Top global transportation leaders meet in DC for key conference – WTOP News

Transportation leaders from around the world are coming to D.C. for one of the biggest conferences in the U.S.

Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is among the senior officials headlining the Transportation Research Board meeting, an annual event that brings together thousands of stakeholders, academics and experts to discuss myriad issues facing the transportation sector.

The conference — organized by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine — begins Sunday at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and runs through Thursday.

The timing is crucial, as more than $1.2 trillion in infrastructure funding from the two-year-old Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is allocated to cities and states.

The White House said D.C., Maryland and Virginia will receive over $18 billion in the next five years for roads, bridges, public transit, water projects and EV charging stations. This includes the bipartisan multibillion-dollar Bridge Investment Program. The Transportation Department has recently opened applications for agencies to access funding for bridge projects.

“When a bridge closes, it costs Americans time and money, disrupts supply chains across the region, and sometimes cuts off entire communities from vital resources,” Buttigieg said.

“Thanks to President [Joe] Biden, we are making the largest investment in America’s bridges since the construction of the interstate system, and these grants will help repair bridges in communities of all sizes, so we can get people and goods safely to where they need to be.”

Billions are also being invested in extensive rail improvements from Virginia to Baltimore to enhance service on the VRE, MARC and Amtrak lines. This includes the new $4.5 billion for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel in Baltimore, set to replace the 150-year-old Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel.

Transportation officials have stated that the old tunnel has long outlived its useful and safe operating life. Construction on the 1.4-mile tunnel is scheduled to begin this year, connecting Baltimore’s Penn Station to D.C. and Virginia.

“For years, we’ve been championing the expansion of rail to every corner of the Commonwealth because it’s a slam dunk for local economies, cuts traffic, and protects the environment,” Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner said in a joint statement.

“We’re thrilled the bipartisan infrastructure law is taking a big step towards expanding service across the entire Commonwealth so communities along the I-95 corridor and beyond can be connected by more convenient, consistent passenger rail.”

Virginia is set to receive nearly $730 million to expand the Long Bridge over the Potomac River, between Arlington and the District, expanding Amtrak and the VRE’s capacity.

The conference comes at a time when transportation leaders are working to lower the nation’s troubling traffic death toll, which was nearly 43,000 nationwide in 2022. However, for the first six months of 2023, deaths declined by 3% compared to 2022.

Traffic deaths in D.C. soared in 2023 to a 16-year high, and conference attendees will hear reports on how artificial intelligence and other technology could improve road safety. The conference will also feature panels and workshops focused on safety.

Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg is scheduled to participate in a panel examining the process for reducing highway fatalities on Monday. She and fellow panelists will discuss how they are leveraging research to implement roadway safety policies that are saving lives in their communities.

Port leaders are also participating at the conference, discussing the optimistic state of the nation’s land and sea facilities. This is especially relevant, as nearly $20 billion in federal funding is allocated to improve ports, reduce emissions and enhance overall access.

At the Port of Baltimore, a $500 million project is underway to extensively rebuild the more than 120-year-old Howard Street Tunnel, allowing for double-stacked rail cars from CSX to enter and leave the port.

The project aims to eliminate all remaining double-stack obstructions in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania, between the cities of Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Drainage improvements will also be made throughout the track, with work expected to be completed in June 2027, following its commencement in August 2023.

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