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WASHINGTON— Transportation employees who work alongside roads and behind the wheels of maintenance vehicles can offer valuable perspectives on worthwhile projects, according to panelists gathered to discuss innovation at the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting Jan. 15.

Organizers for this year's gathering of the Transportation Research Board in Washington have come up with a list of a dozen topic areas that policymakers need to address to ensure a sustainable transportation network.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation is ready to issue a new proposed rule that will allow more freedom for people operating drones, according to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

WASHINGTON — Transportation Research Board executives unveiled their list of critical issues at the group’s annual meeting Jan. 14.

The Senate Republican caucus chose Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker to lead the Commerce Committee in the 116th Congress. Wicker succeeds Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who was promoted to the role of assistant Republican leader.

The largest autonomous vehicle test site in the United States has been acquired by AAA of Northern California, Nevada and Utah, one of the most familiar car-club brands in the country.

Drone-delivery technology company Flytrex announced it has raised $7.5 million in Series B funding, according to a Jan. 8 press release. This round brings the company’s total to $11 million.

A group of eight Midwestern states has launched a system to inform truckers about parking availability along interstate highways. Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin launched the Trucks Park Here program.

Infrastructure and trade loom large for trucking in the year ahead as freight carriers adjust to a slower, but still positive, rate of economic growth in 2019, according to industry experts interviewed by Transport Topics.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Dec. 26 announced it has issued a five-year exemption to Stoneridge Inc. to allow its aftermarket MirrorEye mirrorless digital camera and sensor system to be installed on trucks and motorcoaches as an alternative to traditional mirrors.