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Instead of buying only asphalt and steel, several states will spend federal stimulus dollars on “smart road” projects that use information technology to reduce congestion, according to a survey by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The path for 2009 freight rail legislation was simplified last week when Sens. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) agreed to work together on a single bill addressing shippers’ concerns about a lack of competition.

WASHINGTON — Victor Mendez, the Obama administration’s choice to head the Federal Highway Administration, said safety and productivity would be among the factors he would consider when examining possible changes to federal truck size-and-weight limits.

Despite the lack of a new, long-promised federal stopping-distance rule for heavy-duty trucks, brake companies are making — and original equipment manufacturers are offering — a growing array of electronic systems designed to help truckers stop faster and maintain more control.

The average price of a gallon of diesel fuel jumped 7.8 cents last week to $2.352 a gallon, the highest level since December, while gasoline rose another 8.9 cents as crude oil pushed near $70 a barrel, the Department of Energy reported.

Truck and engine manufacturer Navistar Inc. has challenged the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to certify heavy-duty diesel engines using selective catalytic reduction to meet the agency’s 2010 emission standards, saying EPA skipped an important regulatory step.

President Obama will nominate Anne Ferro, president of the Maryland Motor Truck Association, to head the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the White House announced last week.

I find it very odd that when Washington needs something from the people, they talk about family, but when the people need something from the government, they talk about business. This kind of duality of conflicting agendas contradicts reason and confuses everyone. Even if it is unintentional, it smacks of doublespeak.

First-quarter U.S. worker productivity improved at an annual rate of 1.6% in the first quarter, twice the level originally reported, the Labor Department said Thursday.