Safety group predicts 2021 to be year “roadway digitization” gains spotlight through priority funding that could boost last-mile freight
Freight Waves
By John Gallagher February 5, 20210 When President Joe Biden unveiled his $1.3 trillion, 10-year infrastructure plan during the 2020 presidential campaign, he emphasized technologies that could be used by state and local governments to reduce accidents, such as vehicle-to-infrastructure communication and connected intersections. He also vowed to work with Congress to increase federal funding for safety initiatives like the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). Now that Pete Buttigieg has been confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) — and is expected to be the leading force within the administration to push Biden’s infrastructure agenda — expectation is high there will be a breakthrough on road safety at the local level, where the profile of last-mile delivery has risen over the past year. “Investment in federal highways is one part of Biden’s plan within the overall surface transportation supply chain,” David Braunstein, president of global NGO Together for Safer Roads (TSR), told FreightWaves. “But 77% of the roads in this country are overseen by local authorities, and last-mile freight delivery has undergone a major change over the last year due to the pandemic, and is now a massive part of the consumer community. Based on Biden’s pledge to increase federal funding for key safety initiatives on the local level, we’re predicting 2021 will be the year that roadway digitization receives more spotlight and funding.”
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