Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
May 7, 2016 The Marão Tunnel in northern Portugal made its debut. This new highway structure was officially dedicated by António Costa, the prime minister of Portugal. As a key part of the inaugural festivities on that Saturday, hundreds of people in attendance traveled through the tunnel either on bicycle or by foot. The Marão... Continue Reading →
May 6, 1970 The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) was established. The bill creating this department was signed into law by Pennsylvania Governor Raymond P. Shafer in a ceremony at his office in the State Capitol in Harrisburg. That legislative measure had enjoyed widespread support from both sides of the political aisle in the Pennsylvania... Continue Reading →
May 5, 1913 An assortment of motor trucks departed Washington, D.C., on a Monday morning for a four-day, round-trip “reliability run” that would take them through valleys and among mountains in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The Washington Post Motor Truck Reliability Run, the first competition of its kind held in that region of the United States,... Continue Reading →
May 4, 1957 Construction began on the rapid transit system Metropolitana di Milano (Milan Metro) in Italy’s second most populous city. Public transportation in Milan dates back to 1840, when the Milan-Monza Railway made its debut. As early as 1914, Milan’s public officials discussed creating an underground transit network similar to those in other major... Continue Reading →
April 30, 1974 The Queen Juliana Bridge was officially opened in Willemstad, the capital of the southern Caribbean island of Curaçao. (A constituent country of the Netherlands, Curaçao was part of the Netherlands Antilles at the time of the Queen Juliana Bridge's debut.) This four-lane road bridge spans across St. Anna Bay and replaced a... Continue Reading →
April 29, 1999 A field demonstration of new pavement maintenance materials and techniques took place at the Western Idaho Fairgrounds in Boise. This demonstration was part of an AASHTO-sponsored program, and those attending the event included transportation professionals from state, county, and municipal government agencies in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington State. The genesis of both... Continue Reading →
April 28, 1958 Perley Albert Thomas, a transportation entrepreneur who had a significant impact on the streetcar and bus industries in the United States, died in Jacksonville, Florida. Thomas was born in 1874 and grew up on a farm in Ontario, Canada. With a background in machinery and woodworking, he moved to Detroit in 1901... Continue Reading →
April 27, 1904 The Lansden Company, a manufacturer of electric vehicles, was incorporated in New Jersey. The Newark-based company had been launched by John M. Lansden, along with William M. Little, and they focused mainly on such large vehicles as trucks. The Lansden Company soon established itself as a major force in the electric vehicles market... Continue Reading →
There has been a longtime need throughout the United States to adequately acknowledge and appreciate the tasks undertaken by workers in road construction and maintenance areas, and an equally vital need to better ensure the safety of those individuals when they are on the job. These priorities were emphasized as far back as the winter... Continue Reading →
High-visibility safety vests have long been a key part of the protective clothing worn by those who work in road construction areas. The yellow-and-orange safety vests certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as Class 3, for example, are customarily worn by those working on highways where the speed limit is at least 50... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 