U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao answered these questions from ARTBA. Q: The surface transportation system continues to undergo transformation, in terms of both the technology on our roads and the way the traveling public uses the roadways. How has USDOT prioritized innovation to ensure we are prepared for the future needs of our...

Long-awaited revisions to the hours of service (HOS) regulations were released on May 14 to mixed reviews. The changes, published in the Federal Register on June 1, will become effective on Sept. 29. The 120-day period before the ruling becomes effective allows time for training of enforcement agencies and updating of ELD equipment. In announcing...

Playbook Reporter Anna Palmer: Welcome to Playbook. I’m joined by my colleague and Playbook co-author Jake Sherman to host a virtual Playbook interview with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to talk about her role in the recovery, how she’s handling the safety for herself and the agency, the future of airlines and her outlook on a...

CONNELLSVILLE, Pennsylvania — It is 6:59 a.m., and Amtrak’s Capitol Limited is slowly pulling up to the station here that sits along the Youghiogheny River. For many people, this little station in one of the poorest counties in Pennsylvania is their only lifeline to travel to family and friends during the travel restrictions of the...

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania — Help is on the way for airlines and airports, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao said. During the coronavirus pandemic, the suffering is obvious to anyone who walks into an airport like this one: Pittsburgh International Airport has seen passenger traffic in and out of the facility go from 26,000 people a...

Upgrading the nation’s infrastructure is important to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, including assurance that rural areas receive equal treatment relative to metropolitan areas when funds are distributed. “I come from a rural state, and I do not believe that rural America is asking for a handout,” said Chao, who resides in Kentucky, during an interview...

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao told Transport Topics during an exclusive interview March 31 that her agency stands ready to build on the actions it already has taken to help trucking support the country through the coronavirus crisis. She expressed optimism that the federal government could soon take steps to improve the nation’s infrastructure — perhaps...

The excitement on campus was evident on January 31, as 104 graduates awaited to receive their diplomas at Winter Commencement. This was the first Maritime College graduation of the year and the new decade. Adding to the day’s anticipation was The Honorable Elaine L. Chao, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, who visited the College for the...

Nason: What are your top priorities as U.S. Secretary of Transportation? Chao: The first priority is always safety. The second priority is rebuilding and refurbishing our country’s critical infrastructure. The third priority is to prepare for the transportation systems of the future by engaging with new technologies to address legitimate public concerns about safety, security, and...

Laura: Hello, friends, I hope you are feeling well and taking some extra precaution to keep yourself and your loved ones very safe.  The uncertainty around the coronavirus is more than a little unsettling.  I am fully nestled in with my husband Joel and our kids for an extended period of precautionary social distancing, and...