Safety, streamlined project permitting and technology are key priorities for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation in 2020. In particular, a program focusing on rural infrastructure is unfolding, with applicant toolkits to be unveiled in March, according to federal officials.
Loren Smith, DOT deputy assistant secretary for transportation policy, told attendees of the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting last month in Washington, D.C., that the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) initiative aims to boost safety and economic development through road and bridge projects. While only one-fifth of the nation’s population lives in rural areas, 46% of highway fatalities occur on rural roads and 39% of all highway-rail crossing fatalities occur in rural areas, he said, adding that 80% of bridges closed to traffic are rural.