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Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, held a press conference Feb. 4 to announce he has reintroduced the bill he put forth last year that would increase fuel taxes to pay for upgrading the nation’s aging transportation system.

Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute has been chosen to conduct the federal government’s study on the 34-hour restart rule.

Republican and Democratic senators have reintroduced their bill to create tax equity for carriers that use liquefied natural gas.

Jack Gerard, executive director of the Washington-based American Petroleum Institute, told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Feb. 3 to put aside political differences and agree on long-term funding programs that modernize the country’s aging transportation network.

The Obama administration’s fiscal 2016 budget unveiled Feb. 2 includes $18 billion for a six-year freight program designed to reduce roadway congestion, which the trucking industry says would improve efficiency.

The cost of obtaining a Transportation Worker Identification Credential has been slightly reduced, but applicants still face lengthy delays.

Cabotage rules, hours-of-service regulations and emissions standards are among the barriers likely to discourage Mexican carriers from applying in large numbers to run longhaul in the United States, trade experts said.

Alternative fuels and ways to measure fuel economy are prime subjects at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s upcoming annual meeting.

Gross domestic product grew at a 2.6% annualized rate after a 5% gain in the third quarter that was the fastest since 2003, Commerce Department figures showed Jan. 30 in Washington.