This week we heard a great presentation from DOT and held our first bill hearing of the year in Senate Transportation Committee! Catch up on what we’ve been doing up until now in our first blog post.
On Tuesday, February 14, we heard from DOT about how they use data to make strategic investment decisions and plan new transportation infrastructure projects. We learned about what data the department currently collects and their online dashboard that reports data on pavement conditions, bridge conditions, and overall safety. This was a great presentation that answered many of the questions I had about DOT’s decision-making processes. Check out the Dashboard
Another useful part of the presentation was the slide in the image below which lays out the advancement of DOT’s planning processes and how Long-Range Investment planning and Mid-range Planning drives construction.
The slide (Slide 28) below nicely lays out some goals on various timelines that DOT is working towards for improving their data governance and capabilities. There are other Short-, Mid-, and Long-Term goals on other slides in the presentation that I recommend viewing. These include very good Resource Allocation, Pre-Screening, and Project Prioritization goals. Follow the link below to view the entire slideshow.
Watch it here | Flip through the Slides
On Thursday, February 16, we held a first hearing on Senator Scott Kawasaki’s SB 62 which defines Electric-Assisted Bicycles (e-bikes) in statute. Adding this definition will clarify that Alaskans do not need to register their e-bike as a motor vehicle, which means that they are not subject to registration, licensing, or insurance requirements that apply to cars and motorcycles. With the passage of SB 62, e-bike users and law enforcement clearly understand what rules apply and will allow these cool bicycles to be operated where local regulations allow them to be used.
Watch it here | Read the bill | Learn more about the Bill
Coming up next week:
Tuesday, February 21, 1:30-3pm AKST
We will be hearing from DOT about Roads, Highways, and Bridges. This presentation will include information about how the various Regions (Northern, Central, and Southcoast) operate and interact with each other. There should be a brief overview of current projects, but focus should be on operations, project delivery, and the regions.
Watch the hearing and view the slide pack upon receipt from DOT here
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