U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao recently spoke at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Annual Meeting on regulatory reforms in the Department of Transportation.
In August, President Donald Trump signed an executive order removing roadblocks in the permitting process and streamlining the environmental review system.
“The Department of Transportation is committed to identifying ways to eliminate unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy that will save states time, money and reduce burdensome compliance costs,” Chao said. “Important new regulatory and policy changes are underway at the Department to help deliver infrastructure projects faster, and in a more cost-effective manner.”
Since the executive order was signed, the DOT updated its guidance on the application of categorical exclusions for multimodal projects. This is designed to expedite the environmental review process.
The highway reimbursement policy was changed, allowing states to purchase safety equipment directly with federal funds.
A proposed regulatory change, sent to the Federal Register on Wednesday, would change the Federal Railroad Administration’s environmental review process so that it is identical the to the processes used by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.
The DOT plans to publish a notice soliciting applications for the Interstate System Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Pilot Program soon.