Transportation

10 Drone Programs Get Federal OK To Break The Rules

The public-private partnerships will test the use of drones in heretofore forbidden conditions, under the oversight of the Transportation Department and FAA.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Transportation CIO Says She Doesn’t Want Any More Money

Vicki Hildebrand said she can find funding within the department and doesn’t plan to tap the Technology Modernization Fund anytime soon.

  • By Aaron Boyd

What DOT's Getting Right in Its Enterprise IT Efforts

Developing strong enterprise architecture policy might seem dry but is key to ensuring IT works for agencies’ missions, auditors said.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Thousands Apply to Trump's Drone Pilot Program

Transportation and FAA are accepting proposals to participate in drone innovation zones, where normal regulations do not apply.

  • By Mohana Ravindranath
how attendees sit in the Chrysler Portal self-driving concept car at CES International Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017, in Las Vegas. how attendees sit in the Chrysler Portal self-driving concept car at CES International Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017, in Las Vegas.

Transportation Department Shares Road Map for Self-Driving Cars

Automated driving systems could cut down on fatalities and unlock economic activity, according to the department's recent guidance.

  • By Mohana Ravindranath

Watchdog: Without a Plan, Motor Carrier Safety Agency Can’t Update I.T.

A GAO report dinged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for a half-baked IT modernization plan.

  • By Mohana Ravindranath

A Drone Inspects a Bridge. Now What?

The Federal Highway Agency needs visualization tools to make sense what's being collected by its unmanned inspectors.

  • By Mohana Ravindranath

How Removing Drivers from Trucks Leads to Flying Cars

If we can figure out self-driving vehicles on the ground, the next step might be taking to the skies.

  • By John Breeden II
An air traffic controller works in the tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Thursday, March 16, 2017. An air traffic controller works in the tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Thursday, March 16, 2017.

Air Traffic Control Can Text Flight Crews. FAA Says It's Safer Than Radio, But Is It Secure?

A watchdog wants to ensure outsiders can’t interfere with flight safety communications.

  • By Mohana Ravindranath
Transportation Secretary-designate Elaine Chao testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. Transportation Secretary-designate Elaine Chao testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017.

Transportation Secretary Nominee Wants Agency to ‘Keep Pace’ with Innovation

Elaine Chao emphasized a need to keep up with emerging tech to make public security and safety gains.

  • By Frank Konkel

FITARA Scorecards Could Better Reflect Progress, CIOs Say

In theory, the scorecards motivate agencies to perform better, but they may not always accurately capture much of the progress made.

  • By Frank Konkel
A driver, right, gets his hands off of the steering wheel of an autonomous vehicle during its test drive in Singapore. A driver, right, gets his hands off of the steering wheel of an autonomous vehicle during its test drive in Singapore.

DOT Launches New Automated Transportation Technology Advisory Committee

The group will be tasked with informing federal policy making.

  • By Bill Lucia

Auditors: Transportation Dept. Needs Better Insights into FAA Cyber Incidents

FAA is monitoring many of its own systems without DOT oversight.

  • By Joseph Marks
Vehicles at a business are surrounded by floodwaters from Hurricane Matthew in Lumberton, N.C., Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016. Vehicles at a business are surrounded by floodwaters from Hurricane Matthew in Lumberton, N.C., Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016.

Could Self-Driving Cars Speed Hurricane Evacuations?

The case for a fully autonomous escape plan

  • By Laura Bliss, CityLab

DOT's Innovation Officer: Moonshots Are Just a Series of Small Steps

The government needs to get comfortable with innovation in increments.

  • By Mohana Ravindranath

How One Federal Official Uses Comedy Techniques to Teach 'Innovation'

The Transportation Department's chief innovation officer sometimes starts meetings with improv exercises.

  • By Mohana Ravindranath
A Google self-driving car is seen on display Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at Google's I/O conference in Mountain View, Calif. A Google self-driving car is seen on display Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at Google's I/O conference in Mountain View, Calif.

A New Era for the Automobile

In long-awaited federal guidelines on self-driving cars, officials hint at a new kind of DMV.

  • By Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic
A self-driving Ford Fusion hybrid car is test driven, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016, in Pittsburgh. A self-driving Ford Fusion hybrid car is test driven, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016, in Pittsburgh.

Will Pedestrians Be Able to Tell What a Driverless Car Is About to Do?

For self-driving vehicles to succeed, they’ll have to earn the trust of walkers, joggers and bicyclists.

  • By Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic
Delta passengers stand in line as the carrier slogged through day two of its recovery from a global computer outage, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, in Salt Lake City. Delta passengers stand in line as the carrier slogged through day two of its recovery from a global computer outage, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, in Salt Lake City.

Transportation Department’s Fix for Airlines’ Tech Problems is To Do Nothing

“Airlines are already highly motivated to avoid situations like Delta is experiencing,” the agency said in a emailed statement

  • By David Yanofsky
Google's self-driving Lexus car drives along street during a demonstration at Google campus in Mountain View, Calif. Google's self-driving Lexus car drives along street during a demonstration at Google campus in Mountain View, Calif.

DOT’s Smart City Challenge Aims to Jump Start Driverless Cars in US Cities

The discussion that’s been delayed for too long.

  • By Eric Jaffe, CityLab