program. This series is produced in collaboration with the AASHTO Maintenance Committee, the Maintenance Operations Technical Working Group, and the Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program. For more information you can reach out to:Jeremy McGuffey at jeremy.mcguffey@dot.govWatch the video and presentation along with all the other briefings on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Talkinwinterops Visit the FHWA Road Weather Management website at https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/index.aspSign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe on the Talkin' Winter Ops website at TalkinWinterOps.comThanks for listening in and stay safe out there!

Interstate Bridge Replacement program officials have shared that the program received $1.499 billion through the Federal Highway Administration's Bridge Investment Program. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/interstate-bridge-replacement-program-awarded-1-499-billion-fhwa-bridge-investment-program-grant/ #InterstateBridgeReplacement #Interstate5BridgeReplacement #IBR #FederalHighwayAdministration #BridgeInvestmentProgram #ColumbiaRiver #TransportationImprovements #WashingtonGovJayInslee #OregonGovTinaKotek #IBRAdministratorGregJohnson #VancouverWa #ClarkCountyWa #ClarkCountyNews #ClarkCountyToday

Transport Topics is the news leader in trucking and freight transportation. Today's daily briefing includes news about Kenworth making a California-compliant engine available in three models, a 19-state coalition suing five other states over their actions concerning energy companies, and an FHWA strategy to make roadways safer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shailen Bhatt, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, discusses a $148 million round of grants aimed at reducing emission from large trucks at ports. Also, OOIDA advises everyone to avoid lease-purchase agreements at all costs, but some might wonder why. We'll take a look. And FMCSA has made some changes to the pilot program designed to bring drivers under 21 years of age into the interstate trucking workforce. We'll have an update. 0:00 – Newscast  10:22 – FHWA grants meant to replace trucks at ports 24:59 – OOIDA: Avoid the problems with lease-purchase agreements 40:23 – FMCSA tweaks under-21 pilot program to attract more people

Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! On today's episode, we talk with Fred Wagner, partner with Venable, LLP about NEPA, the Future of the Supreme Court, and the Cherry Blossom Festival.   Read his full bio below.Help us continue to create great content! If you'd like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-formShowtimes: 1:54  Nic & Laura talk about burnout9:48  Interview starts10:09  Cherry Blossom Festival21:35  NEPA34:11  Future of the Supreme CourtPlease be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Fred Wagner at linkedin.com/in/fred-wagner-59043019Guest Bio:Fred Wagner focuses his practice on environmental and natural resources issues associated with major infrastructure, mining and energy project development. Fred helps clients manage and then defend in court environmental reviews performed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or equivalent state statutes. He works with public agencies and private developers to secure permits and approvals from federal and state regulators under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Fred is familiar with the full range of issues surrounding USDOT surface transportation programs, including grant management, procurement, suspension and debarment, and safety regulations. During his career, Fred has handled a wide variety of environmental litigation in federal trial and appellate courts across the country, from citizen suits, to government enforcement actions, to Administration Procedure Act (APA) challenges.Fred was appointed Chief Counsel of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during the Obama administration. He managed all legal matters involving the $40 billion Federal-Aid Highway program, including environmental and natural resources issues for highway and multimodal transportation projects. Among other high-profile projects, he oversaw the agency's defense of the following:  New York's Tappan Zee Bridge, San Francisco's Presidio Parkway, Chicago's Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, Kentucky and Indiana's Ohio River Bridges, North Carolina's Bonner Bridge, Alabama's Birmingham Northern Beltline, Wisconsin's Zoo Interchange, and Washington's State Road 520 Bridge. He represented the FHWA on government-wide Transportation Rapid Response Team, a multi-agency task force focused on improving project delivery and environmental review reforms.Fred began his career as a trial attorney in the Environment Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Misdemeanor Trial Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Venable, he spent more than 20 years in private practice at a national law firm focusing on environmental and natural resources issues.Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MullerSupport the showThanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

A significant developmental rule concerning electric vehicles (EVs), championed by the Biden administration, had been met with stern disapproval by a federal judge appointed during the Trump presidency. The judge labeled the mandate as an 'inconsistent and whimsical' breach of both legislative rights and the balancing act of powers outlined in the U.S. Constitution. This culminated in no fewer than 21 states launching a suit against the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), protesting against a rule-finalized on the eve of the 2023 Thanksgiving event. The regulation pushed states to establish specific goals focusing on the reduction of greenhouse gases for federally financed roadway constructions. Per the judicial verdict, the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Kentucky sided with the abovementioned 21 states, offering decisive relief and ruling that the FHWA had overstepped its legal domain. Yet, the court fell short of completely barring the enforcement of the rule or entirely revoking it. U.S. District Judge Benjamin Beaton laid the foundation for his judgment. Beaton wrote: 'Even given the assumption that it is within the purview of the Administrator to establish environmental norms encompassing CO2, the execution of such authority has been inconsistent and whimsical.' Several critics of the ruling argue that there exist explicit ties between reductions in vehicle-emitted gases and the allocation of federal funding. One such individual is the Republican Senator from North Dakota, Kevin Cramer, who seems convinced that the Biden administration's emphasis on this rule is a veiled promotion of EVs. He believes it's meant to curb the usage of traditional, combustion-based vehicles in favor of electrically powered ones. Additional federal bodies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHTSA), have brought forth policies stipulating a considerable increase in EV production in the coming years. These regulations have fueled the conservative opposition to the federal government's perceived active interference into state rights and policies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Federal Highway Administration is proposing to discontinue its more than 40-year old general waiver of Buy America requirements for manufactured products and, in doing so, require FHWA recipients to start applying Buy America requirements to such products.

FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to talk about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and how it will impact communities taking advantage of the various funding opportunities it provides. He also discusses safety and why it's his top priority in his role, and what it will take to see improvement in this area. He also shares his views on leadership and its importance in his career and beyond.Listen to ITE Talks Transportation podcast

Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt joins the ITE Talks Transportation Podcast to talk about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and how it will impact communities taking advantage of the various funding opportunities it provides. He also discusses safety and why it's his top priority in his role, and what it will take to see improvement in this area. He also shares his views on leadership and its importance in his career and beyond.

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe economic system is breaking down, Europe is feeling it first, this will spread across the globe. The green new scam is falling apart just like the US economy. There is no hiding it anymore. The people know. The [DS] sees the writing on the wall, they tried everything to remove Trump. They failed in their attempt to make sure that he wasn't the nominee. The people are behind Trump and the [DS] is now panicking. The [DS] is now sending messages that they want to assassinate Trump. Remember the tyrannical government is made up of the FBI, DHS, DOJ etc. They are all in on it. What happens if text and emails appear showing they colluded to assassinate Trump, game over.   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Economy More than 47,000 UK businesses on ‘brink of collapse', warn insolvency experts More than 47,000 UK companies are on the brink of collapse after a 25% jump in the number of businesses facing “critical” financial distress in the final three months of 2023, according to a report. It marks the second consecutive quarter-on-quarter period when critical financial distress has risen by a 25%, the latest “Red Flag” report by insolvency specialists Begbies Traynor found. Source: theguardian.com Here's Why The Biden Admin's Multi-Billion Dollar EV Charging Program Has Short-Circuited The Biden administration has designated billions of taxpayer dollars to build electric vehicle (EV) chargers, but lagging market demand and government red tape are getting in the way, according to experts who spoke with the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced Thursday that it was awarding $150 million to upgrade existing public EV chargers, just one week after announcing another $623 million in subsidies to states to bolster EV charger construction. The grants from the FHWA are part of two EV charger programs established by the Biden administration in the November 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program, which were designated collectively $7.5 billion for charger construction and upgrades. However, there have only two stations have been built due to NEVI as of December, according to the Department of Transportation, with experts telling the DCNF that lack of demand, regulations and union requirements are stalling construction.   The EV charger rollout carries a number of restrictions, stalling progress on their installation. For example, there is an FHWA provision requiring all electricians working on the project to be certified by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union's Electric Vehicle Industry Training Program or have obtained certification from a Department of Labor-approved certification program with charger-  “So it's unlikely that these things are going to meet the need, and the government can't determine what that need is anyway,” Kish told the DCNF. “They don't have the capability of doing that. Intrapreneurs, people looking at the market and saying, ‘Hey, we ought to put in some EV chargers; we can make some money on the side,' would be the way for this to actually happen, but that's not what this program is. This program is ‘Give money to groups that will support us in the election.'” Many have also raised concerns about the EV charging stations' reliability, with drivers in Chicago in January being unable to charge their EVs due to the frigid temperatures.

The Federal Highway Administration is taking nominations for a new advisory board that could help the agency toward an entirely new system for funding highways. Also, Christmas is more than 10 weeks away, but preparations for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree ceremony are in full swing. Two Werner drivers will do the honor of picking up the tree and delivering it to Washington, D.C. And load-to-truck ratios increased for all three equipment types last week. We'll get the latest details on what the spot market looks like as shippers and retailers close out the third quarter. 0:00 – Newscast  10:07– Feds want advice on switching to VMT 25:00– Capitol Christmas Tree gets ready to move 39:28 – Spot market ends third quarter

FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt talks about his agency's role in addressing the truck parking shortage, when the issue first reached his radar, what he's doing in Wyoming this week and more. Also, few things will create anxiety more quickly than finding you're going to be the subject of an IRS audit. We'll get an idea of what the risks are and what you can do to reduce them from Shasta May of MBA Tax and Bookkeeping Service. And a California bill intended to slow efforts to put autonomous trucks without safety drivers on state roadways has swept through the statehouse, despite opposition from the governor. 0:00 – Newscast  09:51 – What the feds are doing about truck parking 24:34 – Avoiding an IRS audit 39:18 – Keeping drivers in autonomous trucks

Transport Topics is the news leader in trucking and freight transportation. Today's daily briefing includes news about FHWA grants to repair and replace existing electric vehicle charging infrastructure, a federal appeals court hearing on Rhode Island's trucks-only tolling, and trailer production forecasts.

Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! On today's episode, we talk with Fred Wagner, partner with Venable, LLP about Phase II NEPA Regulations, the Future of WotUS, and Upcoming Supreme Court Case.   Read his full bio below.Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode VENABLE, LLP!   Check them out at https://www.venable.com/Venable is one of the nation's leading law firms. Venable's management reflects a commitment to Diversity and Inclusion through a broad category of hiring, training and educational activities. The Firm's Environmental Practice Group works with clients across the country on major infrastructure development, including NEPA compliance and resource agency permitting. Venable encourages volunteer activities in professional environmental associations, as reflected by Fred Wagner's membership on the NAEP Board of Directors.Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Fred Wagner at linkedin.com/in/fred-wagner-59043019Guest Bio:Fred Wagner focuses his practice on environmental and natural resources issues associated with major infrastructure, mining and energy project development. Fred helps clients manage and then defend in court environmental reviews performed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or equivalent state statutes. He works with public agencies and private developers to secure permits and approvals from federal and state regulators under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Fred is familiar with the full range of issues surrounding USDOT surface transportation programs, including grant management, procurement, suspension and debarment, and safety regulations. During his career, Fred has handled a wide variety of environmental litigation in federal trial and appellate courts across the country, from citizen suits, to government enforcement actions, to Administration Procedure Act (APA) challenges.Fred was appointed Chief Counsel of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during the Obama administration. He managed all legal matters involving the $40 billion Federal-Aid Highway program, including environmental and natural resources issues for highway and multimodal transportation projects. Among other high-profile projects, he oversaw the agency's defense of the following:  New York's Tappan Zee Bridge, San Francisco's Presidio Parkway, Chicago's Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, Kentucky and Indiana's Ohio River Bridges, North Carolina's Bonner Bridge, Alabama's Birmingham Northern Beltline, Wisconsin's Zoo Interchange, and Washington's State Road 520 Bridge. He represented the FHWA on government-wide Transportation Rapid Response Team, a multi-agency task force focused on improving project delivery and environmental review reforms.Fred began his career as a trial attorney in the Environment Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Misdemeanor Trial Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Venable, he spent more than 20 years in private practice aSupport the showThanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

To learn more please visit the links below: ReConnect Rondo 2023 Inaugural Reconnecting Communities Summit - ReConnect RondoFunding - ReConnect RondoReConnect Rondo - ReConnect RondoReconnect Communities Grant Program  Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program | US Department of TransportationBiden-Harris Administration Announces First-Ever Awards from Program to Reconnect Communities | US Department of TransportationPast, Present, and Future of Reconnecting Communities (arcgis.com)

4th National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather give organizations working in the severe weather and maintenance operations space an opportunity to showcase their recent efforts to advance the state of the practice through collaboration, research, technical support, and implementation.  This briefing features the FHWA Road Weather Management Program.This briefing series is produced in collaboration with the AASHTO Maintenance Committee, the Maintenance Operations Technical Working Group, and the Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program - SICOP.Watch the video at this link:https://youtu.be/Xr8vjJ7Px00For more information contact:Jeremy McGuffey at jeremy.mcguffey@dot.govDavid Johnson (Team Lead) at david.johnson@dot.gov Ray Murphy (Resource Center) at ray.Murphy@dot.gov Visit the Road Weather Management website https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/index.aspRWMO Outreach Publications: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/resources/publications.htmSICOP Talks Winter Ops is always looking for interesting topics and guests to visit with regarding winter maintenance and road weather. If you have any ideas for future episodes contact Rick Nelson at rnelson@aashto.org or our our co-producer Scott Lucas at SELucas@columbus.gov

FHWA recently launched its Wildlife Crossings Program, approving $350 million for wildlife crossing projects to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity. The Oregon Department of Transportation has set a successful wildlife corridor program, reducing 86% of wildlife-vehicle collisions. In this episode, Cidney Bowman, Wildlife Passage Program Coordinator with Oregon DOT, speaks on the state's work.

FHWA recently launched its Wildlife Crossing Program, approving $350 million for wildlife crossing projects to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity. The Oregon Department of Transportation has set a successful wildlife corridor, reducing 86% of wildlife-vehicle collisions. In this episode, Cidney Bowman, Wildlife Passage Program Coordinator with the Oregon Department of Transporation speaks on Oregon's accomplishing work.

Larry is enjoying some time in the Mountains with family, so we reached out to our friends at ProMiles and are excited to have Tony Stroncheck join Chris as Co-Host of this episode. Tony also hosts the Trucking with ProMiles Podcast with Steven Todd. About Tony: Mr. Stroncheck started working in the Transportation Industry in 1989 for Owens & Associates with his then father in law. In 1991, he purchased fuel tax reporting software from his long friend and now partner Mr. Tim Pilcher. In 1992, Mr. Stroncheck took control of Owen & Associates and changed the name to Road Legal Inc. In the 20 years since the company started, it has filed over 15,000 operating authorities and permits with the ICC and FHWA. After discussing the idea for a couple of years, the two founders decided to work together to create a mileage program. In 1993, Messrs. Pilcher and Stroncheck started working together to create and market a mileage guide to the trucking industry. The first program was introduced in the spring of 1993 and was called the EZ Permanent Mileage Guide. This program provided driving miles only for the continental United States. In 1994, driving directions and state mileage breakouts were added, and the product was renamed EZP Plus. 1995 saw the launch of the first windows version of the program called EZP for Windows. In 1995, Mr. Stroncheck made a deal with industry software leader JJ Keller & Associates to market the EZP for windows software. In order to do so, Canada had to be added to the program's database. Mr. Stroncheck launched their product in the spring of 1996 and chose the name ProMiles for it. When ProMiles was launched, it broke ground on many new features that have become standard for trucking mileage guides. It was also the first trucking mileage guide to have geographically accurate maps. In 1997, the company introduced the first trucking mileage guide on the Internet. In the summer of 1998, the founders consolidated the software development from ATSP and Road Legal and formed the company ProMiles Software Development Corporation (PSDC). 1999 was a busy year for Mr. Stroncheck and the company. PSDC moved to a large office on Texas Avenue in Bridge City and set up an Internet server farm. PSDC doubled its staff and prepared for a large marketing push. Unfortunately, just as PSDC started realizing results from this marketing push in February of 2000, the price of fuel jumped to over $2.00 a gallon in many places and trucking technology purchases collapsed. With development funds exhausted and several promising leads developing in the trucking Internet market, PSDC refocused on developing Internet applications.

Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick!On today's episode, our fabulous legal guru, Fred Wagner, Partner with Venable, LLP.,  is back for the 6th time! Tune in to hear our conversation about  Music Theater, Waters of the U.S., and Green House Gas Reporting Disclosures. Read his full bio below.Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode VENABLE, LLP!   Check them out at https://www.venable.com/Showtimes:2:36  Nic & Laura discuss the Expendables movie franchise7:17  Interview with Fred Wagner starts7:43  Music Theater21:07  Waters of the U.S.38:23   GHG reporting disclosuresPlease be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review.This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Fred Wagner at linkedin.com/in/fred-wagner-59043019Guest Full Bio:Fred Wagner focuses his practice on environmental and natural resources issues associated with major infrastructure, mining and energy project development. Fred helps clients manage and then defend in court environmental reviews performed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or equivalent state statutes. He works with public agencies and private developers to secure permits and approvals from federal and state regulators under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Fred is familiar with the full range of issues surrounding USDOT surface transportation programs, including grant management, procurement, suspension and debarment, and safety regulations. During his career, Fred has handled a wide variety of environmental litigation in federal trial and appellate courts across the country, from citizen suits, to government enforcement actions, to Administration Procedure Act (APA) challenges.Fred was appointed Chief Counsel of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during the Obama administration. He managed all legal matters involving the $40 billion Federal-Aid Highway program, including environmental and natural resources issues for highway and multimodal transportation projects. Among other high-profile projects, he oversaw the agency's defense of the following:  New York's Tappan Zee Bridge, San Francisco's Presidio Parkway, Chicago's Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, Kentucky and Indiana's Ohio River Bridges, North Carolina's Bonner Bridge, Alabama's Birmingham Northern Beltline, Wisconsin's Zoo Interchange, and Washington's State Road 520 Bridge. He represented the FHWA on government-wide Transportation Rapid Response Team, a multi-agency task force focused on improving project delivery and environmental review reforms.Fred began his career as a trial attorney in the Environment Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Misdemeanor Trial Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Venable, he spent more than 20 years in private practice at a national law firm focusing on environmental and natural resources issues.Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MullerSupport the show

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), part of the Transportation Department, must oversee spending of some $350 billion from the infrastructure bill. Now the FHWA has a new executive director. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the 20-year veteran of the agency, Gloria Shepherd.

On this week's Talking Michigan Transportation, a conversation on two timely topics with long-time friend of the podcast, Lloyd Brown, of HDR. First, a reaction to recent news that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) advised the New Jersey Department of Transportation to discontinue the use of humorous messages on changeable message signs. Brown has done some research on the use of humor in communications and offers insights he's gathered. As reported on NJ.com, FHWA officials said in an e-mail, “The Federal Highway Administration is aware of the changeable message signs and has reached out to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).”The story said the FHWA did not answer questions asking for more details, including why it asked NJDOT to discontinue use of the messages or how it has handled other states that use humor to get attention to safety issues.The answer to why the signs were disallowed might be in the 31-paragraph ruling about “Uses of, and Nonstandard Syntax on Changeable Message Signs” issued on Jan. 4, 2021, by the U.S. DOT and FHWA. In a second segment, Brown talks about what the rapid changes at Twitter and slashing of the work force by new owner Elon Musk could mean to DOTs that have used the platform as a vital and interactive tool to communicate in real time with travelers. As reported in the New York Times, spoof messages and parody accounts have proliferated in recent days, including some that impersonate state DOTs. This raises questions about whether government agencies will eventually abandon the platform in search of others with some degree of content monitoring and regulation. 

Welcome to episode 24 of Haulin' Notes! This month's guests are Craig Lack and Roy "Buddy" Walls of Carrier Software. For more than two decades, Carrier Software has worked with motor carriers, industry experts, and the data professionals at FMCSA, FHWA, and CSA. Now, the innovative team of data analysts and programmers at Carrier Software have developed a robust, 3 tier suite of safety improvement tools engineered to simplify and streamline safety data management. Want to make sure you never miss a Haulin' Notes episode? Click here to sign up for email notifications!

Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! On today's episode, we talk with Fred Wagner, Partner with Venable, LLP about Court Cases, the CEQ Phase II Rule, and Monza.   Read his full bio below.Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode VENABLE, LLP!   Check them out at https://www.venable.com/Help us continue to create great content! If you'd like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form Showtimes: 1:40  Nic & Laura talk about what makes a good storyteller5:58 Interview with Fred Wagner starts20:02  Court Cases36:05  CEQ Phase II Rule57:28  MonzaPlease be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Fred Wagner at linkedin.com/in/fred-wagner-59043019Guest Bio:Fred Wagner focuses his practice on environmental and natural resources issues associated with major infrastructure, mining and energy project development. Fred helps clients manage and then defend in court environmental reviews performed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or equivalent state statutes. He works with public agencies and private developers to secure permits and approvals from federal and state regulators under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Fred is familiar with the full range of issues surrounding USDOT surface transportation programs, including grant management, procurement, suspension and debarment, and safety regulations. During his career, Fred has handled a wide variety of environmental litigation in federal trial and appellate courts across the country, from citizen suits, to government enforcement actions, to Administration Procedure Act (APA) challenges.Fred was appointed Chief Counsel of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during the Obama administration. He managed all legal matters involving the $40 billion Federal-Aid Highway program, including environmental and natural resources issues for highway and multimodal transportation projects. Among other high-profile projects, he oversaw the agency's defense of the following:  New York's Tappan Zee Bridge, San Francisco's Presidio Parkway, Chicago's Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, Kentucky and Indiana's Ohio River Bridges, North Carolina's Bonner Bridge, Alabama's Birmingham Northern Beltline, Wisconsin's Zoo Interchange, and Washington's State Road 520 Bridge. He represented the FHWA on government-wide Transportation Rapid Response Team, a multi-agency task force focused on improving project delivery and environmental review reforms.Fred began his career as a trial attorney in the Environment Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Misdemeanor Trial Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Venable, he spent more than 20 years in private practice at a national law firm focusing on environmental and natural resources issues.Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MullerSupport the show

In another special roving podcast, ENR editors Aileen Cho and Jeff Yoders talked to attendees of the 2022 FutureTech conference in San Francisco, including FHWA senior construction engineer David Unkefer.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2022/08/04/reminder-mta-bridges-and-tunnels-nysdot-nycdot-and-fhwa-to-release-congestion-pricing-environmental-assessment-on-wednesday-aug-10-and-kick-off-public-hearings-on-thursday-aug-25/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/support

LLN (7/11/22) – Last week, the Federal Highway Administration proposed setting targets states and cities would be required to meet regarding greenhouse gas emissions. And, needless to say, it's generating some controversy. And needless to say, it's generating some controversy. Also, in an effort to help owner-operators understand the current and future state of the freight market, the OOIDA Foundation has created a monthly market update. Andrew King, the Foundation's research analyst, talks about this new update, and how it can help owner-operators make informed decisions. And a lot goes into deciding your insurance rate. The experts from OOIDA's Truck Insurance Department explain how rates are calculated and what can cause increases.  0:00 – Newscast. 10:11 – New market report. 25:05 – Insurance rates. 39:53 – FHWA and greenhouse gases.

Digital project delivery; paperless construction. It's a goal of many organizations, especially those embracing Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology. In the latest episode of Let's Be Civil, our hosts will break down the top insights shared on a recent BIM panel discussion. DOT, FHWA, and consultant representatives shared their perspectives on the importance and evolution of BIM - and we're here to talk about it. From the team that brought you detailed dives into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and industry cybersecurity, comes a new exploration of the technologies that will drive the future of decision-making, maintenance, reporting, and more.

Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! On today's episode, we talk with Fred Wager, partner with Venable, LLP about Waters of the US, GHG Emissions, and the Supreme Court.   Read his full bio below.Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode VENABLE, LLP!   Check them out at https://www.venable.com/Help us continue to create great content! If you'd like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form Showtimes: 2:19  Nic & Laura's talk about Illustrious Theater Careers7:03  Interview with Fred Wagner Starts12:55  Supreme Court18:22  Waters of the U.S.29:17  GHG EmissionsPlease be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Fred Wagner at linkedin.com/in/fred-wagner-59043019Guest Bio:Fred Wagner focuses his practice on environmental and natural resources issues associated with major infrastructure, mining and energy project development. Fred helps clients manage and then defend in court environmental reviews performed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or equivalent state statutes. He works with public agencies and private developers to secure permits and approvals from federal and state regulators under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Fred is familiar with the full range of issues surrounding USDOT surface transportation programs, including grant management, procurement, suspension and debarment, and safety regulations. During his career, Fred has handled a wide variety of environmental litigation in federal trial and appellate courts across the country, from citizen suits, to government enforcement actions, to Administration Procedure Act (APA) challenges.Fred was appointed Chief Counsel of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during the Obama administration. He managed all legal matters involving the $40 billion Federal-Aid Highway program, including environmental and natural resources issues for highway and multimodal transportation projects. Among other high-profile projects, he oversaw the agency's defense of the following:  New York's Tappan Zee Bridge, San Francisco's Presidio Parkway, Chicago's Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, Kentucky and Indiana's Ohio River Bridges, North Carolina's Bonner Bridge, Alabama's Birmingham Northern Beltline, Wisconsin's Zoo Interchange, and Washington's State Road 520 Bridge. He represented the FHWA on government-wide Transportation Rapid Response Team, a multi-agency task force focused on improving project delivery and environmental review reforms.Fred began his career as a trial attorney in the Environment Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Misdemeanor Trial Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Venable, he spent more than 20 years in private practice at a national law firm focusing on environmental and natural resources issues.Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MullerSupport the show

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) created the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to facilitate collaboration between the US Department of Energy and the US Department of Transportation. The Joint Office will align resources and expertise across the two departments toward leveraged outcomes. The office will be a critical component in the implementation of the BIL, providing support and expertise to a multitude of programs that seek to deploy a network of electric vehicle chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses. BIL also created what is now being called the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula program or NEVI. In early February, FHWA released the guidance for the NEVI program and the state departments of transportation are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on developing state EV infrastructure deployment plans that will be submitted to the Joint Office by Aug. 1, 2022 In the meantime, state DOTs are partnering with their sister state agencies like state energy offices and working with the Joint Office to leverage the expertise and technical assistance available through this interagency partnership. Today we're joined on the ETAP podcast by Dr. Rachael Nealer, the Deputy Director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) created the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to facilitate collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Joint Office will align resources and expertise across the two departments toward leveraged outcomes. The office will be a critical component in the implementation of the BIL, providing support and expertise to a multitude of programs that seek to deploy a network of electric vehicle chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses. BIL also created what is now being called the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula program or NEVI. In early February, FHWA released the guidance for the NEVI program and the state departments of transportation are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on developing state EV infrastructure deployment plans that will be submitted to the Joint Office by Aug. 1, 2022 In the meantime, state DOTs are partnering with their sister state agencies like state energy offices and working with the Joint Office to leverage the expertise and technical assistance available through this interagency partnership. Today we're joined on the ETAP podcast by Rachael Nealer, the Deputy Director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.

Listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Tony Coventry of the FHWA's Road Weather Management Program and Kyle Garrett of Synesis Partners about the Integrated Modeling for Road Condition Prediction or IMRCP.When it comes to road weather management there have been a few major advances in the way agencies manage roadway networks during weather events.  The latest under developed through a series of pilots is the Integrated Modeling for Road Condition Prediction or IMRCP.  Modeling the performance of a roadway network during a weather event marks a milestone in understanding and prediction just how it will perform provides a practical tool to support operational decision making, maintenance planning, and traveler information.Tony and Kyle describe the beginnings of the program, where its going in the future, and how it can help agencies achieve their maintenance and road network operation mission during weather events.Follow these links to learn more about IMRCP:Tony Coventry tony.coventry@dot.govKyle Garrett kyle.garrett@synesis-partners.comRepository & Open Science Access Portal (ROSA P) search on IMRCPhttps://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/gsearch?collection=&terms=imrcpFHWA Road Weather Management Program https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/index.asp 

Episode Summary:  Listen to national experts and certified planners, Keli Kemp and Kirsten Mote, and guest Jennifer Zhan, all with Modern Mobility Partners, talk about what planners can do to develop a proactive grant strategy.  Listeners will learn the following in Episode 7: Background on Federal discretionary transportation grants – what they are, how they are advertised, and their recent history How grants play an important role for everyone and how they can benefit the public How grants are focusing on equity, sustainability, resilience, and climate change and what that means for the types of projects that are being selected for funding How innovation and technology is playing a role in discretionary grants 7 steps to planning a proactive grant strategy Links: R.3684 – Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act legislation text https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684 Federal Highway Administration “one-stop shop” for FHWA's IIJA implementation https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/ Justice40 Initiative https://www.transportation.gov/equity-Justice40 RAISE Grants https://www.transportation.gov/RAISEgrants   Co-Hosts: Keli Kemp, AICP, PTP has almost 25 years of experience in transportation planning and consulting and co-founded Modern Mobility Partners in in early 2018 with Jennifer Zhan. Keli holds a M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University. Kirsten Mote, AICP has over 13 years of experience in transportation planning and most recently got certified by MIT's Media Lab in their Beyond Smart Cities program. Kirsten holds a Master of City and Regional Planning from Georgia Tech. Guest Speaker: Jennifer Zhan, AICP, PTP has over 20 years of experience in planning and engineering and is co-founder of Modern Mobility Partners. Jen holds a M.S. in Civil Engineering from Clemson University, as well as an M.S. in Human Geography/GIS and a B.S. in Urban / Regional Planning from Nanjing University in China. Modern Mobility Partners is an Atlanta-based women and minority-owned transportation planning and traffic engineering consulting firm.  Service areas include transportation planning, travel demand modeling, traffic and revenue forecasting, traffic engineering, project prioritization and performance measures, funding strategies and grant applications, all looking through a lens of new and emerging technologies. If you are interested in learning more about Modern Mobility Partners, please visit www.modernmobilitypartners.com.  If you are interested in becoming a guest on our podcast, please email podcast@modernmobilitypartners.com.

Episode Summary:  Listen to national experts and certified planners, Keli Kemp, Kirsten Mote, and guest Amber Berg, all with Modern Mobility Partners, talk about what transportation planners need to know about the new programs and program requirements from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.  Listeners will learn the following in Episode 6: Changes to existing formula and discretionary Federal transportation funding programs due to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act An understanding of new Federal transportation funding programs Key considerations for making grant applications for transportation projects more competitive under the current Administration Programs that fund innovative technologies and studies to make transportation projects stronger Links: R.3684 – Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act legislation text https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684 Federal Highway Administration “one-stop shop” for FHWA's IIJA implementation https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/ USDOT State by State Fact Sheets https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/usdot-releases-state-state-fact-sheets-highlighting-benefits-bipartisan FTA article on transit funds from IIJA https://www.transit.dot.gov/about/news/us-department-transportation-announces-key-priorities-funding-public-transportation FTA Transit Program Fact Sheets https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/fta-program-fact-sheets-under-bipartisan-infrastructure-law American Road & Transportation Builders Association IIJA Economic Impact Analysis https://www.artba.org/economics/iija-impact/states/?profile=GA FHWA FAST Act fact sheets https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/fastact/factsheets/ National Association of Counties Legislative Analysis for Counties naco.org/resources/legislative-analysis-counties-infrastructure-investment-jobs-act Co-Hosts: Keli Kemp, AICP, PTP has almost 25 years of experience in transportation planning and consulting and co-founded Modern Mobility Partners in in early 2018 with Jennifer Zhan. Keli holds a M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University. Kirsten Mote, AICP has over 13 years of experience in transportation planning and most recently got certified by MIT's Media Lab in their Beyond Smart Cities program. Kirsten holds a Master of City and Regional Planning from Georgia Tech. Guest Speaker: Amber Berg, AICP is a transportation planner with Modern Mobility Partners, specializing in visual communication and active transportation. She has a master's degree in Regional and Community Planning from Kansas State University. Modern Mobility Partners is an Atlanta-based women and minority-owned transportation planning and traffic engineering consulting firm.  Service areas include transportation planning, travel demand modeling, traffic and revenue forecasting, traffic engineering, project prioritization and performance measures, funding strategies and grant applications, all looking through a lens of new and emerging technologies. If you are interested in learning more about Modern Mobility Partners, please visit www.modernmobilitypartners.com.  If you are interested in becoming a guest on our podcast, please email podcast@modernmobilitypartners.com.

Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick!On today's episode, we talk with Fred Wager, partner with Venable, LLP about Iceland, Justice 40 and CEQ Rulemaking.   Read his full bio below.Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode VENABLE, LLP!   Check them out at https://www.venable.com/Help us continue to create great content! If you'd like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-formShowtimes: 2:30  Nic & Laura talk about the Northern Lights11:05  Interview with Fred Wagner starts13:07  Fred talks about Iceland16:55  CEQ Rulemaking, Phase I33:33  Phase II41:29  Justice 40Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review.This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Fred Wagner at linkedin.com/in/fred-wagner-59043019Guest Full Bio:Fred Wagner focuses his practice on environmental and natural resources issues associated with major infrastructure, mining and energy project development. Fred helps clients manage and then defend in court environmental reviews performed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or equivalent state statutes. He works with public agencies and private developers to secure permits and approvals from federal and state regulators under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Fred is familiar with the full range of issues surrounding USDOT surface transportation programs, including grant management, procurement, suspension and debarment, and safety regulations. During his career, Fred has handled a wide variety of environmental litigation in federal trial and appellate courts across the country, from citizen suits, to government enforcement actions, to Administration Procedure Act (APA) challenges.Fred was appointed Chief Counsel of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during the Obama administration. He managed all legal matters involving the $40 billion Federal-Aid Highway program, including environmental and natural resources issues for highway and multimodal transportation projects. Among other high-profile projects, he oversaw the agency's defense of the following:  New York's Tappan Zee Bridge, San Francisco's Presidio Parkway, Chicago's Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, Kentucky and Indiana's Ohio River Bridges, North Carolina's Bonner Bridge, Alabama's Birmingham Northern Beltline, Wisconsin's Zoo Interchange, and Washington's State Road 520 Bridge. He represented the FHWA on government-wide Transportation Rapid Response Team, a multi-agency task force focused on improving project delivery and environmental review reforms.Fred began his career as a trial attorney in the Environment Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Misdemeanor Trial Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Venable, he spent more than 20 years in private practice at a national law firm focusing on environmental and natural resources issues. Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MullerSupport the show

Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! On today's episode, we bring back Fred Wager, partner with Venable, LLP to talk about Practicing Law, Policy Updates, and Infrastructure.  Read his full bio below.Thank you to Venable, LLP. for sponsoring this episode! Check out Venable at www.venable.comHelp us continue to create great content! If you'd like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-formShowtimes: 0:00  Intro1:35  Shout outs2:48  Nic and Laura's talk about phobias10:17  Interview with Fred Wagner starts15:12  Fred talks about practicing law25:33  Fred delves into the history of environmental law32:28  Infrastructure Bill38:01  NEPA policy updates46:35  Fred provides a summary of environmental justice updates50:18  OutroPlease be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Fred Wagner at linkedin.com/in/fred-wagner-59043019Guest Full Bio:Fred began his career as a trial attorney in the Environment Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Misdemeanor Trial Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Venable, he spent more than 20 years in private practice at a national law firm focusing on environmental and natural resources issues.  During his career, Fred has handled a wide variety of environmental litigation in federal trial and appellate courts across the country, from citizen suits, to government enforcement actions, to Administration Procedure Act (APA) challenges.Fred was appointed Chief Counsel of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during the Obama administration. He managed all legal matters involving the $40 billion Federal-Aid Highway program, including environmental and natural resources issues for highway and multimodal transportation projects. Among other high-profile projects, he oversaw the agency's defense of the following:  New York's Tappan Zee Bridge, San Francisco's Presidio Parkway, Chicago's Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, Kentucky and Indiana's Ohio River Bridges, North Carolina's Bonner Bridge, Alabama's Birmingham Northern Beltline, Wisconsin's Zoo Interchange, and Washington's State Road 520 Bridge. He represented the FHWA on government-wide Transportation Rapid Response Team, a multi-agency task force focused on improving project delivery and environmental review reforms.Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by MattSupport the show (https://www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form)

Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! On today's episode, we talk with Michelle Rau, Environmental Project Manager and NEPA Practice Lead at Jacobs, and NAEP Secretary as well as Education Committee co-chair, about NASA NEPA, working on the move, and celebrity fails! Read her full bio below.Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode DAWSON.Help us continue to create great content! If you'd like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-formShowtimes: 0:00  Intro1:00  Shout outs1:49  Nic and Laura talk about stand up comedy9:03  Interview with Michelle Rau starts12:29  Michelle discusses career transitioning and gives career advice19:56  Michelle talks about NEPA's role in her projects23:20  Field Notes Segment-Michelle's celebrity fails28:01  Michelle talks about the importance of down time33:03  Working on the move38:11  OutroPlease be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Michelle Rau atlinkedin.com/in/michelle-rau-pmp-mba-02745120Guest Full Bio:Michelle Rau has nearly 25 years of experience as an environmental planner and project manager. At Jacobs she currently serves as the NEPA practice manager and leads a group of nearly 200 environmental practitioners. She works as a project manager, sales lead and technical lead on Federal environmental compliance projects, including large scale and controversial EISs, which involve individual projects with more than a billion dollars of infrastructure. She has managed nearly all aspects of the environmental compliance process, including NEPA, Executive Order (EO) 12114 (international NEPA), Clean Water Act 404 permits, ESA Section 7 consultations, NHPA Section 106 consultations and state, county, and regional permits. She has worked for many federal clients, including DoD (Army, Air Force, USACE, DARPA and NGA), NASA, BLM, FEMA, FHWA and NSF. Michelle has been an active member of NAEP for over 10 years, and currently serves on the NEAP Board of Directors, where she is the NAEP Secretary.  She also serves as the education committee co-chair, is the executive sponsor for the Environmental Justice Working Group and actively engages with the conference planning committees.Michelle currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida and works in the Jacobs Tampa office.Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending SoSupport the show (https://www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form)

Join host Jeanne Acutanza as she chats with Dr. Jeralee Anderson, CEO and Co-Founder of Greenroads International, a globally recognized independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization leading the green and equitable transformation of the transportation industry and infrastructure through education and the independent third-party sustainability certification of transportation projects.You can find out more about Greenroads at https://www.greenroads.org/ and check if there are projects in your area that meet the certification at https://www.greenroads.org/portfolioFind out more about Dr. Anderson here: https://www.greenroads.org/1622/ops-team.html.Dr. Anderson talks about a different but similar certification tool developed for FHWA that she worked on called INVEST. INVEST (Infrastructure Voluntary Evaluation Sustainability Tool) is a web-based self-evaluation tool comprised of voluntary sustainability best practices, called criteria, which cover the full lifecycle of transportation services, including system planning, project planning, design, and construction, and continuing through operations and maintenance. Find about it at https://www.sustainablehighways.org/These sustainability certifications for transportation infrastructure are voluntary and not currently required for infrastructure investments; however, these projects are often cost saving and contribute to a more sustainable future. These certifications are similar to the certification system developed by the US Green Building Council https://www.usgbc.org/ for sustainability called LEED. (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) You can learn more about that at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership_in_Energy_and_Environmental_DesignYou can watch the Ted Talk that Dr. Anderson mentions at: https://www.ted.com/talks/jeralee_anderson_how_can_we_build_greener_roads

Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! On today's episode, we talk with Fred Wager, partner with Venable, LLP. Fred is an environmental and natural resources attorney. His practice focuses on environmental and natural resources issues associated with major infrastructure, mining and energy project development. Read his full bio below.Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode VENABLE, LLP.! Check them out at https://www.venable.com/Help us continue to create great content! If you'd like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form Showtimes: 0:35 - NAEP Member Shoutouts (submit yours on the website - NOW!)2:05 - Nic and Laura delve into their past for early-career mistakes5:50 - Interview with Fred starts15:10 - Fred's funny field story 18:50 - Fred talks NEPA changes during the Biden transition26:54 - We discuss the September 2020 Final RulePlease be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Fred Wagner atlinkedin.com/in/fred-wagner-59043019Guest Full BioFred helps clients manage and then defend in court environmental reviews performed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or equivalent state statutes. He works with public agencies and private developers to secure permits and approvals from federal and state regulators under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Fred is familiar with the full range of issues surrounding USDOT surface transportation programs, including grant management, procurement, suspension and debarment, and safety regulations. During his career, Fred has handled a wide variety of environmental litigation in federal trial and appellate courts across the country, from citizen suits, to government enforcement actions, to Administration Procedure Act (APA) challenges.Fred was appointed Chief Counsel of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during the Obama administration. He managed all legal matters involving the $40 billion Federal-Aid Highway program, including environmental and natural resources issues for highway and multimodal transportation projects. Among other high-profile projects, he oversaw the agency's defense of the following:  New York's Tappan Zee Bridge, San Francisco's Presidio Parkway, Chicago's Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, Kentucky and Indiana's Ohio River Bridges, North Carolina's Bonner Bridge, Alabama's Birmingham Northern Beltline, Wisconsin's Zoo Interchange, and Washington's State Road 520 Bridge. He represented the FHWA on government-wide Transportation Rapid Response Team, a multi-agency task force focused on improving project delivery and environmental review reforms.Fred began his career as a trial attorney in the Environment Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Misdemeanor Trial Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Venable, he spent more than 20 years in private practice at a national law firm focusing on environmental and natural resources issues. Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MulSupport the show (https://www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form)

The big idea for this episode is to discuss the FIU Bridge Collapse with Gary Klein of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE). Mr. Klein takes exception to the NTSB/FHWA findings. This episode is technical, detailed, and assumes the listener has a general knowledge of the FIU bridge and collapse investigation. For a more general introduction to the FIU Bridge, please see Collapse of the FIU Pedestrian Bridge, Episode 1. Much of this conversation follows along with a presentation that Mr. Klein delivered to the AASHTO Committee on Construction 2020 annual meeting. For full show notes, see Build Big Ideas - Gary Klein of WJE: FIU Bridge Collapse and Exceptions to the NTSB Findings, Ep. 11. Outline and Notes of the Podcast Discussion Brief intro to Gary Klein career and qualifications - National Academy of Engineering member - WJE has a massive structural laboratory, not just computers and pencils - Expert witness experience: Hyatt Regency, Boston Central Artery, and more WJE exceptions to NTSB/FHWA findings - What is the role and incentives for an expert witness? - Obviously, you are committed to facts. Do you strive for impartiality? - Are NTSB, FHWA, and AASHTO aware of the WJE exceptions? Have they provided specific responses? Redundancy: internal, structural, load path - Was the designer responsible for checking the construction sequences? Interface shear transfer testing - Why not conservatively design the connection with enough shear reinforcement steel instead of relying on cohesion at a cold joint? - Is any structure ever constructed perfectly to spec? - Was the cold joint always intended during design, or added later during construction? Load factors and safety factors under dead load during construction - Was the AASHTO code really relevant to a concrete truss member? Lessons learned: EOR onsite, joint inspection, traffic closures for safety References Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE) materials: Presentation Slides Party Submission Report National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) materials: Video Summary (5 min) Final Report (154 pages) Threads to pull for future episodes What are the human stories that preceded the collapse? What thoughts do other knowledgeable people have about the collapse?